I just wanted to add my experience since I went through this exact same thing about 3 months ago! Got my first two payments, then "pending issues" appeared overnight with zero explanation. I was completely panicking because I thought I'd done something wrong. Turns out it was just DEO's quarterly eligibility verification - completely routine but they make it look terrifying! The automated phone system (1-800-681-8102, press 1 then 3) told me it was "claim eligibility review" with 7-10 business days expected resolution. Mine cleared on day 8 and I got all my back payments. The most important things I learned: 1) KEEP CLAIMING YOUR WEEKS even with pending status - this is crucial for back pay, 2) Take screenshots of everything in your account right now, 3) The fact that you already received payments means your claim is properly approved - this is actually a good sign! I know the stress is real when you're counting on that money, but based on all the experiences shared here, you're dealing with normal DEO bureaucracy rather than a real problem. This community has been amazing for navigating their terrible system. You've got this Charlotte! 💪

I'm going through this EXACT same situation right now and this entire thread has been a lifesaver! Got my first payment 10 days ago, felt like I could finally relax, and then yesterday I logged in to see "pending issues" staring at me with absolutely no explanation. I honestly thought I was going to lose everything. After reading everyone's experiences here, I immediately called that automated system at 1-800-681-8102 (press 1, then 3, enter SSN) and it told me "routine eligibility verification in progress" with 7-12 business days expected. Such a relief to finally have SOME information instead of just that vague "pending issues" message! Already took screenshots of my entire account thanks to Zoe's advice, and I'm committed to claiming my weeks no matter what shows up on my dashboard. It's incredible how this community has provided more useful information and emotional support than the entire DEO website. Charlotte, I know exactly how scared you're feeling right now, but based on everyone's shared experiences, it really sounds like we're all dealing with routine bureaucracy rather than actual problems with our claims. The fact that you already received two payments is actually encouraging - means your initial approval was solid. We'll get through this! 💪

I just went through this same process two weeks ago and was completely blindsided by the video call requirement! I had set aside maybe 20 minutes thinking it would be a quick automated upload, but ended up spending almost 3 hours total between the wait time and call. My queue time was around 2 hours 15 minutes which was absolutely brutal, but I stuck it out since I didn't want to start over. The referee was actually really nice though - very patient and professional. They had me show my driver's license from multiple angles, verify my full name and address, and confirm the last 4 digits of my SSN. The actual video portion took maybe 8-10 minutes once connected. What helped me was having good overhead lighting and making sure my phone was on silent so there wouldn't be any interruptions. My DEO account updated to verified status exactly 48 hours after the call completed. It's definitely frustrating that there's zero warning about potentially needing to do a video interview, but it seems like this is just their standard security protocol. At least now I know for next time to block out a whole afternoon if I ever have to do ID verification again!

I had this exact same thing happen to me about 3 weeks ago! I was so confused when it suddenly switched to the video call requirement - I thought I had somehow messed up the photo uploads or something. My wait time ended up being around 1 hour 45 minutes which felt like an eternity, but the referee was really professional and friendly once I got connected. They just had me show my ID from a couple different angles and asked standard verification questions like confirming my address and DOB. The whole video portion was maybe 6-7 minutes total. My DEO account showed as verified about 32 hours later and I've had no issues accessing it since then. It's definitely just their normal security process when the automated facial recognition can't match with high enough confidence. I wish they would just mention upfront that some people might need to do a video interview so we're not all caught off guard by it! But once you get through it, everything works smoothly.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact nightmare 6 months ago. Got hit with a $6,200 overpayment notice that made absolutely no sense - I had been super careful about reporting my gig work earnings every single week. Here's what I learned: DEO's system often can't properly handle irregular income patterns. In my case, I drove for a delivery app and would get paid weekly, but the payments included tips and bonuses from different time periods. I reported exactly what I received each week, but DEO later claimed I should have "allocated" the earnings differently based on when I actually worked, not when I got paid. The good news is I won my appeal! The key was showing that I followed the instructions on the certification form exactly as written. The form asks "How much did you earn?" not "How much should you have earned in this time period?" I had screenshots proving I reported the actual amounts I received. My advice: Document EVERYTHING about your appeal. Take screenshots of every form you submit, keep copies of all correspondence, and if possible, get a confirmation number for your appeal submission. The hearing was conducted over the phone and lasted about 30 minutes. The officer was actually pretty reasonable once I explained the situation clearly. Stay strong - if you genuinely reported accurately, you have a good chance of winning this!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress! I went through something very similar about 8 months ago - got hit with a $4,200 overpayment notice that completely blindsided me. Like you, I had been extremely careful about reporting every penny I earned from my part-time bookkeeping work. What really helped me was creating a detailed timeline showing exactly what I reported each week versus what I actually earned and when. I made a spreadsheet with columns for: certification week, amount I reported, actual pay stub amount, and deposit date in my bank account. This visual comparison made it crystal clear that I had reported everything correctly. The appeal process took about 10 weeks total for me, but I won! The hearing officer could see that any discrepancies were due to timing issues between when my employer reported wages versus when I actually received them, not because I was hiding income. One thing that really saved me was that I had kept email confirmations from CONNECT every time I submitted my bi-weekly certifications. Those timestamps proved exactly when and what I had reported. If you have any confirmation emails or screenshots from your certifications, definitely gather those up. Don't let the collection notices psych you out - they're automatically generated and can't actually do anything while your appeal is active. You've got this! The fact that you were conscientious about reporting from the beginning puts you in a strong position.

Hey Sebastián! Welcome to the Florida DEO adventure - you're definitely not alone in feeling overwhelmed! I see you've gotten tons of great advice already, but I wanted to add something that really helped me when I was in your shoes about 8 months ago. Keep a simple daily log of what you did regarding your claim - whether you checked CONNECT, claimed weeks, did work searches, or even just "no action taken today." I use a basic notebook and just write the date and what I did. This saved me when DEO questioned whether I had been claiming weeks consistently during my pending period. Having that written record made the difference between getting paid and having my claim denied. Also, don't be surprised if your claim status randomly changes back and forth sometimes - mine went from "pending" to "active" to "under review" and back to "active" within a single week. The system is... quirky. Just keep doing what everyone here told you to do and document everything. You've got this!

Hey Sebastián! I just wanted to add one more piece of advice that saved me a lot of headaches - create a backup method for accessing your account. Write down your login credentials and security questions/answers in a secure place. The CONNECT system sometimes locks people out randomly, especially during high-traffic periods, and if you forget your security question answers, getting back in can take weeks. Also, I noticed you mentioned feeling overwhelmed - that's totally normal! The DEO system is intentionally confusing (or at least feels that way). Don't hesitate to reach out here if you run into any weird issues. This community has seen pretty much every possible DEO glitch and can usually point you in the right direction. We're all in this together, and everyone here remembers what it was like being new to the system. You're already ahead of the game by asking questions early instead of waiting weeks like some of us did!

I'm so sorry you're going through this - I completely understand the panic when your benefits just stop and you can't reach anyone! I went through something very similar about 3 months ago and it was absolutely maddening. Here's what finally worked for me after weeks of trying: I called the Reemployment Services office at 850-245-7298 (different from the main DEO line) right at 8:00 AM on a Tuesday. They were able to look up my account and identify that there was an automated review flag that had been triggered - something that wasn't showing up anywhere in my CONNECT account. Also, definitely try contacting your state representative's office through their website. I was hesitant at first because it felt like overkill, but their constituent services staff deal with DEO issues regularly and they have direct contacts that can bypass the broken phone system. Mine got back to me within 48 hours. In the meantime, log into CONNECT and check under the "View and Maintain Account Information" section - sometimes there are hidden verification requirements buried in there that don't show up as alerts on the main dashboard. The whole system is absolutely broken right now, but don't give up. Your benefits ARE owed to you and there are ways to get through to real people who can help. Document every call attempt with dates/times - it helps when you finally do get someone on the line. Hang in there!

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! My benefits stopped showing up last week with absolutely no warning or explanation in CONNECT. I've been calling nonstop for 4 days and getting those infuriating automatic hangups every single time. It's like they've designed the system to break people down mentally. Reading through all these responses has been both helpful and eye-opening - I had no idea this was happening to so many people right now. The fact that there are hidden system flags and backend changes they're not telling anyone about is absolutely unacceptable. We shouldn't have to become detectives just to access benefits we're entitled to. I'm going to try several of the approaches mentioned here: that Tallahassee direct line (850-245-7105), the Reemployment Services number (850-245-7298), and definitely looking into the Claimyr service. The stress of bills piling up while being unable to reach a human being is honestly affecting my physical health at this point. Thank you to everyone who's shared their success stories and specific numbers/strategies. It gives me hope that there are still ways through this broken system, even though it feels deliberately designed to make us give up. Will definitely update this thread with what works - we need to keep sharing information to help each other navigate this mess!