Update: It's been 8 days now and still no change to my effective date in CONNECT. I'm going to try calling again tomorrow morning. This is so frustrating - I feel like they're just hoping I'll give up on getting my backpay.

SUCCESS!!! After 12 days, my CONNECT account finally updated this morning! The effective date is now correct and my monetary determination increased. All the missing weeks are now showing in my payment history as "processed" but not paid yet. The rep I spoke to yesterday said payments should hit my account within 48 hours. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

your supposed to do FIVE work searches????? i thought it was three per week? have i been doing it wrong this whole time?????

UPDATE: I finally got through to DEO after using that Claimyr service someone suggested below. The agent was actually really understanding about my transportation situation. She told me that online applications absolutely count as work searches and removed the work search issue from my account! She also said to document in the notes section when I claim weeks that I'm limited to online applications due to lack of transportation. My payment that was pending just switched to processed! Such a relief.

Yes, absolutely continue claiming weeks while the appeal is processing! This is critical - if you win the appeal but haven't been claiming weeks, you won't receive backpay for unclaimed weeks. Make sure she completes all five work search activities each week and reports them accurately. One more tip: If it's been more than 72 hours since you filed the appeal and you don't see it reflected in CONNECT, call and ask for the Appeals Department specifically. Sometimes appeals get lost in the system, especially when filed online.

This happened to me but with a twist - I was deemed eligible then they reversed it later and wanted money back! The whole DEO system is just broken. Good luck getting anyone on the phone without spending your whole day trying.

I think everyone here is missing something important. When your regular benefits exhaust, you SHOULD see a link in CONNECT that says "Apply for PEUC" or something similar for whatever the current extension program is called. If you don't see that link within 24-48 hours after your benefits exhaust, there's likely an issue with your account. At least that's how it worked for me back in November. The system is supposed to automatically determine eligibility, but sometimes you need to initiate the extension yourself through that link.

Based on my experience working with unemployment claims, here's what you should expect: 1. Continue claiming weeks exactly as you have been 2. The system takes 7-14 days to process extension eligibility after regular benefits exhaust 3. You will receive a determination notice in your CONNECT inbox once a decision is made 4. If approved, payments typically begin 1-2 weeks after approval 5. The first payment will include any eligible weeks that occurred during the processing period If you don't see any updates in your CONNECT account after 10 days, I strongly recommend contacting DEO directly. The mainline (1-800-204-2418) is often overwhelmed, but calling right when they open at 7:30am gives you the best chance of getting through. And as others have mentioned, absolutely continue completing and reporting your 5 work search activities each week during this transition period.

Quick update on what's been happening with retroactive payments in Florida: DEO announced last month they're processing backdating requests in batches based on filing date. If your request was submitted in January, you're likely in the batch scheduled for processing in mid-April. They're severely understaffed in the department that handles backdating. One thing that might help - check your CONNECT inbox daily. Often they'll send a fact-finding questionnaire about your backdating request without any notification. If you miss responding to this within 7 days, they automatically deny the request and you have to start over.

btw dont bother with the contact form on the DEO website. complete blackhole - ive sent like 9 messages there about my backdating issue and never got ONE single response. total waste of time!!!