UPDATE: I finally got through! For anyone else having this problem, here's what worked: 1. Used Microsoft Edge instead of Chrome (thanks for that tip!) 2. Waited until 11:45am when traffic seemed lighter 3. Had all my work search info ready to paste quickly 4. Used incognito mode Claim is finally submitted! What a nightmare though, DEO really needs to fix their website.

Glad you got through @Ally! I was having the same exact issue this morning - kept getting kicked out right at the submission screen. So frustrating when you're depending on that money! I ended up trying around 1pm and it finally worked. Definitely seems like the CONNECT system just can't handle the Monday morning rush. For future reference, I've found that Tuesday or Wednesday mornings are way more reliable for claiming. DEO really needs to upgrade their servers - this happens almost every week!

This is absolutely terrifying! I'm so sorry this happened to you. Based on what others have shared, it sounds like you're taking all the right steps. I'd also recommend checking if your email account was compromised - sometimes hackers get into your email first to intercept DEO notifications, then change your banking info. Also, while you're waiting for DEO to respond, consider reaching out to your state representative's office. They often have direct contacts at DEO and can help escalate urgent fraud cases like this. Many of them have constituent services that specifically deal with unemployment issues. Keep us posted on how this turns out - your experience could help others who face the same situation!

This thread has been incredibly informative and I'm so sorry you're dealing with this, Ravi! As someone who's had identity theft issues before (not with DEO but similar situation), I wanted to add that you should also consider filing a report with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov. This creates an official federal record of the fraud that can sometimes help speed up investigations with state agencies like DEO. Also, if you haven't already, make sure to change the password and security questions on your email account that's linked to CONNECT - often hackers get into email first to see payment notifications and then know exactly when to strike with banking changes. One more thing that helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track all your contacts, case numbers, reference numbers, and follow-up dates. It sounds like overkill but when you're dealing with multiple agencies (DEO, bank, police, etc.) it becomes a lifesaver to have everything organized in one place. You're doing everything right by being proactive and thorough. The $1,100 will come back - it's just going to take persistence and patience. Keep us updated on your progress!

any update? did u get ur money?

So glad you got it sorted out! The manual review flag for part-time income is such a common issue that trips people up. DEO really needs to do a better job of notifying people when payments get stuck like that instead of just showing everything as "paid" in CONNECT. Thanks for updating us - it's helpful to know what the actual issue was in case others run into the same thing.

Has anyone who used this 7:30am trick actually gotten their issues RESOLVED or just callbacks? Because I've gotten callbacks twice but they just tell me "your claim is under review and there's nothing we can do to speed it up" which is completely useless information I already knew from the CONNECT website. It's been 9 weeks of "adjudication in progress" with zero movement!

This is incredibly helpful information! I've been struggling to get through to DEO for over 6 weeks about my claim that's been stuck in "identity verification pending" since late January. I've been calling at completely random times - sometimes mid-morning, sometimes afternoon - and always getting that automated "all representatives are busy" message before it disconnects me. The 7:30AM timing trick makes so much sense now that I think about it - of course their queue resets right when they open! I've been doing this all wrong. Setting multiple alarms for tomorrow morning to try this. My issue started after the ID.me verification process glitched and somehow created a duplicate account, so now my benefits are frozen while they try to sort out which account is the "real" one. I have all my documentation ready but just need to actually talk to a human being to explain what happened. Really appreciate you sharing this timing hack and all the follow-up tips from everyone else in the comments. This thread is more helpful than anything I've found on the official DEO website! Will definitely update if I manage to get through tomorrow. Fingers crossed this finally gets me some movement after weeks of being stuck in limbo.

Congratulations on getting it resolved! This is exactly why I always tell people not to just wait it out - these system holds rarely fix themselves. The wage verification issue is super common, especially when employers don't report quarterly wages accurately or there's a discrepancy between what you remember earning and what's in their system. It's frustrating that such a simple fix requires jumping through so many hoops, but at least you'll finally get your back pay. Hopefully this gives others hope that there IS usually a specific reason for the hold that can be fixed once you get the right person on the phone.

This is exactly why I tell everyone - don't give up! I went through something similar last year where my claim was stuck for 8 weeks. Turned out to be an issue with my previous employer not responding to DEO's inquiry about my separation. The crazy part is once I finally got through to someone, they said the employer deadline had passed weeks ago and they could have released my payments immediately if I had just called sooner. The system doesn't automatically move these cases forward - you really do need human intervention. For anyone else reading this who's stuck in the same boat, Omar's success story shows it's worth trying every avenue: Claimyr, state reps, calling at opening time, etc. Don't assume waiting will fix it because it usually won't.