Just wanted to add one more thing that might help - when you're reporting your severance during the weekly claims, make sure you report it in the week you actually RECEIVE the payment, not when it was "earned." So if your company pays severance biweekly or monthly, only report it in the weeks when the actual payment hits your bank account. This tripped me up initially because I was trying to divide my lump sum severance across multiple weeks, but that's not how DEO wants it reported. Also, keep copies of all your severance documentation (pay stubs, HR letters, etc.) because they might ask for proof later during the claim review process.

Great question! I went through this exact situation last year. Definitely apply right away - don't wait for your severance to end. I made the mistake of waiting and it delayed everything by months. When you do your weekly claims, there's a specific section where you report "other income" including severance pay. Just be honest about the amounts and dates you receive payments. The key thing is getting your claim established in the system now because DEO processing times are brutal. Even if you get $0 benefits while receiving severance, at least you'll be ready to go once it ends. Also, start documenting your job searches immediately since you'll need to do 5 per week regardless of whether you're getting benefits or not. The whole system is frustrating but starting early is definitely the way to go!

I'm going through a similar situation right now - had my appeal hearing last week and waiting to hear back from the judge. Reading through everyone's experiences here is really helpful, especially knowing the timeline expectations. It sounds like the key is being patient for about 10 business days but then being persistent with phone calls if nothing happens. @Gabriel Graham - really glad to see your status already updated! That's encouraging. For those who've been through this, did you find it helpful to keep a log of when you called and what the reps told you? I'm trying to stay organized in case I need to escalate things later.

I just went through this exact process a few months ago and wanted to share what worked for me. After my appeal was reversed, I waited about 8 business days and then called DEO using the technique someone mentioned here about calling right when they open (8am sharp). The rep was able to see that my appeal decision had been received but was stuck in their processing queue. She manually pushed it through and I got my payment 4 days later - all back weeks in one deposit. My advice: give it a week or so for automatic processing, but don't hesitate to call if nothing changes. Sometimes these reversals just need a human to click the right buttons in their system. Also, make sure you're still claiming your current weeks while waiting for the back pay to process. Congrats on winning your appeal - that's the hardest part!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Got approved about 2 weeks ago and still no Way2Go card. This thread has been absolutely incredible - I had no idea about the Way2Go website login option or any of these other workarounds until reading through everyone's experiences. Just tried creating an account on the Way2Go website using my SSN and DOB like others mentioned, and it shows my card was mailed 7 days ago! That's both relieving and concerning since it should have arrived by now, but at least I finally have some real information instead of just wondering what's happening. Planning to try that early morning call strategy at 8 AM tomorrow based on all the success stories here. The thought of waiting on hold for hours is just not realistic when you're already stressed about money, so hopefully the early timing will work better. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to become detectives just to track down our own approved benefits! But I'm so grateful for everyone sharing their real experiences and practical tips here. This community has been way more helpful than any official DEO communication I've received. Definitely going to switch to direct deposit once I get this card mess sorted out - never want to deal with Way2Go delays again! Thanks everyone for making this frustrating process feel less isolating. Will update once I hear back from Way2Go tomorrow!

I'm going through this exact same nightmare! Been approved for 3 weeks now and still no Way2Go card in sight. This thread has been an absolute lifesaver - I had no clue about the Way2Go website login trick or any of these other workarounds until I found this post. Just tried creating an account using my SSN and DOB like everyone mentioned, and it shows my card was mailed 12 days ago! That's definitely concerning since it should have arrived by now. Based on all the experiences shared here, it sounds like it probably got returned as "undeliverable" even though my address is correct in CONNECT. I'm definitely going to try that 8 AM call strategy tomorrow morning. The idea of being on hold for hours is just not doable when you're already stressed about bills. If it's been 12 days since it was supposedly mailed, I think I'm well within my rights to request an expedited replacement. It's absolutely insane that we have to become amateur investigators just to track down our own approved unemployment benefits! But I'm so grateful everyone is sharing their real experiences here. You've all been way more helpful than any DEO rep I've talked to. One thing I wanted to add - I called my utility company yesterday and they said they'll accept a screenshot of my CONNECT account showing approved payments as proof of income for a payment extension. Might help others who are struggling with bills while waiting for these cards to finally show up. Definitely switching to direct deposit the second I get this mess resolved. Thanks everyone for making this stressful situation feel less isolating!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm also a new claimant who just got caught off guard by the work search requirement. After reading everyone's experiences, I'm setting up my tracking spreadsheet tonight and will start my 5 weekly activities immediately. The fact that CareerSource workshops, LinkedIn networking, and temp agency registrations count as activities makes this seem much more doable than I initially thought. I'm planning to call DEO tomorrow too to ask about that "good faith" exception for my missed first week. It's honestly frustrating that they don't explain these requirements clearly upfront, but I'm so grateful for everyone sharing their knowledge here. This community is saving people from potentially losing thousands in benefits! For anyone else reading this - start your work searches NOW and document everything. Don't make the same mistake we did!

This whole thread has been a wake-up call for me! I just started my unemployment claim process this week and had absolutely no idea about the 5 work search activities requirement. I was planning to take a few days to decompress after my layoff before really diving into job hunting, but clearly that's not an option with DEO's strict requirements. Reading everyone's experiences here - especially the stories about overpayments and audits - has me motivated to get my act together immediately. I'm setting up a tracking spreadsheet tonight with all the columns people mentioned (date, company, position, contact method, etc.) and will start applying to jobs first thing tomorrow morning. The tips about CareerSource workshops and LinkedIn networking counting as activities are game-changers since I really do need help polishing my job search skills anyway. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge here - you've probably saved me from a very expensive mistake!

This is such an incredibly helpful thread! I'm currently on week 20 of my claim and starting to see the writing on the wall that I'll be hitting this "Exhausted Active" status soon. Reading through everyone's detailed experiences has completely prepared me for what's coming. The most crucial takeaway for me is understanding that "Exhausted Active" isn't actually a bad thing - it's just DEO's confusing way of saying you've used your regular benefits but the claim is still open for potential extensions. And the employment verification questions are NOT asking you to resubmit everything from scratch, just confirm what's already there. I love how this community has essentially created the comprehensive guide that DEO should have provided. The consistent advice across all these success stories - confirm existing employment info only, don't resubmit wages, continue claiming weeks during review - gives me total confidence in how to handle this when my time comes. Special thanks to everyone who shared timeline updates and followed up with outcomes. Seeing that people actually get approved for Extended Benefits when they follow this process correctly is so reassuring. This thread should definitely be bookmarked by anyone on Florida unemployment - you've all saved so many people from making costly mistakes with their claims!

This thread is absolutely incredible and should be required reading for anyone approaching the end of their regular unemployment benefits in Florida! As someone who's been on unemployment for about 18 weeks now, I know I'll be facing this "Exhausted Active" situation very soon and was honestly dreading trying to figure out what to do when it happens. What strikes me most is how DEO has managed to make what should be a straightforward process so unnecessarily confusing and stressful. The fact that "Exhausted Active" sounds like something terrible when it's really just a status update, and those employment verification questions that seem to be asking you to resubmit everything when they're actually just asking you to confirm existing info - it's like the system is designed to trick people into making mistakes. The consistency of advice throughout this entire thread is remarkable: confirm existing employment information only, absolutely DO NOT resubmit wages that are already in their system, and most importantly keep claiming your weekly benefits during the review process. I would have definitely made at least two of those mistakes without this community guidance. Reading the success stories, especially from the original poster getting approved for Extended Benefits, gives me so much confidence that following this process actually works. The 3-7 day timeline for review completion also helps set realistic expectations instead of panicking if it doesn't update immediately. Thank you to everyone who took the time to document their experiences and help others navigate this mess. This community knowledge is honestly more valuable and reliable than anything DEO provides officially!