Just wanted to share my experience as someone who went through this exact same situation last year! I was completely overwhelmed when I first filed, but this community helped me so much. One thing that really helped me was creating a weekly schedule for my work search activities. I'd do online applications on Mondays and Tuesdays, in-person visits on Wednesdays, networking calls on Thursdays, and use Fridays to catch up on documentation and follow-ups. Having that structure made it feel less chaotic and helped ensure I was hitting my 5 weekly requirements consistently. Also, since you mentioned coming from restaurant management - definitely check out OpenTable's job board and platforms like Culinary Agents. A lot of restaurant groups post exclusively there and they're specifically looking for hospitality management experience. I actually found my current position through Culinary Agents after months of searching on general job sites. The stress is totally normal, but you're already ahead of the game by asking these questions and taking documentation seriously. The fact that everyone here is giving you the same advice about record-keeping shows how important it really is. You've got this!

As someone who's been helping people navigate the Florida DEO system for years, I want to emphasize something that's been mentioned but bears repeating: the CONNECT system can be incredibly frustrating, but your proactive approach is exactly what will get you through this successfully. A few additional points that might help: **For restaurant managers specifically**: Don't overlook grocery store management positions - companies like Publix, Whole Foods, and Fresh Market often value restaurant management experience for their prepared foods departments and deli operations. The skills transfer really well and they often offer better benefits than traditional restaurants. **Documentation tip**: When you're networking or making phone calls, immediately send yourself an email with the details while you're still in your car or before you leave the location. Subject line: "Work Search - [Date] - [Company]" and include who you spoke with, position discussed, next steps, etc. This creates an automatic timestamp and backup record. **CONNECT claiming strategy**: If the system gives you ANY error messages during claiming, screenshot them immediately. Sometimes DEO will claim you didn't attempt to claim properly, but having screenshots of system errors can protect you. The restaurant industry really is hiring aggressively right now, especially for experienced managers. Your skills are valuable - stay confident and keep that detailed documentation everyone's mentioned. You're handling this exactly right!

Congratulations on winning your appeal! That's such a huge relief after 6 weeks of fighting. I went through a similar situation about 2 months ago when DEO wrongly denied me for "failure to register for work search" even though I had been registered the whole time. After getting my determination letter, it took about 9 business days for all my held weeks to change from "Hold - Adjudication" to "Eligible" in CONNECT, and then another 4 days for the actual payment to hit my bank account. The total back pay was around $3,100 and came as one lump sum. A few things that helped me during the waiting period: I checked my account once each morning (not constantly throughout the day - that just drove me crazy), kept screenshots of everything including the determination letter, and made sure to continue claiming my weekly certifications on time. You don't need to do anything else on your end - just let their system process the reversal. The $4,750 you're owed should automatically release once everything updates. The hardest part is behind you now that you have that favorable determination. Try to stay patient - I know it's easier said than done when you need the money, but you will get it!

Congratulations on winning your appeal! That's such a huge accomplishment after 6 weeks of fighting the system. I went through a similar appeal process about 7 months ago when DEO incorrectly denied me for "insufficient work search documentation" even though I had submitted everything they requested. After receiving my favorable determination letter, it took about 8 business days for my account status to change from "Hold - Adjudication" to "Eligible," and then another 3 days for the payment to actually process and hit my bank account. My back pay was around $2,800 and came as a single deposit. You're doing everything right by continuing to claim your weekly certifications. The key thing now is just patience - check your CONNECT account once daily (not obsessively like I did!) and watch for those status changes. You don't need to submit anything else or make any calls. The system will automatically process your $4,750 once everything updates. One tip that really helped my peace of mind: take screenshots of your determination letter and any status changes you see in your account. Having that documentation saved me when I had a minor glitch later and needed to prove my case to a DEO agent. You've cleared the biggest hurdle by winning the appeal - now it's just waiting for their slow system to catch up. Hang in there, you're almost at the finish line!

I'm going through this exact same frustrating situation right now! Been stuck in "pending adjudication" for 3 weeks with absolutely no explanation from DEO - it's like they just randomly select people to put in bureaucratic limbo. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly eye-opening. I had no idea that employers could contest legitimate layoffs or that there might be questionnaires sent to them that we're completely unaware of. That could totally explain what's happening since I was also laid off during company restructuring but apparently that documentation doesn't matter until you can get through to the right person. The 7:30am calling strategy sounds promising - I'm definitely going to try that tomorrow along with that specific phrasing about needing to speak with an adjudicator. The tip about checking with my former employer's HR about any DEO questionnaires is brilliant too - never would have thought of that angle. What's really frustrating is how this system treats all of us like we're trying to defraud them when we're just people who lost our jobs through no fault of our own. The lack of transparency about what the actual issue is makes the whole process 10x more stressful than it needs to be. Thanks everyone for sharing your strategies and experiences - this community support means everything when you're fighting this broken system alone. We shouldn't have to become unemployment detectives just to access benefits we earned!

I'm dealing with this exact same nightmare! Been stuck in "pending adjudication" for almost 5 weeks now with absolutely zero explanation from DEO. Like everyone else here, I've called dozens of times just to get disconnected or told "it's being reviewed" without any specifics about what the actual issue is. What's really helped me is reading through all these strategies people have shared. I finally got through last week using the 7:30am calling method and that specific phrasing about needing to speak with an adjudicator. Turns out my employer had disputed my separation reason even though I was clearly laid off! The adjudicator was able to see the specific issue and walked me through uploading additional documentation to resolve it. For anyone still stuck in this mess - definitely check with your former employer's HR department about any DEO questionnaires they might have received. In my case, they had gotten a fact-finding form weeks ago but never mentioned it to me. Once they responded to that, my claim started moving again. Also want to mention that I tried that Claimyr service someone recommended earlier in this thread and it actually worked - got connected to DEO in about an hour instead of spending days redialing myself. Sometimes it's worth paying a small fee to save your sanity when you're dealing with this broken system. Keep fighting everyone and don't give up! The system is designed to wear us down but we're entitled to these benefits. Document everything and keep claiming your weeks while you wait!

Just wanted to add that when your balance hits $0, make sure to keep all your documentation organized - pay stubs from any temporary work, job search logs, interview confirmations, etc. Even though you won't be getting payments, DEO can still audit your claim retroactively. I learned this the hard way when they asked for documentation months later. Also, don't forget that unemployment income is taxable, so if you haven't been having taxes withheld from your weekly benefits, you might want to set aside some money for tax season. Good luck with those interviews - the hospitality industry in Florida does have more opportunities during peak season!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - my balance is almost gone but my benefit year doesn't end until August. From what I've learned after calling around and researching, Florida really does only give you that initial lump sum amount and that's it. No extensions, no refills. It's pretty harsh compared to other states. One thing I'd suggest is checking if you qualify for any other assistance programs through ACCESS Florida while you're job hunting - things like SNAP benefits or emergency assistance. Also, make sure you're using all the free job search resources like Indeed, LinkedIn, and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity's job portal. The hospitality industry here does have a lot of turnover so new positions open up frequently. Keep your head up and definitely keep filing those weekly claims even with $0 - better to stay in the system just in case anything changes!

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.