I went through this exact same situation last month! When you get to the work search section in CONNECT, there should be a question that asks something like "Were you required to conduct work search activities this week?" or similar wording. Since you have the waiver, you'll answer "No" and then it will ask you to select a reason. Look for an option like "Work search requirements waived" or "Exempt from work search requirements." The system will then let you skip entering any job contacts. Just make sure you keep that waiver letter handy in case they ever audit your claim later. The whole process should only take a few extra seconds once you find the right dropdown option. Good luck with your first claim tomorrow!

Just wanted to add my experience - I had a work search waiver for about 8 weeks last year due to a temporary layoff situation similar to yours. The CONNECT system definitely has that dropdown option everyone mentioned, but sometimes it takes a few seconds to load all the options. If you don't see the waiver option right away, try refreshing the page or logging out and back in. Also, pro tip: even though your work search is waived, I'd still recommend jotting down any informal job-related activities you do (like updating your resume, checking job boards, networking calls) just in case. The DEO can be unpredictable about retroactively requesting documentation. Better to have something on hand than scramble later if they change their minds about your waiver status. Hope your claim goes smoothly tomorrow! The first time is always nerve-wracking but once you get through it once, the process becomes much more routine.

I'm in a very similar boat right now! My claim has been "under investigation" for about a week after being stuck on "pending" for over a month. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and nerve-wracking at the same time. The fact that your agent actually called you and mentioned a specific timeline for an update is encouraging though - from what I've seen, they usually don't bother giving timelines unless something is actually happening. I've been checking my CONNECT account obsessively every day, and the waiting is driving me crazy. Really hoping tomorrow brings good news for you! Please update us when you hear something - it would help those of us in similar situations know what to expect.

I've been following this thread closely because I'm dealing with something very similar! My claim just switched from "pending" to "under investigation" yesterday after 5 weeks of waiting. Like others have mentioned, it seems like this status change often happens right before a decision gets made. The fact that your DEO agent proactively called you and gave you a specific timeline is definitely encouraging - in my experience, they don't usually bother with that level of communication unless something concrete is happening with your claim. I know the waiting is absolutely brutal, especially when you're dealing with mounting bills and no income. Try to stay hopeful though - based on what I've read here, the investigation status combined with them telling you to expect an update tomorrow sounds pretty promising. Please keep us posted on what happens! Those of us going through similar situations really benefit from hearing real experiences and outcomes.

I'm so glad you were able to get this resolved and came back to update everyone! Your experience is unfortunately way too common - DEO reps giving contradictory advice that creates more problems than it solves. I'm dealing with my own DEO nightmare right now (different issue but same runaround) and seeing your success story gives me hope. The fact that it only took 30 minutes with Claimyr versus weeks of trying the regular phone system really says everything about how broken the current system is. Thank you for sharing the specific steps and mentioning the Florida Administrative Code reference - those details are incredibly helpful for others facing the same situation. It's amazing how one knowledgeable adjudicator was able to fix in minutes what should have never been a problem in the first place!

This thread is exactly what I needed to see! I'm currently dealing with a very similar situation - was on regular unemployment benefits that ended in January, called DEO for guidance, and was told by a rep to file a completely new application. Now I'm stuck with the same "double dipping" flag and have been waiting 5 weeks with no payments. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it's clear that getting to an adjudicator (not just any rep) is crucial. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service that several people mentioned, and I'll make sure to reference Florida Administrative Code 73B-11.013 when I finally get through. It's incredibly frustrating that DEO reps are giving advice that creates these problems, but I'm grateful for communities like this where people share real solutions that actually work. Thanks everyone for the detailed advice and for Aisha coming back with the successful resolution - gives me hope I can get this mess sorted out soon!

Congratulations @Adrian Connor on finally getting through! This thread is gold - I've been stuck in adjudication hell for 2.5 weeks myself. Just wanted to add that I tried the early morning call strategy yesterday and it DOES work better. Even though I didn't get transferred to a supervisor, the agent was much more helpful and actually explained what was happening with my claim instead of just saying "wait." She told me my employer hadn't responded to their separation inquiry yet, which explained the delay. I'm calling again at 7:30am tomorrow using the "claims adjudicator" language and Florida Administrative Code reference. Will update if I have success!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been dealing with a similar adjudication issue for about 2 weeks now and getting the runaround from regular DEO agents. @Adrian Connor so glad you finally got through and got your claim approved! For anyone else still struggling, I wanted to share another tip I learned from a friend who works in government customer service - if you get an unhelpful agent, politely end the call and try again. Don't waste time arguing with someone who clearly can't or won't help you. The quality of agents varies dramatically, and sometimes you just need to find the right person who knows how the system works. Also, keep detailed notes of every call - date, time, agent name/ID if they give it, and what they told you. This helps if you need to reference previous conversations and shows you're serious about tracking your case. Going to try the 7:30am call strategy tomorrow using all the great advice from this thread!

Any update? Were you able to get through to the Account Access team?

That's such great news! I'm so glad you got it resolved. This thread is going to be super helpful for others dealing with the same issue. The key seems to be knowing to ask specifically for the Account Access Control team and mentioning that action code - regular customer service just doesn't have the tools to fix these verification system problems. Thanks for following up with the solution!