I just went through this exact same nightmare with DEO partial unemployment! Was working reduced hours at a medical office from February through April and the whole process was absolutely chaotic. Here's what finally worked for me after 7 weeks of getting nowhere: 1. Call and specifically ask if they've created a "backdate adjustment ticket" - most agents don't even know what this means, so ask for a supervisor immediately if they seem confused 2. Once they confirm the ticket exists, ask for the ticket number and estimated processing time. Write this down! 3. The backdated weeks won't appear in CONNECT until that ticket is fully processed (took 9 business days for mine) 4. That random $275 payment you got is definitely a "test payment" to verify your banking info works before they release the larger backpay amount The most important thing I learned: You MUST report your earnings as GROSS income (before taxes), not net. I made this mistake initially and it delayed everything by another 3 weeks while they "verified" my income with my employer. Also, keep calling every 3-4 days for status updates. I know it's exhausting but the squeaky wheel gets the grease with DEO. Once my backdated weeks finally appeared, I claimed them all in one day and got the full backpay within 2 weeks. Don't give up - you ARE entitled to that money if you qualify!

I'm going through something very similar right now and this thread has been a lifesaver! I've been on partial unemployment since late February (hours cut from 32 to 18 at my office job) and getting the runaround from DEO for weeks. Based on everyone's advice here, I called this morning at 8 AM sharp and specifically asked about my "backdate adjustment ticket status" - turns out they never created one despite three different agents telling me my backpay was "processing." The supervisor I spoke with finally created the ticket and gave me reference number DEO-2025-BD-847392. She said to expect the backdated weeks to appear in CONNECT within 7-10 business days. Also learned I've been reporting NET income instead of GROSS this whole time, which probably flagged my claim for manual review. Going to recalculate everything using gross pay amounts and be ready with exact figures when those backdated weeks show up. The Claimyr service someone mentioned actually worked - got through to a knowledgeable agent in 22 minutes instead of spending hours on hold. Definitely worth the small fee to avoid the phone tree nightmare. Keep pushing everyone - we're all entitled to these benefits if we qualify! Document everything and don't take "it's processing" as an answer without specific details.

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've been reading through this thread and wanted to share my experience with navigating the post-unemployment phase. After my benefits ended in January, I was also confused about potential federal programs but learned the hard way that Florida really only has the basic RA system. What ended up helping me the most was combining several of the strategies mentioned here - I applied for SNAP immediately (took about 3 weeks to get approved), started attending CareerSource workshops which helped with work search documentation, and found a part-time gig through their job fair while continuing to look for full-time work in my field. The CareerSource counselor also told me about a local nonprofit that provides one-time emergency assistance for utilities, which bought me some breathing room. It's definitely not the federal safety net we had during COVID, but these local resources can really add up. The key is applying for everything at once rather than waiting to see what happens with each one individually.

I went through this same nightmare last year! DEO sent me an overpayment notice for $4,800 claiming I didn't report my part-time work correctly, but I had reported every penny. Here's what worked for me: First - breathe! You're going to get through this. The screenshots you saved are going to be your lifeline. I submitted both the appeal AND the waiver request simultaneously (like others mentioned, these are separate processes). For the financial hardship documentation, I included everything - rent receipts, grocery bills, childcare costs, medical expenses, utility bills. Don't be embarrassed about showing your financial struggles - it's literally what they need to see. What really helped me was writing a detailed timeline of exactly what I reported each week, with dates and amounts. I cross-referenced this with my bank statements and screenshots to show there were no discrepancies on my end. The whole process took about 2 months, but my waiver was approved and I didn't have to pay back a cent. The key is being thorough with your documentation and meeting every single deadline they give you. Start your appeal TODAY - don't wait even one more day. You've got a strong case since you were diligent about reporting and have proof!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - got an overpayment notice for $3,200 last week and I'm terrified! Reading through all these responses has been so helpful. I didn't even know about the waiver option until I saw this thread. Quick question for anyone who's been through this - when you upload your documentation to CONNECT, is there a file size limit? I have tons of screenshots and bank statements but I'm worried about hitting some kind of upload limit. Also, should I combine everything into one PDF or upload each document separately? The 20-day deadline is making me so anxious but seeing that people have successfully gotten through this is giving me hope. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - this community is a lifesaver!

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!

This exact same thing happened to me when I claimed on Tuesday! I was so confused because I've been claiming for 6 weeks now and always had to enter my 5 work searches. When it skipped straight to submit, I thought maybe the system was broken or I accidentally clicked something wrong. I even went back and tried to find where to enter them but there was no option anywhere. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here - sounds like DEO is switching to random audits instead of weekly reporting. I've been keeping a spreadsheet of all my job applications anyway (learned that lesson from horror stories on this forum), so I should be covered if they ask for verification. Still wish they would send out proper notifications about these changes instead of leaving us all confused and worried!

This thread has been so helpful! I'm dealing with a similar overpayment double-billing issue right now (got the collection letter last week for an amount I already repaid in October). Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the CareerSource visit + certified appeal letter combo is the most effective approach. One question - for those who successfully got this resolved, did DEO send you any kind of written confirmation that the collection action was canceled? I want to make sure I have something in writing to protect myself if this somehow pops up again in the future. Their systems seem so unreliable that I wouldn't be surprised if the same issue happened again down the road. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences here - it's reassuring to know this can actually be fixed even though the process is frustrating!

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Got an overpayment notice for $3,200 in November, paid it immediately through CONNECT, and now just received a collections letter this week for the same amount. It's absolutely maddening - you do the right thing and pay what you owe, only to have their broken system come after you again. Reading through this thread gives me hope though. I'm definitely going to try the CareerSource approach since calling DEO directly has been completely useless (4+ hours on hold yesterday just to get disconnected). @Sofia Ramirez - so relieved you got yours resolved! Quick question: when you visited CareerSource, did you need to bring anything specific beyond your payment confirmation and the collection letter? I want to make sure I have everything they might need before making the trip. This whole situation is so stressful when you're already dealing with financial hardship. DEO really needs to get their act together with these system integration issues.