I feel your pain - this is such a nightmare situation! I've been dealing with DEO issues on and off for the past year and here's what I've learned: definitely try calling right at 7:30am when they open, keep a detailed log of every time you call (date, time, how long you waited, what happened), and be persistent with that email to DEO.Firstreview@deo.myflorida.com. One thing that helped me was also reaching out to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity on their Facebook page - sometimes they'll respond to public posts when other methods fail. It sounds desperate but when you're facing eviction, you use every tool available. Also, if you haven't already, document your financial hardship situation (overdue bills, rent notices, etc.) because this can help prioritize your case when you do get through to someone. The state rep option is definitely worth trying too - their constituent services staff deal with DEO issues regularly and know how to escalate properly. Keep claiming your weeks no matter what, and hang in there. The system is broken but most claims do eventually get resolved.

I'm in a similar situation - filed my claim on June 20th and it's been stuck in pending status for almost 3 weeks now. Reading through everyone's suggestions here has been really helpful! I'm going to try the email to DEO.Firstreview@deo.myflorida.com first thing tomorrow morning, and then attempt calling right at 7:30am like several people suggested. Has anyone had success with the Claimyr service that @Miguel Alvarez mentioned? I'm a bit hesitant about third-party services but if it actually works, it might be worth the cost given how much I'm losing by not getting my benefits. The stress of this whole situation is really getting to me - I never expected it to be this difficult to get unemployment benefits when you legitimately qualify for them. @Sofia Martinez, please keep us updated on what works for you! I think a lot of us are in the same boat right now and could benefit from knowing which approach actually gets results.

UPDATE: I finally got my 1099-G! For anyone else struggling, here's what worked for me: 1. I tried clearing my cache and using a different browser - no luck 2. Sent an email to TaxDocuments@deo.myflorida.com with my info as suggested 3. After 3 days with no response, I used the Claimyr service mentioned above to get through to DEO 4. The agent was able to email me the 1099-G while on the phone The form shows I received $4,625 in benefits with $462 in federal taxes withheld. Just wanted to update in case anyone else runs into the same issue. Thanks everyone for your help!

Great to hear you got it sorted out! Your experience highlights exactly why this process is so frustrating for people. It shouldn't take multiple attempts and different methods just to get a basic tax document. For future reference for anyone reading this thread, if you're collecting unemployment benefits, I'd recommend downloading/printing your 1099-G as soon as it becomes available (usually by January 31st) rather than waiting until you need it for filing. Save yourself the headache later! Also, for those who might be in a similar situation next year - you can actually request to have federal taxes withheld from your unemployment benefits when you first apply or anytime during your claim. It's 10% of your benefit amount and can save you from owing a big chunk at tax time.

Has anyone noticed any other changes to the CONNECT system lately? I feel like the payment processing is taking longer too since these updates started...

I can confirm this is happening! I claimed yesterday and had the same experience - no work search entry screen at all. Based on what others are saying here, it sounds like DEO is transitioning to a random audit system instead of requiring weekly entry. I'm going to keep doing my 5 work searches and documenting everything with dates, company names, positions applied for, and how I applied (online, email, in-person, etc.). Better safe than sorry with DEO - they love to hit people with overpayments for the smallest reasons. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, it's really helpful to know we're not alone in this confusion!

After dealing with the backdate nightmare myself, I'd recommend trying to speak directly with a DEO agent about your request. When I finally got through using Claimyr, the agent told me they could see my request was just sitting there without being assigned to an adjudicator. She escalated it while I was on the phone, and it was processed within a week. Sometimes these forms just need a little nudge from the inside.

you might wanna check ur way2go card balance if thats how u get paid sometimes they dont notify you when backdated payments go thru and the money just shows up

One additional note - after the first payment goes through following your bank change, make sure your next claimed weeks don't have any issues. Sometimes there can be a cascade effect where the first delay triggers additional verification requirements. If you don't receive your payment by next Tuesday (which would be 7 business days), then you should definitely contact DEO directly to ensure there isn't something else going on with your claim.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago when I switched from my credit union to TD Bank. The waiting period is nerve-wracking, especially when you have bills coming due! In my case, it took exactly 6 business days for the payment to show up in my new account. One thing that helped me during the wait was setting up account alerts on my new Chase account so I'd get notified immediately when the deposit hit. Also, if you haven't already, take a screenshot of your CONNECT account showing the "processed" status and your updated bank info - just in case you need it later if something goes wrong. The good news is that once this first payment clears, future payments should go back to the normal 1-2 day processing time. Hang in there - you're probably just a day or two away from seeing that deposit!