Congrats on getting your first payment! Just want to add for anyone else reading this - make sure to keep track of your claiming dates in a calendar or notebook. DEO's system sometimes has glitches where it doesn't let you claim on the right dates, and having your own record helps when you need to call and sort it out. Also, if you ever move or change banks, update your info ASAP because payment delays from outdated info can take weeks to fix.

For anyone still confused about the timing, here's what helped me understand it: Think of it like a paycheck from a job that pays biweekly. Even though your hourly wage is calculated per hour, you don't get paid every hour - you get paid every two weeks for all the hours worked. Same with unemployment - your "weekly benefit amount" is like your hourly wage, but the actual payment comes every two weeks after you claim both weeks together. The key thing is to claim on time (usually Sunday nights) and be patient for the 2-4 business day processing time.

thanks for the update!! gonna try claimyr tomorrow cuz im still locked out. this is ridiculous we have to go through all this just to access our own accounts 🙄

Glad to hear you got it resolved @Zainab! This is exactly the kind of info we all need. I've been dealing with similar access issues for the past few days and was about to lose my mind. Going to try the Claimyr route since direct calling hasn't worked for me either. It's crazy that we have to jump through all these hoops just to access our own unemployment benefits, but at least there's a solution that actually works. Thanks for following up with what fixed it!

I've been following this thread and wanted to share something that might help others in similar situations. While there aren't any new federal UI extensions right now, I recently discovered that some local community colleges offer emergency financial assistance grants for students enrolled in workforce development programs. If you're considering retraining or getting certified in a new field while job searching, these grants can sometimes cover living expenses during the program. I'm starting a medical assistant certification program next month and got $1,200 in emergency aid that doesn't have to be repaid. It's not unemployment benefits, but it's something to bridge the gap while building new skills. Worth checking with your local colleges - many people don't know these emergency funds exist.

I've been following unemployment discussions across multiple states and wanted to add some perspective on the federal benefits question. The confusion might be coming from recent Congressional hearings about modernizing the unemployment system nationwide, but nothing has been passed into law yet. There are several proposals floating around - some for extending benefit duration, others for increasing federal funding to states - but they're all still in committee stages. Florida's system is particularly restrictive compared to most states, so even if something passes federally, implementation here could take months or even years given how slowly DEO moves on system changes. For now, your best bet is exactly what others have suggested: CareerSource, local assistance programs, and possibly exploring training opportunities that come with financial support. The reality is that Florida's 12-week limit leaves a lot of people in your exact situation, which is why these alternative resources become so important.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Been stuck in that login loop for the past 3 days and it's driving me crazy. I've tried everything - different browsers, clearing cache, using my phone instead of laptop, logging in at different times of day. Nothing works! Reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like this is almost always an account flag that needs to be cleared by a DEO agent. The fact that they don't send any notification when your account gets flagged is absolutely terrible system design. How are we supposed to know there's even a problem if they don't tell us? I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service that @Tami Morgan and others mentioned. At this point I've wasted so much time trying to fix this myself that paying for help seems worth it. Thanks everyone for sharing your solutions - it's really helpful to know I'm not going crazy and this is a known issue with their system!

I'm experiencing this exact same login loop issue right now! It's so frustrating - I keep getting sent back to that warning page no matter what I try. I've been reading through all the suggestions here and it sounds like this is almost always caused by some kind of account flag that DEO doesn't bother to notify you about, which is absolutely ridiculous system design. I've already tried different browsers, clearing cache, using my phone instead of computer, and logging in at different times of day. Nothing has worked so far. Based on everyone's experiences here, it seems like I'm going to need to speak with a live DEO agent to get whatever flag is on my account cleared. I'm definitely going to look into that Claimyr service that several people mentioned - sounds like it could save me days of trying to get through on my own. Thanks to everyone who shared their solutions and experiences. It's really helpful to know this is a known issue and not something I'm doing wrong!

That's awesome that you got approved so quickly! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - been trying to file for 2 weeks and keep getting error messages. Your post gives me hope that the backdate process actually works. Going to try the CONNECT request form today and take screenshots of all the errors I'm getting. Thanks for sharing your success story!

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone else dealing with this - I had a similar backdate situation last month where CONNECT kept crashing during my initial application. What really helped was being very specific in my request about the technical issues. I wrote down every single error message exactly as it appeared, the dates and times I tried to access the system, and even mentioned which browsers I tried (Chrome, Firefox, Edge). The key thing is showing you made "good faith efforts" to file on time but were prevented by system issues beyond your control. DEO seems to approve these requests pretty routinely when you have solid documentation. Don't give up if you don't hear back right away - sometimes it takes the full 10 business days, but the backdating does work when you follow the proper process!