my wife had the same thing happen got locked out for like 2 months. she kept calling that stupid number everyday and nothing. then she found out about the ID.me thing and did that and got an email saying she was verified but her account was still locked. she kept calling and finally got through to someone who told her she had to wait for a "determination letter" or something. took another 3 weeks but they finally unlocked it. whole system is a mess tbh

To provide an update for everyone in this thread: After following the advice here, I was able to get my account unlocked yesterday! What ultimately worked: 1. Called the 833-FL-APPLY number at exactly 8:30am with options 5-2-2 2. Got through after only 2 attempts (shocking!) 3. Spoke with a very helpful agent named Maria who verified all my documents were already in the system 4. She escalated my case to a supervisor for immediate review 5. Received an email about 4 hours later that my account was unlocked The agent confirmed they're dealing with a huge backlog of identity theft cases, and that cases often get stuck if you don't specifically ask for an escalation. She also mentioned they're prioritizing cases that are over 45 days old (mine was at 52 days). Thank you everyone for your help! Hope this works for others in the same situation.

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at DEO! Used Claimyr this morning and was connected to an agent within 20 minutes. The agent confirmed they received my identity documents but said they were "pending review" in the verification queue. She submitted an escalation request due to the length of time and my hardship situation. She said I should see movement on my account within 3-5 business days. Will update again once I know more. Thank you all for the helpful advice!

That's fantastic news! So glad Claimyr worked for you - I've been hesitant to try it but hearing your success story gives me hope. The fact that they could actually confirm your documents were received and submit an escalation is huge progress. Fingers crossed you get your account unlocked soon! Keep us posted on how it goes over the next few days.

Congratulations on finally getting through! Your success story gives me hope. I've been dealing with a similar situation for about 6 weeks now - my claim has been stuck in "pending" status and every rep just tells me it's been escalated. I'm definitely going to try your approach tomorrow morning. Quick question - when you mentioned the expedited hardship review, did you have to provide any specific documentation or proof of hardship, or was the 3+ month wait time enough? Also, did the higher tier person you spoke with give you any kind of case number or reference for the resolution? Thanks for sharing what worked - this community is honestly more helpful than the actual DEO sometimes!

This thread is incredible - thank you everyone for the detailed advice! I'm in a very similar situation (2+ months waiting, multiple "escalations" that went nowhere) and I've been doing everything wrong apparently. I've been calling around noon and just asking for a supervisor without knowing about the tier system. No wonder I keep getting the runaround! I'm going to try the early morning call tomorrow with the specific language about "Tier 2 specialist callback" and expedited hardship review. One question - for those who've had success, did you mention this forum or where you learned about the tier system? I'm wondering if the agents react differently when they realize you know how their system actually works vs. just being another frustrated caller who doesn't understand the process. Also going to email that adjudication address tonight with all my documentation. After reading Liam's success story, I finally have hope this nightmare might end soon!

Congratulations on getting it resolved! Your experience really highlights how broken the DEO system is - the fact that you had to use multiple workarounds just to get a basic account issue fixed is ridiculous. But I'm glad the combination of contacting your state rep and using Claimyr worked out. For anyone else still struggling with this issue, it sounds like the key takeaway is that ID.me verification doesn't automatically unlock your CONNECT account - there's a separate "security flag" that DEO has to manually remove. This explains why so many people get stuck in limbo even after successful verification. Thanks for updating us with what worked - these success stories give the rest of us hope when dealing with this nightmare system!

@Aisha Hussain So glad you got this resolved! Your post really helped me understand what I'm dealing with. I just completed my ID.me verification yesterday and sure enough, my CONNECT account is showing the same "locked for security reasons" message. Based on your success, I'm going to try both approaches - contacting my state rep AND using Claimyr. It's frustrating that we have to do all this extra work just to access benefits we're entitled to, but at least there's a proven path forward. Quick question for anyone who's been through this - about how long should I wait before trying these methods? I know Aisha said she waited a week, but I'm wondering if I should give it a few more days first or just start the process now since we know the "security flag" issue requires manual intervention anyway. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is honestly more helpful than DEO's actual customer service!

I'm so sorry you're going through this nightmare. 8 months is absolutely unacceptable! I just went through something similar (6 months pending) and finally got resolution last month. Here's what worked for me: 1. I emailed my state representative's office with a detailed timeline of my case - they have a DEO liaison who can actually get answers 2. Filed a complaint with the DEO Inspector General (as someone mentioned above) - this seemed to trigger actual movement on my case 3. Called the legislative hotline at 850-487-1052 - it's a different number than the regular DEO line and I had better luck getting through The key is hitting them from multiple angles at once. Don't rely on just one method. My claim was stuck because of an "employer separation verification" issue that literally took one 10-minute phone call to resolve once I finally reached the right person. Also, document EVERYTHING - dates you called, emails sent, responses received. You'll need this timeline when you finally get through to someone. Hang in there - you WILL get your money, but you have to be relentless about pursuing it through these alternate channels.

I feel your pain so deeply - this system is absolutely broken and designed to exhaust people into giving up. 8 months is unconscionable, especially when you've done everything right on your end. Based on what others have shared here, I'd strongly recommend doing ALL of these immediately: 1. Contact your state rep AND senator (use myfloridahouse.gov to find them) - be specific about your timeline and financial hardship 2. File that Inspector General complaint - sounds like this creates real accountability 3. Try that legislative hotline number @Layla Sanders mentioned (850-487-1052) 4. Document everything with dates/times for when you finally get through The fact that you're approaching the one-year deadline that @Aaliyah Jackson mentioned makes this even more urgent. DEO is essentially stealing from you at this point - you've paid into this system and they're withholding what you're legally entitled to. Also consider that Claimyr service @Sasha Ivanov used if you have any funds available. It's infuriating that we have to pay a third party to access our own benefits, but if it works in 25 minutes vs. months of torture, it might be worth it. Don't give up! You've made it 8 months - you're stronger than their broken system. Keep us posted on what works!