So glad you got it resolved! This is exactly why I always recommend calling when payments are delayed - there are so many backend issues that don't show up on the CONNECT portal. For anyone else reading this thread who might be in a similar situation, Amara's experience shows how important it is to be persistent with calling DEO. Those "invisible holds" like employment verification are super common and can only be cleared by speaking with an agent. Keep claiming your weeks while you wait for the replacement card - all those back payments will be there when it arrives!

Reading through this thread as someone who went through almost the exact same situation last year! Amara, I'm so glad you got it resolved - those hidden employment verification holds are ridiculously common and it's frustrating they don't show up anywhere on your account. For anyone else dealing with payment delays, here are a few red flags that usually mean you need to call DEO: 1) It's been more than 10 business days since your first claimed week with no payment, 2) Your status shows "eligible" but you have zero payment history, 3) Your Way2Go card was supposedly mailed but never arrived. Don't wait weeks like I did - call as soon as you notice the delay. The phone system is awful but persistence pays off. Also keep detailed records of your claim dates and any confirmation numbers, it helps when you finally get an agent on the phone.

One important thing to know: once your identity is verified, your weeks in 'pending' status should automatically move to 'payable' status, but this sometimes requires an additional step. If your account is unlocked but your payments don't process within 72 hours, you'll need to call again and request that they manually release the payments. Make sure to specifically ask if your weeks need to be 'manually released' after verification.

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Been trying to call for 6 days straight with no luck - just constant busy signals or the line goes dead. It's so frustrating that completing the ID.me verification doesn't actually solve the problem and we still have to get through on this impossible phone line. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both comforting (knowing I'm not alone) and terrifying (seeing how long some of you have been dealing with this). I'm definitely going to try the 7:29am calling trick tomorrow morning and have all my employment history and previous claim info ready just in case I actually get through. Has anyone tried calling on different days of the week? Wondering if Mondays or Fridays are worse than mid-week. At this point I'm willing to try anything to avoid losing weeks of benefits while stuck in this identity verification limbo.

The no special characters thing is so true! I used to put (123) 456-7890 format and it would crash every time. Now I just do 1234567890 with no spaces or anything and it works fine. CONNECT is super picky about formatting but never tells you what format it wants!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this frustration! I just started my unemployment claim process last week and I'm already dreading having to deal with CONNECT based on what I'm reading here. The fact that it erases your work search entries after hours of work is absolutely unacceptable. I'm taking notes from all these helpful tips - screenshots, early morning claiming, Firefox browser, and keeping everything simple with no special characters. It's ridiculous that we have to develop workarounds for a system that should just work properly. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!

I went through this exact same nightmare situation about 6 months ago! Filed my claim with completely wrong employment dates and earnings because I was rushing through the application. Like others have said, you definitely can't delete and restart - I tried everything to find a way around it. But here's the good news: once you get through to an agent (which is the hard part), they can fix basically everything. The agent I spoke with told me they see these kinds of errors constantly and it's really not a big deal from their perspective. The key is getting those corrections made ASAP before your claim goes into any kind of review process. Keep trying to get through - whether it's regular calling, Claimyr, or even visiting CareerSource. Don't let the errors sit there because the longer you wait, the more complicated it can become to fix. You've got this!

Hey Katherine, I see you already got this resolved which is awesome! But for anyone else who might be in a similar situation, I wanted to share that I made the same type of errors on my claim about a year ago. Put down the wrong separation date and messed up my previous employer's info completely. I was panicking just like you were! What I learned is that these application errors are actually super common - the DEO agents told me they probably handle dozens of these correction requests every day. The important thing is to act fast like you did. I also used a callback service (similar to Claimyr) and got through pretty quickly. The whole correction process took maybe 15 minutes on the phone. So to anyone reading this thread who's freaking out about application mistakes - take a deep breath! It's fixable and way more common than you think. Just be persistent about getting through to an agent and have your correct information ready to go.

I actually ended up switching industries after going through the same thing! I was in hotel management for 8 years but had to take a customer service job at a credit union when my benefits ran out. It was scary at first because the pay was about 30% less, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The hours are much better (no more weekends/holidays), and I've actually gotten two promotions in the past year. My advice would be to stay open to different industries, especially ones that value customer service skills from hospitality. Banks, insurance companies, healthcare offices, and even some tech companies really appreciate people who know how to deal with difficult customers and work under pressure. The skills from hotel work translate better than you might think! For the SNAP application - definitely do it now rather than waiting. It took about 2 weeks to get approved when I applied, and having that food assistance took so much stress off while I was job hunting. There's no shame in using the safety net programs when you need them - that's exactly what they're there for. Also, if you have any hotel connections, don't be afraid to reach out. A lot of places are starting to hire again but they're being really picky, so having an internal referral can make a huge difference. Good luck!

I just want to echo what others have said about checking your CONNECT account for your actual end date rather than worrying about September rumors. I went through this exact same panic last month when I heard similar misinformation floating around social media groups. The reality is Florida's system is pretty straightforward - you get your 12 weeks (or up to 19 if unemployment rate is higher) and that's it. No special cutoff dates, no mass terminations. Just individual claim periods based on when you started. For what it's worth, I was also in hospitality (restaurant management) and had to pivot when my benefits ran out. The adjustment period was tough, but I found that emphasizing skills like crisis management, multitasking, and customer relations really helped me land interviews in unexpected places. Don't limit yourself to just hotel positions - your experience dealing with stressed guests and managing multiple priorities simultaneously is valuable in lots of industries. Also, start that job search intensively now while you still have those 3 weeks of benefits as a buffer. It takes the pressure off and gives you more negotiating power than waiting until you're completely out of income.