I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - been waiting 3 months for payments that show as "processed" but never arrived. One thing that helped me was creating a detailed timeline document with screenshots of my CONNECT account showing the payment dates and amounts, then screenshots of my Way2Go card statement showing no corresponding deposits. When you do get through to DEO (whether by phone, email, or CareerSource), having this visual evidence ready makes it much easier for them to see exactly what's wrong. I also recommend taking screenshots every few days to track if anything changes in your account status. The payment tracer request that Zara mentioned is definitely your best bet - it forces them to track where exactly your money got stuck in their system. Good luck and don't give up! You're entitled to that money.

I went through almost the exact same nightmare last year! Had 15 weeks stuck in "payable" status for months while I was drowning in bills. What finally worked for me was filing a formal complaint with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity's Inspector General office. You can do this online at their website under "Report Fraud, Waste or Abuse" - even though this isn't fraud, they classify payment processing failures under this category. When I filed the complaint, I included my claimant ID, the specific weeks that were stuck, screenshots of the payable status, and proof that my payment method was correctly set up. Within 10 business days, I got a call from a DEO supervisor who manually released all my stuck payments. Apparently there was some kind of "batch processing error" that affected hundreds of accounts but wasn't being automatically flagged for review. The Inspector General route bypasses the regular customer service nightmare and gets your case to people who actually have the authority to fix system-level issues. It's worth trying alongside the other suggestions people have given you. Don't let them steal months of your life over their broken system!

So glad you got it resolved! This gives me hope for my own situation. I've been dealing with a similar issue where my payment shows as "issued" but never hit my account. Been 2 weeks now. Definitely going to try that early morning calling strategy and maybe look into the Claimyr service if I keep getting nowhere. Thanks for updating us with the resolution - it's helpful to know these system glitches can actually be fixed once you get to the right person!

This thread has been so helpful! I'm dealing with a similar phantom payment situation right now - shows "issued" on January 22nd but nothing in my account after 9 days. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like this is unfortunately pretty common with DEO's system. I'm going to try the 7:30am calling strategy tomorrow morning and also send an email to that FIRRE address someone mentioned. It's reassuring to know that @Reginald got his resolved even though it took weeks - gives me hope that persistence will eventually pay off. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!

I'm really sorry you're going through this tough situation. As others have mentioned, Florida's unemployment system is pretty strict about the "able and available to work" requirement. One thing I'd add - if you haven't already, make sure to document everything about your short-term disability denial. Sometimes these denials are based on missing paperwork or technicalities that can be corrected on appeal. Also, when you do have your surgery and are cleared to return to work, you might be able to reapply for unemployment at that point if your job isn't available. The timing is tricky, but it's worth understanding all your options. Hang in there!

I went through something very similar when I had to have gallbladder surgery last year. The whole system feels really unfair when you're dealing with a medical issue that's completely out of your control, but unfortunately Florida's unemployment rules are pretty black and white about this. One thing that helped me was calling my employer's HR department and asking if they had any employee assistance programs or emergency hardship funds - some larger companies have these but don't always advertise them well. Also, if you're part of a union, they sometimes have relief funds for members in situations like yours. Another option to look into is applying for emergency assistance through your county's social services department. They often have one-time help programs for people facing temporary financial hardship due to medical issues. The amounts aren't huge, but every bit helps when you're trying to keep the lights on. Best of luck with your surgery and recovery! Don't give up on appealing that short-term disability denial either - sometimes persistence pays off.

This is why I HATE the DEO system. They NEVER update anything properly and leave misleading info everywhere. I wasted 6 weeks waiting for benefits I was never going to get because of outdated questions in CONNECT. They should be sued for this garbage.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this frustrating situation! As others have mentioned, the DEO really needs to clean up their system - it's incredibly misleading to have outdated COVID questions still active. For what it's worth, you might also want to check if you qualify for any local emergency assistance programs in your area. Many counties in Florida have small business relief funds or emergency assistance programs that help self-employed individuals during tough times. Your local United Way (dial 2-1-1) can connect you with resources in your specific area. Also, since you're in the wedding industry, have you looked into any photographer or creative industry associations that might offer emergency grants or assistance? Sometimes professional organizations have resources that aren't widely advertised. Hang in there!

This entire thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm bookmarking this for future reference. It's amazing how much collective wisdom there is here about navigating the CONNECT system. For anyone new to unemployment benefits like I am, the key takeaways seem to be: 1) Set multiple reminders for claiming dates, 2) Wait 24-48 hours after reactivation before panicking, 3) Take screenshots for documentation, 4) Call DEO right at 7:30 AM if you need to speak with someone, and 5) Have all your info ready before calling. It's reassuring to see that the system, while frustrating, usually does work out for people who miss by just a few days. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this kind of peer support makes dealing with government bureaucracy so much less stressful!

This thread is incredibly valuable! As someone who went through a similar panic when I missed my claiming window by 5 days last year, I can definitely confirm that the 24-48 hour wait after reactivation is crucial. In my case, I was frantically calling DEO for hours before someone on a forum like this told me to just wait it out. Sure enough, the weeks appeared automatically after about 36 hours. One additional tip I'd add: if you're prone to forgetting dates like I am, consider linking your claiming schedule to something you already do regularly - like payday at a previous job, or a monthly bill due date. I now claim my weeks the same day my rent is due, so I never forget either one! Also, the CONNECT mobile app does send push notifications if you enable them, which can be a helpful backup reminder system. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences here - it's posts like these that helped me through my own stressful situation, and it's awesome seeing the community pay it forward!