Florida Unemployment
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DEO 'Benefit Charging' issue keeping my payments on hold - finally got answers after 4 hour call
Just spent almost 4 hours on the phone with DEO about this frustrating 'Benefit Charging' issue that's been holding up my claim. Apparently they never received documentation I DEFINITELY submitted explaining my job separation (classic DEO move). The agent made me go through the whole story again, asking 20 questions, then said it was 'completed' BUT could still take weeks to resolve. Then gave me this whole lecture about employer rights and how they could take 30 days to respond plus appeals time. He kept blaming delays on hurricane and tornado backlog. When I pressed for an EXACT timeline, he eventually admitted employers have until September 17th to respond, and if they don't by the 18th, my funds should be released. BUT I need 4 weeks claimed first (just finished that today). The agent kept telling me unemployment shouldn't be a backup plan and I need alternatives. I said that's literally why the system exists and employers pay into it! Told him when Florida requires employers to give 2 weeks termination notice, maybe we'll have time to make backup plans. Asked what his backup plan was - he mumbled something about saving money. This state is unbelievable. Looking for work outside Florida at this point.
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One important thing to note - even after the employer response deadline passes, DEO still has to process that information and make a determination. So while September 18th is when you can start pushing harder, don't be surprised if there's still a few days of processing time needed after that. Also, make sure you continue claiming weeks without interruption, even while waiting for the issue to resolve. If you're eligible, you'll receive all back weeks once the determination is made.
Thanks for the heads up. I'll definitely keep claiming weeks. This whole process feels designed to make people give up.
I'm dealing with this exact same "Benefit Charging" nightmare right now! Been waiting 3 weeks already and getting the same runaround from different agents every time I call. One told me 10 business days, another said 30 calendar days, and the last one couldn't even find my case notes. It's like they're all reading from different scripts! The most frustrating part is how they act like WE'RE the problem when their own system is broken. I've been paying into unemployment insurance for over 8 years through my employers - this isn't charity, it's insurance I'm entitled to use! Thanks for sharing the September timeline info though, at least now I have something concrete to reference when I call back. Going to start documenting everything like others suggested here.
Got DEO overpayment notice with $0.00 balance - what does this mean?
Completely confused about a DEO notice I got in yesterday's mail. It says I have an overpayment from a benefit period last year, explaining on page 2 that I need to repay a specific week. But here's the weird part - the overpayment balance is listed as $0.00! Does this mean I don't actually owe anything? Is this some kind of system error? Or am I missing something obvious? Of course when I tried calling the DEO help line, I got the usual runaround and couldn't reach an actual human. This system is beyond frustrating! Has anyone dealt with this kind of notice before? What am I supposed to do with a zero-dollar overpayment demand?
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I remember when I was on unemployment during the pandemic they would send these kinds of letters all the time. One week they'd say I owed money, next week they'd say nevermind. The whole system is just outdated and confusing. Glad you don't actually owe anything!
Same thing happened to me last month! Got a scary looking overpayment notice that made me panic, but when I actually read through it the balance was $0.00. Turns out they had to send the notice because their system flagged something from when I was working part-time while collecting benefits, but then they automatically applied the partial earnings offset rules and it zeroed out. The notice is just their way of documenting that they reviewed it and made the adjustment. Keep the paperwork but you shouldn't need to do anything else if it clearly shows $0 balance.
DEO website crashing when trying to claim weeks - anyone else locked out?
Just spent 3 HOURS trying to claim my weeks on the CONNECT site and keep getting error messages! Every time I get to the final submission page it crashes and logs me out. Called the helpline 12 times today but can't get through to anyone. My rent is due next week and I'm seriously panicking. Is anyone else having this problem right now? The website was working fine 2 weeks ago when I claimed, but now it's completely unusable. This feels intentional - like they're making it impossible to actually get benefits we qualify for. How is Florida getting away with such a broken system in 2025??
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Quick update - just checked DEO's Twitter and they posted that maintenance finished early. The system should be back up now. Give it a try again!
YOU ARE AMAZING! Just tried and got in successfully! Was able to claim both weeks without any errors. Thank you so much for following up - you literally saved me from hours more frustration.
This is exactly why I keep telling people to bookmark the DEO's status page and follow their social media accounts. System outages happen more often than they should, but at least when you know about scheduled maintenance you can plan around it. Also pro tip - if you're ever stuck during an outage, you can call the automated line at 1-833-FL-APPLY and sometimes claim your weeks over the phone as a backup option. The wait times are still terrible but it's better than being completely locked out!
DEO direct deposit randomly reversed after showing in my account - what's happening?
Has anyone else had this happen? I got my DEO payment via direct deposit on Tuesday ($425 for 2 weeks) and I was SO relieved because I'm behind on rent. Then I woke up Wednesday morning and checked my account and the payment was GONE! My bank says it was reversed by the sender. My CONNECT account still shows the payment was processed and sent but it's definitely not in my bank account anymore. I called DEO but got disconnected after waiting 2 hours. Is this a common issue? Did I do something wrong? I'm panicking because my landlord is already threatening eviction and I told him I'd have the money this week.
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My sister works for DEO (not in claims though). She says payment reversals usually happen for one of these reasons: 1. Work search verification flag 2. Income reporting discrepancy 3. Identity verification issue 4. Bank account verification problem Check your Inbox in CONNECT - there should be a message explaining why the reversal happened. Also check if your payment method suddenly changed from direct deposit to Way2Go card - sometimes the system glitches and tries to send payment to both methods, then reverses one.
I checked my CONNECT inbox and there's nothing about the reversal! That's what's so frustrating. But I think it's definitely the work search issue based on what everyone is saying.
Update??? Were u able to get this fixed? I'm dealing with the same thing right now and freaking out
Yes! I ended up going to CareerSource like someone suggested and they were amazing. The DEO rep there found that my work search information was flagged for review because I used the same employer contact for multiple weeks (which is apparently not allowed). She helped me update my work search with new contacts, cleared the flag, and my payment was reissued yesterday. It took about 4 business days total to get fixed.
OMG thank you so much for the update! I'm definitely going to CareerSource tomorrow. Did you need to bring any specific documents with you or just your ID? And how long did you have to wait once you got there?
Tom Maxon
To all those having trouble reaching a human at Florida Unemployment. I just ran across this video that gave me a shortcut to reach a human. Hope it helps! https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss
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Abigail Spencer
Not 3X" WBA typically means you'haven t earned at least 3 times your Weekly Benefit (Amount) WBA in wages during your base period. For Florida unemployment eligibility, you need to have earned wages totaling at least 3 times your calculated weekly benefit amount during the base (period usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you)filed . If'you re seeing this message, it might mean your wage history'doesn t meet this monetary requirement.'I d recommend calling DEO to review your wage records and clarify your specificsituation.
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