UPDATE: I tried both suggestions! Called my state representative's office AND used Claimyr to get through to DEO. Figured I'd attack this from both angles. Got through to DEO first - the agent confirmed I have a separation issue where my employer didn't respond to their inquiry about my layoff. The agent sent a follow-up request to my employer and escalated my case. She said once that's resolved (hopefully within 2 weeks), all my eligible back weeks should process for payment! Thank you all for the help - will update again when/if I get my backpay!

This is exactly what happened to me back in 2023! The frustrating part is that DEO's system will sometimes process one "test" week to verify your payment method and eligibility, but then hold all the other weeks until any pending issues are resolved. Since you found the separation issue in your determination status, that's definitely what's blocking your September-November backpay. The good news is that once that separation issue gets resolved (sounds like it's just waiting on your employer to confirm the layoff details), all those weeks should release at once. I ended up getting about 12 weeks of backpay in one lump sum when my case finally got cleared. Just make sure to keep claiming your ongoing weeks so you don't miss any future payments while waiting for the backpay to process. The whole system is backwards but you're on the right track now that you actually got through to someone!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I was also recently laid off (from my office job about 10 days ago) and had heard mixed information about work search requirements. My coworker told me the same thing as Paolo's friend - that they weren't being enforced anymore - but thankfully I stumbled across this discussion before making that costly mistake! I'm definitely going to follow everyone's advice here: - Setting up a detailed spreadsheet to track all my work searches - Keeping screenshots and confirmation emails from applications - Looking into CareerSource workshops since they count AND provide actual job hunting help - Making sure I do exactly 5 documented activities every week The stories about people getting audited and having to repay benefits really drove home how serious this is. It's frustrating that there's so much misinformation floating around, but I'm grateful this community exists to share real experiences and accurate information. For anyone else reading this who might be in the same boat - definitely don't risk your benefits by skipping work searches. It sounds like Florida DEO is actually increasing enforcement, not decreasing it!

Just wanted to add my recent experience to help confirm what everyone else is saying. I filed for unemployment in Florida in January 2025 after being laid off from my healthcare job, and the work search requirements are absolutely still in effect and being enforced. I actually got selected for an audit during my third week of benefits, and they wanted documentation for every single work search activity I had reported. Luckily I had been keeping detailed records from day one because I wasn't sure about the requirements and wanted to be safe rather than sorry. The DEO representative who conducted my audit was very thorough - they asked for specific details about each job application including company names, positions applied for, dates, and methods of contact. They also verified some of my applications by actually calling the companies I had applied to! I was surprised by how detailed their verification process was. For anyone just starting their unemployment journey in Florida: definitely don't listen to anyone who says work searches aren't required or enforced anymore. That information is completely outdated and could cost you your benefits. Keep meticulous records of everything - it's better to be over-prepared than to scramble later when you get audited. The 5 work search activities per week requirement is real, it's current, and they are actively checking compliance in 2025.

Any luck with the representative or getting through to DEO yet? I'm invested in your situation now and hoping you get resolution soon!

I'm dealing with something very similar - my claim has been under investigation for 3 months now with zero communication from DEO. Reading through all these responses is both reassuring (that I'm not alone) and terrifying (that some people wait 7-9 months!). @Dmitry that's great news about getting through with Claimyr and getting an actual explanation! A "system flag conflict" sounds like something that should be fixable once someone actually looks at it. Really hoping the supervisor can clear it up quickly for you. For anyone else stuck in investigation limbo, it seems like the key takeaways from this thread are: 1) Try Claimyr to actually reach a human, 2) Contact your state representative, 3) File formal complaints to create paper trails, and 4) Ask specifically for "claim escalation" if you're past 90 days. Going to try all of these myself!

Isabella, I'm really glad to see you got some traction with Claimyr and have someone looking at your case now! Your situation is unfortunately way too common - employers disputing legitimate layoffs just to avoid paying unemployment taxes is such a scummy practice. One thing I learned when I went through a similar dispute last year: if that supervisor doesn't call back within their promised timeframe, don't wait more than 2-3 business days before following up. When I got passive and waited "patiently" for callbacks, my case just sat there for weeks. But when I stayed on top of them with regular follow-ups, things moved much faster. Also, since you mentioned having that HR email about your layoff - that's golden evidence! Make sure you have it ready to send immediately if they ask. I'd also recommend taking screenshots of it in case the original gets corrupted or lost somehow. The fact that you're now employed actually works in your favor here because it shows you weren't just trying to milk the system - you genuinely needed those benefits during your unemployment period. Keep fighting for that money you're owed, and definitely keep us updated on how the supervisor call goes!

Isabella, your story really resonates with me - I went through something almost identical about 4 months ago. Had 9 weeks stuck in adjudication because my former employer disputed my separation reason, and like you, I finally found work while still waiting for DEO to resolve it. The good news is that even with your account showing as inactive, you're absolutely still entitled to those back payments once the adjudication is resolved in your favor. I'm really encouraged to see that you got through using Claimyr and have someone actually looking at your case now! That HR email documenting your layoff is going to be crucial evidence - I'd suggest making multiple copies and having it ready in different formats (PDF, screenshots, etc.) in case they need it sent different ways. One tip from my experience: when that supervisor calls back, ask them to give you a timeline for when the determination will be made. Don't let them give you vague answers like "soon" or "we're working on it." A specific timeframe holds them accountable and gives you grounds to escalate further if they miss their own deadline. The waiting is absolutely brutal, but you're so much closer now than you were a week ago. Keep pushing and don't let up - you've got this! Looking forward to hearing about your resolution.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Just went through the entire ID.me verification process yesterday (what a nightmare that was) and now I'm completely stuck at this authenticator step. No QR code shows up anywhere - just a page asking for a code that I have no way to generate. I've tried everything suggested here - different browsers, clearing cache, incognito mode, reinstalling Google Authenticator multiple times - absolutely nothing works. It's so frustrating because I can see my account is verified through ID.me but I just can't get past this final step. Reading through all the responses here has been such a relief though - knowing this "partial verification state" is a real system bug and not something I'm doing wrong. The fact that multiple people got it resolved by reaching a DEO agent gives me hope. I'm definitely going to try Claimyr tomorrow morning since the regular DEO phone line has been completely useless. I've called probably 40+ times over the past three days and either get a busy signal immediately or get disconnected after waiting on hold for hours. Thanks to Miguel and everyone else for sharing your experiences and the solution - this thread is going to save me so much time and stress! Will update once I hopefully get through to an agent.

I'm going through this exact same issue right now! Just completed my ID.me verification three days ago and I'm completely stuck at the authenticator step - no QR code appears anywhere, just keeps asking for a code I can't generate. I've tried everything mentioned in this thread - different browsers, clearing cache, incognito mode, reinstalling Google Authenticator multiple times - nothing works at all. The regular DEO phone line has been absolutely useless too - called over 60 times and either get busy signals or disconnected after hours on hold. This thread has been such a lifesaver though! Reading about the "partial verification state" bug explains exactly what's happening. It's so frustrating that this is affecting so many people but there's no clear information about it on the DEO website. Based on all the success stories here, I'm definitely going to try Claimyr tomorrow morning. The fact that Miguel, Zainab, and others all got this resolved quickly by reaching an actual DEO agent gives me hope that there's finally a solution. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and documenting the fix - this community is incredible when DEO's systems are completely broken! Will update once I hopefully get through to an agent and get my 2FA reset.