Thank you everyone for all the helpful advice! I'm going to start my reapplication tomorrow and make sure all my work search records are organized. I'll make sure to keep claiming weeks while it processes. Hopefully it goes smoothly but based on all your experiences I'm prepared for it to take some time. Really appreciate all the information!

One tip I wish someone had told me - when you reapply, double-check that your mailing address and direct deposit info are still correct in the system. During my reapplication process, somehow my address got corrupted and they were trying to mail correspondence to an incomplete address, which delayed everything by weeks. Also, if you have any old overpayment issues or anything like that from your previous benefit year, try to get those resolved before applying if possible. The system sometimes flags new applications if there are unresolved issues from the old claim. Good luck with your reapplication - the process is definitely frustrating but most people do get approved eventually!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 weeks ago when my RA benefits expired. The whole "Expired" status thing is really scary when you first see it, but it's totally normal when you hit that 12-week limit. Just wanted to add that once your new application gets approved and you're on extended benefits, make sure to keep all your work search documentation organized because they do random audits more frequently during this phase. I got audited about 3 weeks into my extended benefits and had to provide detailed records of all my job applications. Also, don't panic if your first extended benefits payment is a few days later than usual - mine came on a Wednesday instead of the normal Tuesday, but all the back payments came through correctly. The restaurant industry has been tough lately, so hang in there!

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now too! My RA benefits just expired last week and I was completely lost trying to figure out where to apply for the extended benefits. Reading through everyone's responses here has been incredibly helpful - especially the tip about using a laptop instead of mobile to see all the menu options properly. I'm curious though, for those who have gone through the extended benefits process, is there anything different about the weekly claiming process once you're approved? Do you still just claim weeks the same way, or are there additional requirements during the extended benefits phase that I should be prepared for?

mine got fixed when i went to my local careersource office in person they have ppl there who can call DEO direct

I had a very similar situation last year with the mixed W-2/1099 income issue. What helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet showing all my income by quarter during the base period, separating W-2 wages from 1099 earnings. When I uploaded this along with my tax documents, it made it much easier for DEO to see that I clearly met the minimum requirements. The key thing to remember is that 1099 income sometimes gets processed differently in their system, so having everything clearly documented speeds up the review process. Also, don't panic if your payments stop temporarily - mine were on hold for about 2 weeks while they sorted it out, but I got all the back pay once it was resolved.

Great news that you got past the address section! For the quarterly earnings, estimates are acceptable - the system will verify with the employer's tax filings later. Just get as close as you can with what you have available (pay stubs, bank deposits, etc.). If there's a discrepancy, they'll address it during the fact-finding process. The important thing is to complete the application.

Congratulations on getting your brother's claim submitted! That "Pending - Wage Verification" status is normal and usually takes 5-10 business days for DEO to verify earnings with the employer. Just make sure he continues doing his 5 weekly work searches and keeps detailed records since he'll need to report those once benefits start. Pro tip: Set up text alerts in his CONNECT account if he hasn't already - you'll get notifications about any status changes or if they need additional documentation. And keep checking the account every few days since sometimes they request additional info with short deadlines. Really glad the early morning strategy worked! This thread will be helpful for others dealing with the same frustrating CONNECT issues.

I'm hearing this Claimyr service mentioned a couple times now... it sounds promising. At this point, we're willing to try anything because this situation is beyond ridiculous. I appreciate you sharing your experience with it!

I feel your pain - went through the exact same thing last year when my claim got stuck in adjudication for 2 months. After endless failed calls, I finally got through by using multiple strategies at once: 1) Called at exactly 7:29am on a Wednesday, 2) Had my state rep's office submit an inquiry the same day, and 3) went to my local CareerSource office to get more details about what was actually wrong. Turns out it was a simple employer wage verification issue that took 5 minutes to resolve once I actually reached someone. The combination approach worked - got a callback from DEO within 48 hours after the rep's office got involved. Don't give up! The system is broken but persistence pays off.