Thanks everyone for the helpful info! I'm a little disappointed about the federal benefits being gone, but at least I know what to expect now. I'll make sure to do all 5 work searches each week and document everything carefully. Really appreciate all the advice as a first-timer navigating this confusing system!

Just wanted to add - if you're struggling with rent while waiting for your first payment, check if your county has emergency rental assistance programs. Many Florida counties still have COVID-era funding available for people who recently lost jobs. Also, food banks and churches often help with groceries so you can stretch that unemployment money further. The first few weeks are always the hardest while you're adjusting to the lower income, but you'll figure out a budget that works. Good luck with your claim!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! Been on partial unemployment since February due to hour cuts at my restaurant job (went from 35 hours to about 18-20 weekly). The inconsistency from DEO agents is absolutely maddening - I've gotten completely different answers from every single person I've spoken with. What's really helped me is keeping a spreadsheet with my exact earnings for each week, including gross pay, net pay, and hours worked. When I call DEO, I have all this info ready because they always ask for it. Also learned the hard way that you need to be super specific about which weeks you're asking about - don't just say "January through March" because they'll get confused. One thing that worked for me was calling right at 8:00 AM on Monday mornings. Still takes forever to get through, but seems like there's slightly less volume then. And definitely ask for that supervisor or escalation if the first agent can't help - I wasted weeks talking to people who clearly didn't know the partial unemployment process. The system is definitely broken but don't give up! Document everything like others have said and keep pushing. You're entitled to that backpay if you qualify.

I'm going through something very similar right now and this thread has been a lifesaver! I've been on partial unemployment since late February (hours cut from 32 to 18 at my office job) and getting the runaround from DEO for weeks. Based on everyone's advice here, I called this morning at 8 AM sharp and specifically asked about my "backdate adjustment ticket status" - turns out they never created one despite three different agents telling me my backpay was "processing." The supervisor I spoke with finally created the ticket and gave me reference number DEO-2025-BD-847392. She said to expect the backdated weeks to appear in CONNECT within 7-10 business days. Also learned I've been reporting NET income instead of GROSS this whole time, which probably flagged my claim for manual review. Going to recalculate everything using gross pay amounts and be ready with exact figures when those backdated weeks show up. The Claimyr service someone mentioned actually worked - got through to a knowledgeable agent in 22 minutes instead of spending hours on hold. Definitely worth the small fee to avoid the phone tree nightmare. Keep pushing everyone - we're all entitled to these benefits if we qualify! Document everything and don't take "it's processing" as an answer without specific details.

Any luck with the representative or getting through to DEO yet? I'm invested in your situation now and hoping you get resolution soon!

I'm dealing with something very similar - my claim has been under investigation for 3 months now with zero communication from DEO. Reading through all these responses is both reassuring (that I'm not alone) and terrifying (that some people wait 7-9 months!). @Dmitry that's great news about getting through with Claimyr and getting an actual explanation! A "system flag conflict" sounds like something that should be fixable once someone actually looks at it. Really hoping the supervisor can clear it up quickly for you. For anyone else stuck in investigation limbo, it seems like the key takeaways from this thread are: 1) Try Claimyr to actually reach a human, 2) Contact your state representative, 3) File formal complaints to create paper trails, and 4) Ask specifically for "claim escalation" if you're past 90 days. Going to try all of these myself!

Isabella, I'm really glad to see you got some traction with Claimyr and have someone looking at your case now! Your situation is unfortunately way too common - employers disputing legitimate layoffs just to avoid paying unemployment taxes is such a scummy practice. One thing I learned when I went through a similar dispute last year: if that supervisor doesn't call back within their promised timeframe, don't wait more than 2-3 business days before following up. When I got passive and waited "patiently" for callbacks, my case just sat there for weeks. But when I stayed on top of them with regular follow-ups, things moved much faster. Also, since you mentioned having that HR email about your layoff - that's golden evidence! Make sure you have it ready to send immediately if they ask. I'd also recommend taking screenshots of it in case the original gets corrupted or lost somehow. The fact that you're now employed actually works in your favor here because it shows you weren't just trying to milk the system - you genuinely needed those benefits during your unemployment period. Keep fighting for that money you're owed, and definitely keep us updated on how the supervisor call goes!

Isabella, your story really resonates with me - I went through something almost identical about 4 months ago. Had 9 weeks stuck in adjudication because my former employer disputed my separation reason, and like you, I finally found work while still waiting for DEO to resolve it. The good news is that even with your account showing as inactive, you're absolutely still entitled to those back payments once the adjudication is resolved in your favor. I'm really encouraged to see that you got through using Claimyr and have someone actually looking at your case now! That HR email documenting your layoff is going to be crucial evidence - I'd suggest making multiple copies and having it ready in different formats (PDF, screenshots, etc.) in case they need it sent different ways. One tip from my experience: when that supervisor calls back, ask them to give you a timeline for when the determination will be made. Don't let them give you vague answers like "soon" or "we're working on it." A specific timeframe holds them accountable and gives you grounds to escalate further if they miss their own deadline. The waiting is absolutely brutal, but you're so much closer now than you were a week ago. Keep pushing and don't let up - you've got this! Looking forward to hearing about your resolution.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Just went through the entire ID.me verification process yesterday (what a nightmare that was) and now I'm completely stuck at this authenticator step. No QR code shows up anywhere - just a page asking for a code that I have no way to generate. I've tried everything suggested here - different browsers, clearing cache, incognito mode, reinstalling Google Authenticator multiple times - absolutely nothing works. It's so frustrating because I can see my account is verified through ID.me but I just can't get past this final step. Reading through all the responses here has been such a relief though - knowing this "partial verification state" is a real system bug and not something I'm doing wrong. The fact that multiple people got it resolved by reaching a DEO agent gives me hope. I'm definitely going to try Claimyr tomorrow morning since the regular DEO phone line has been completely useless. I've called probably 40+ times over the past three days and either get a busy signal immediately or get disconnected after waiting on hold for hours. Thanks to Miguel and everyone else for sharing your experiences and the solution - this thread is going to save me so much time and stress! Will update once I hopefully get through to an agent.

I'm going through this exact same issue right now! Just completed my ID.me verification three days ago and I'm completely stuck at the authenticator step - no QR code appears anywhere, just keeps asking for a code I can't generate. I've tried everything mentioned in this thread - different browsers, clearing cache, incognito mode, reinstalling Google Authenticator multiple times - nothing works at all. The regular DEO phone line has been absolutely useless too - called over 60 times and either get busy signals or disconnected after hours on hold. This thread has been such a lifesaver though! Reading about the "partial verification state" bug explains exactly what's happening. It's so frustrating that this is affecting so many people but there's no clear information about it on the DEO website. Based on all the success stories here, I'm definitely going to try Claimyr tomorrow morning. The fact that Miguel, Zainab, and others all got this resolved quickly by reaching an actual DEO agent gives me hope that there's finally a solution. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and documenting the fix - this community is incredible when DEO's systems are completely broken! Will update once I hopefully get through to an agent and get my 2FA reset.