congratulations!! the payments should show up in a few days. make sure you keep claiming weeks

Congratulations on getting approved! Your experience really shows how unpredictable the CONNECT system can be. The fact that the adjudication message disappeared and then the determination letter appeared the next day is actually pretty typical timing from what I've seen. For others still waiting - this is a great example of why it's worth checking your CONNECT inbox daily even if you don't get email notifications. The payments should start processing within the next few business days now that you have that approval letter. Keep us posted on when the money hits your account!

This whole thread is gold! I'm bookmarking this for future reference. Had no idea about the Work Opportunity Tax Credit thing - that actually makes me feel better about employers asking for all this documentation. It's not just bureaucratic nonsense, there's actually a real business reason behind it. Thanks everyone for explaining how this all works, especially the distinction between the DEO's FEIN and personal tax ID numbers. Super helpful for those of us navigating the transition back to work!

This thread has been incredibly educational! I had no idea about the WOTC program either - it's actually encouraging to know that there are real incentives in place to help people transition from unemployment back to work. For anyone else who might need this info in the future, it sounds like the key points are: 1) The DEO's FEIN is 59-3451366, 2) This is different from your personal SSN/TIN, 3) Employers often need this for tax credit documentation, and 4) You can find your benefit end dates in CONNECT under payment history. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences - it makes the whole process less stressful when you understand the "why" behind these requests!

@OP regarding your question about part-time work - yes, that could potentially help you qualify for a new claim when your benefit year ends. To qualify for a new claim, you need to have earned wages in at least 2 quarters of your base period (which will be the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you apply). You also need to have earned at least $3,800 total during your base period. Keep all your pay stubs and employment information - you'll need it when filing a new claim. And for what it's worth, while Florida's system is frustrating, the DEO website has improved a bit since 2020-2021. The information is there, just not always easy to find. Always check both the main CONNECT dashboard AND your inbox for important updates about your claim status and remaining benefits.

Just wanted to add one more tip that helped me - if you're worried about missing important notifications from DEO, make sure to check your spam/junk email folder regularly. I almost missed my benefit exhaustion notice because it went to spam! Also, the CONNECT mobile app sometimes shows notifications that don't appear on the desktop version, so it's worth checking both. And definitely keep screenshots of your monetary status page showing your remaining benefits - I've heard of people having issues where the numbers changed unexpectedly and having documentation helped when they had to call DEO to sort it out.

I bet the problem is your last employer info. My brother had the same issue and it turned out he needed to use the LEGAL company name (like "Walmart Stores East, LP" instead of just "Walmart"). Try looking at your W-2 or paystub for the exact legal name of your last employer. The system tries to match it with their records.

Glad you got it sorted out! For anyone else dealing with similar issues, I've found that the CONNECT system is super picky about data formatting. A few other things that helped me when I had submission problems: make sure there are NO spaces before or after any text you enter (especially email addresses), use only standard keyboard characters (no copy/pasted text that might have hidden formatting), and if you have multiple jobs with the same employer, list them as separate entries with slightly different date ranges rather than trying to combine them. The system seems to handle simple, clean data much better than anything complex. Hope this saves someone else the headache!

Just found this thread after spending 4 hours on hold yesterday only to get disconnected when they "transferred" me! Reading through everyone's experiences is both heartbreaking and reassuring - at least I know I'm not alone in this nightmare. The 7:30am calling strategy mentioned by @Omar Hassan and proven by @StarSailor sounds like the golden ticket. I'm definitely setting my alarm early tomorrow to try it. Also reaching out to my state rep's office today based on all the success stories here. My claim has been pending for 3 weeks with an "identity verification" flag that makes zero sense since I've already done ID.me twice! The fact that we need a whole support group just to navigate basic unemployment benefits shows how broken this system truly is. Thank you all for sharing your strategies and keeping hope alive. This community is more helpful than the entire DEO website!

Just joined this community after finding this thread through Google while desperately searching for DEO help - and WOW, the support here is incredible! I'm currently 2.5 hours into what I'm hoping won't become another 6-hour hold marathon. Reading everyone's experiences has been both validating (I'm not crazy for thinking this system is broken!) and super helpful. Definitely bookmarking that Claimyr service @StarSurfer mentioned and planning to try the 7:30am strategy if today doesn't work out. My claim has been stuck for 5 weeks with some mysterious "eligibility review" that nobody can explain. The worst part is I keep getting the automated texts saying "we're processing your claim" but zero actual information about what they need or timeline to expect. Already reached out to my state rep's office yesterday after seeing how effective that's been for others here. It's absolutely insane that we need to involve politicians just to get basic unemployment benefits, but if that's what works, I'm all for it. Thank you all for sharing your strategies and keeping everyone's spirits up - this community is a lifeline when you're drowning in DEO bureaucracy!