I went through almost the exact same situation last year! The key thing is being super precise with your reporting dates. You can absolutely continue claiming until July 10th (your start date), but make sure you report accepting the job offer on your very next certification. One thing that really helped me during that gap period was asking my new employer if they could do a payroll advance or if they had any employee assistance programs. Some companies will help bridge that gap, especially if you explain the childcare situation. It never hurts to ask! Also, regarding the childcare costs - have you looked into whether your new employer offers childcare benefits or partnerships with local daycares? Some companies have deals that can reduce costs significantly. And definitely apply for that School Readiness Program that Chloe mentioned - it was a lifesaver for my family. Hang in there, the transition is tough but you're asking all the right questions and planning ahead. That first "real" paycheck will feel amazing after everything you've been through!

Great advice from everyone here! I just wanted to add something that helped me during my own unemployment-to-work transition - see if your local library has any "back to work" resources or workshops. Many libraries in Florida partner with CareerSource and offer free services like resume printing, interview clothes closets, or even small emergency grants for work expenses. Also, since you mentioned the financial stress, don't forget that you might be eligible for SNAP benefits during this transition period, especially with the gap between your last unemployment payment and first paycheck. The income limits are more generous than many people realize, and having that food assistance can free up cash for other necessities like gas and childcare deposits. You're handling this transition really well by planning ahead and asking the right questions. That shows you're going to do great in your new job! Congratulations again on landing the position.

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone else in this situation - I was furloughed from my retail management job last year with a guaranteed return date 6 weeks out. I successfully got the work search exemption approved, but here's what I learned: make sure your employer's letter includes not just the return date but also confirms you're expected to return to the SAME position with the SAME hours/salary. DEO rejected my first request because the letter didn't specify I was returning to my exact same role. Once I got that clarification added, it was approved within a week. Also, keep checking your CONNECT dashboard daily - the approval notification is easy to miss and you want to know right away so you can stop doing work searches if you've been doing them as a backup plan.

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago when my company had a temporary shutdown for equipment upgrades. Here's what worked for me: definitely go for the return-to-work exemption as others mentioned, but also have a backup plan. While waiting for approval, I started doing the work searches anyway just in case - better to be safe than get hit with an overpayment later. The key thing that helped me was getting my HR department to include very specific language in the letter about the temporary nature of the layoff and that I was "expected to return to active employment status" on the exact date. Also, screenshot everything when you submit the exemption request - I had to reference my submission details when I called to check on the status. The whole process took about 10 days for me, but having that documentation trail saved me from any issues. Good luck with your hotel management position!

Please help me understand why the middle class workers would vote for only 12 weeks of unemployment when we have worked all our lives. This change when Bush was in office in Florida however it was our governor. These are some of the things you do not realize you are voting for.......sad thing when you are voting against yourself

@Sabrina 3030 You're absolutely right about this being a policy choice that hurts working people. The reduction to 12 weeks happened in 2011 under Rick Scott, not Bush, but your broader point stands - these are exactly the kinds of policies that get buried in larger political conversations while having huge impacts on regular workers. What's particularly frustrating is that Florida also has one of the lowest maximum benefit amounts in the country (currently $275/week) AND the shortest duration. So we get hit with a double whammy - less money for fewer weeks than almost every other state. The justification is usually about "encouraging people to find work faster" and keeping business costs low, but as everyone in this thread can attest, 12 weeks isn't nearly enough time in a tough job market, especially for specialized fields like healthcare administration. You can be actively searching, doing everything right, and still run out of time simply because the market conditions aren't in your favor. It's one of those issues where people don't realize how inadequate the system is until they actually need it. Then you discover that this safety net you've been paying into for years barely catches you at all. The middle class gets squeezed the most because we make "too much" for most assistance programs but not enough to weather months without income. Thanks for pointing out the political reality behind these policies - it's important to connect the dots between voting choices and real-world consequences for working families.

One more thing to add - if you're getting nowhere with phone calls, try contacting DEO through their formal grievance process. You can file a grievance online at floridajobs.org under "File a Complaint" - this creates an official case number and forces them to respond within specific timeframes. In your grievance, explain that you're being asked to pay an overpayment that was already satisfied in 2017 and that DEO has failed to provide adequate payment history records despite multiple requests. This approach often gets routed to supervisors who have better system access than frontline agents. Also document every attempt you've made to resolve this (dates, times, who you spoke with) - this shows good faith effort on your part and strengthens your case if you need to escalate further.

Just wanted to add one more resource that helped me with a similar situation - if you have any old email accounts from 2017, check those thoroughly including spam/junk folders for ANY correspondence from DEO about your payment plan. I found confirmation emails I'd completely forgotten about that showed my payment schedule and final payment confirmation. Also check old cell phone backup files if you have them - sometimes people screenshot confirmation pages without thinking about it. Even partial documentation can help establish that you had an active payment plan during that time period. The more evidence you can gather from your own records, the stronger your case will be when you contact the BPC unit or file that formal grievance. It's worth spending a few hours digging through old digital records before you start the official process!

I went through this exact same nightmare a few months ago! The key thing that saved me was realizing there are actually THREE different places you might need to upload documents depending on what DEO is asking for: 1) ID.me verification (which it sounds like you got sorted), 2) the regular document upload in your CONNECT inbox under "Correspondence", and 3) sometimes there's a separate link they email you for specific verifications. If you're still getting requests after completing ID.me, check your email for any direct links from DEO - sometimes they send a separate secure upload portal that bypasses CONNECT entirely. I missed one of these emails and it went to my spam folder! Also, when you do upload, the system is super slow to update - mine took almost 48 hours to show "received" even though it went through immediately. Don't panic if you don't see confirmation right away, just keep that screenshot like others mentioned!

One more tip that saved me when I was in a similar panic - if you're still having trouble with any uploads after trying all these suggestions, you can also try visiting a local library. I know it sounds weird, but their computers and internet connection sometimes work better with the DEO system than home internet. Plus, library staff are usually pretty good at helping with government websites. I spent hours failing at home, then got everything uploaded successfully in 15 minutes at the library. Sometimes it's just the browser/connection combo that makes the difference with CONNECT's finicky system.