Florida Unemployment
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DEO claim effective date change nightmare - can't claim March/April weeks despite multiple calls
So beyond frustrated right now! I had my claim effective date changed about 2 months ago (job situation changed), but I STILL can't access or claim ANY of my weeks from March or April 2025. I've sent probably 15 emails to DEO and called that main number (833-352-7759) at least 30 times following different menu options each time (option 5 then 1, option 5 then 2, etc). Every single representative gives me the runaround saying "Oh, I can't help with claim effective date issues, you need to speak with X department." Then when I call the department they suggested, either nobody answers or the call mysteriously disconnects after 20+ minutes on hold! Has anyone else dealt with this ridiculous back-and-forth? I've got bills piling up and can't access benefits I'm eligible for because of what seems like a simple technical adjustment. Any advice on how to actually get someone competent on the phone who can fix this???
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DEO agent marked my claim as priority after 6 weeks on hold due to hurricane backlog - what to expect?
So I finally got through to someone at DEO yesterday after calling literally 35+ times! My claim has been sitting on hold for 6 weeks with no movement. The agent I spoke with told me the whole system is seriously backed up because of the hurricanes (I'm in Highlands County). He said he marked my claim as a 'priority' in their system since I've had 6 weeks of payments on hold. He told me to call back in two weeks if I don't see any updates. Has anyone else been told their claim was marked as 'priority'? Did it actually speed things up? I'm getting really desperate as my savings are completely gone and I'm borrowing money for groceries at this point. Should I trust what this agent told me or should I be doing something else? Do I need to keep doing the work search requirements even though my claim is on hold?
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i just got lucky with a nice lady who seemed to know what she was doing. but i did say something like "can you please check if theres any specific error codes or issues that might be easy to fix" and thats when she found it. i think being super polite helped too even tho i was freaking out inside lol
I called again today and got through after only 6 attempts! The agent I spoke with was much more helpful. She said my claim had a "wage verification hold" that needed supervisor approval. She put in a request for supervisor review and gave me a confirmation number this time. Said I should see movement within 3-5 business days. Fingers crossed this actually works! Will update when I know more.
That's great progress! The confirmation number is key - that means they actually submitted something in the system rather than just making notes. A wage verification hold is usually pretty straightforward for them to resolve once a supervisor looks at it. Make sure to keep that confirmation number handy for future calls.
DEO account showing 'suspended' after applying for extended benefits - what's happening?
My DEO account balance still shows money remaining, but the status changed to 'suspended' this morning. I just applied for extended benefits yesterday thinking I was being proactive before my regular benefits run out. Now I'm confused about what's happening. Does applying for extended benefits automatically suspend my current claim? I still have about $1,850 left in my regular benefits and was counting on that money for my rent next week. Has anyone dealt with this situation before?
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I spoke with a DEO agent yesterday (finally got through after using Claimyr), and they confirmed that the system automatically suspends regular benefits when you apply for extended benefits prematurely. The agent needs to: 1) Cancel your extended benefits application 2) Remove the suspension flag from your account 3) Reinstate your regular benefits Once they do this, your account should return to normal within 24-48 hours. Make sure they also check if there are any outstanding fact-finding questions or identity verification issues that might be complicating things.
Thank you for this information! I just used Claimyr and got through to a rep who said they're fixing it now. They told me it should be back to normal by Monday. What a relief!
Just as a follow-up for anyone reading this thread in the future: To avoid this issue, you should wait until your regular benefits are completely exhausted before applying for any extended benefits programs. The CONNECT system will actually notify you when you're eligible to apply for extensions through your message inbox. Always check for these notifications rather than applying proactively. Also, remember that extended benefit programs are not always available - they depend on federal funding and state unemployment rates. The DEO website should have the most current information about which programs are active.
This is really helpful advice. I wish the DEO website made this clearer! I thought I was doing the right thing by being proactive, but it ended up causing a big problem. Thankfully it's being resolved now.
CONNECT stuck in error loop since June - can't reach DEO agents with sick spouse at home
I'm at my wits end with Florida DEO!! The CONNECT system keeps showing a technical error message every time I try to claim my weeks since JUNE. The error says 'We apologize, but we are unable to process your request at this time due to a technical error.' Then it kicks me back to the homepage. I've tried clearing cache, different browsers, even my neighbor's computer - same problem. I've called the 1-833 number literally 30+ times and either get disconnected or wait 3+ hours only to have the call drop. I sent 4 messages through the contact form and zero response. This is seriously affecting my finances - I'm behind $1750 on rent already and my electric is about to be shut off. To make things worse, my husband tested positive for covid last week so I have to stay home to care for him and can't even look for temporary work right now. Has anyone gotten through this technical error or know some secret way to actually talk to a real person at DEO? I'm desperate at this point and about to be evicted.
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UPDATE: I wanted to let everyone know what finally worked for me! I tried everything suggested here - early morning login, clearing all data, different devices, even the CareerSource visit (they tried but couldn't fix it). What FINALLY worked was the Claimyr service someone recommended. I was really skeptical about paying for something like this when I'm already broke, but after 7 weeks of no progress, I was desperate. Got connected to a DEO agent in about 25 minutes. Turns out there was a "system flag" on my account from when I had reported working part-time back in May. The system never processed it correctly, causing the technical error loop. The agent manually cleared it and reset my claim. I was able to claim my weeks immediately after! Now just waiting for the payments to process. THANK YOU everyone for your help during this nightmare!!!
Great news! I'm glad you got it resolved. This is exactly why speaking with an actual agent is so important - these system flags can only be cleared manually. For anyone else reading this in the future, if you see persistent technical errors, it almost always requires direct agent intervention.
Successfully got 7 weeks backdated on DEO claim - will I get backdated $600 federal too?
After fighting with DEO for almost 2 months, I FINALLY got my unemployment claim backdated to include 7 missing weeks from March-April 2025! It was such a headache - kept getting the runaround from different agents until I reached someone who actually knew what they were doing. My question is: for those 7 backdated weeks, will I also receive the Federal supplement payments that I missed? I'm not even sure which federal program is active right now (if any?), but I heard some people mentioning extra money beyond the regular Florida benefit amount. Has anyone else recently had their claim backdated successfully? Did you receive any federal supplement for those missed weeks? The DEO agent wasn't clear about this and I'm trying to figure out what to expect in my payment.
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I'm still fighting with them over MY backdated weeks from JANUARY! Every time I call they tell me something different. One agent says it's approved, next one says there's no record of the request. Another says I need to submit more documentation. Then the next says everything looks fine just keep waiting. I'M GOING INSANE DEALING WITH DEO!!!!!
Liam O'Donnell
Just following up on my earlier comment - if the morning calls still don't work, another approach is to visit a CareerSource Florida center in person. They have direct lines to DEO specialists and can sometimes get issues resolved that are impossible over regular phone lines. Not all locations offer this service though, so call your local center first to ask if they have DEO assistance available.
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Jamal Carter
UPDATE: IT WORKED!!!! I followed the advice from this thread (especially asking for a Tier 2 specialist and mentioning "week availability restriction") and FINALLY got it resolved! Called at 7:32am, used option 5-7-3, waited about 15 minutes, and got a really helpful agent. She immediately knew what was wrong when I used those specific terms. My weeks from March/April are now showing as available to claim in my CONNECT account! Thank you all SO MUCH for the help - especially the former DEO employee who explained exactly what to say. For anyone else dealing with this issue, the key was definitely getting to the right department and using the correct terminology.
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Giovanni Moretti
I'm so glad it worked out! One more tip: make sure to claim those weeks ASAP since they're older. The system sometimes has a timeout for backdated weeks even after they're made available.
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