I'm so sorry you're going through this nightmare. 8 months is absolutely unacceptable! I just went through something similar (6 months pending) and finally got resolution last month. Here's what worked for me: 1. I emailed my state representative's office with a detailed timeline of my case - they have a DEO liaison who can actually get answers 2. Filed a complaint with the DEO Inspector General (as someone mentioned above) - this seemed to trigger actual movement on my case 3. Called the legislative hotline at 850-487-1052 - it's a different number than the regular DEO line and I had better luck getting through The key is hitting them from multiple angles at once. Don't rely on just one method. My claim was stuck because of an "employer separation verification" issue that literally took one 10-minute phone call to resolve once I finally reached the right person. Also, document EVERYTHING - dates you called, emails sent, responses received. You'll need this timeline when you finally get through to someone. Hang in there - you WILL get your money, but you have to be relentless about pursuing it through these alternate channels.

I feel your pain so deeply - this system is absolutely broken and designed to exhaust people into giving up. 8 months is unconscionable, especially when you've done everything right on your end. Based on what others have shared here, I'd strongly recommend doing ALL of these immediately: 1. Contact your state rep AND senator (use myfloridahouse.gov to find them) - be specific about your timeline and financial hardship 2. File that Inspector General complaint - sounds like this creates real accountability 3. Try that legislative hotline number @Layla Sanders mentioned (850-487-1052) 4. Document everything with dates/times for when you finally get through The fact that you're approaching the one-year deadline that @Aaliyah Jackson mentioned makes this even more urgent. DEO is essentially stealing from you at this point - you've paid into this system and they're withholding what you're legally entitled to. Also consider that Claimyr service @Sasha Ivanov used if you have any funds available. It's infuriating that we have to pay a third party to access our own benefits, but if it works in 25 minutes vs. months of torture, it might be worth it. Don't give up! You've made it 8 months - you're stronger than their broken system. Keep us posted on what works!

I'm currently in week 9 of "under investigation" and this entire thread has been incredibly helpful and validating! Miguel, congratulations on finally getting through and discovering it was just a 3-day date discrepancy - that must have been such a relief mixed with complete frustration at how ridiculous the whole situation is. Reading everyone's experiences, I'm amazed at how common these investigations are and how they're often triggered by the most minor clerical issues. KaiEsmeralda's situation with employer reporting "terminated" vs "laid off" despite having written layoff documentation is exactly the kind of bureaucratic nightmare that shows how broken this system really is. Based on all the advice here, I'm planning to: 1. Try Claimyr this week since multiple people have had success reaching agents that way 2. Contact my state representative's office - the same-day callback stories are really encouraging 3. Keep documenting every contact attempt like Dylan suggested 4. Upload any additional employment documents I have to CONNECT The lack of communication from DEO is truly the worst part of this whole process. If they would just send one email explaining what triggered the investigation and what documents might help, most of these issues could probably be resolved in days instead of months. It's clear the system is designed to discourage people from collecting benefits they've rightfully earned. Thanks to everyone for sharing your timelines, strategies, and updates. Knowing we're not alone in this fight makes it a little easier to keep pushing forward. I'll update here once I make progress!

I'm in week 6 of "under investigation" status and this thread has been absolutely invaluable! Miguel, I'm so relieved for you that it turned out to be just a 3-day date discrepancy, but honestly furious on your behalf that DEO put you through 10+ weeks of financial stress over something so minor. What really strikes me reading through everyone's experiences is how this seems to be a systematic issue - legitimate claims getting flagged for the tiniest discrepancies, then months of silence while people struggle to pay bills. KaiEsmeralda's situation with "terminated" vs "laid off" despite having written proof is another perfect example of how broken this system is. I've been trying to call DEO for weeks with zero success, so I'm definitely going to try Claimyr based on all the positive experiences shared here. The state representative route also sounds incredibly promising - multiple people getting callbacks within 48 hours is amazing compared to the endless hold times with DEO directly. One thing I'm wondering - for those who eventually got their claims approved after investigation, did you notice any pattern in timing? Like does it tend to happen at the beginning/middle/end of the month, or is it completely random? Just trying to figure out if there's any predictability to when adjudicators actually review cases. Thanks to everyone for sharing your timelines and strategies. This community has been a lifeline during what feels like an impossible situation!

I'm so sorry you're going through this Paolo. Three months in adjudication is absolutely unacceptable, especially when you're facing homelessness. I went through something similar last year and here's what finally broke the logjam for me: I started emailing my state senator's office weekly (not just calling once). I also filed a complaint with the Florida Inspector General's office about the unreasonable delay. Within 2 weeks of filing that complaint, my claim was suddenly resolved. The IG complaint form is online and it creates a paper trail that DEO has to respond to. Also, if you haven't already, try calling the DEO director's office directly - sometimes going to the top gets results when the regular channels fail. Document everything and don't give up. You deserve better than this.

Paolo, I feel your pain - I've been stuck in adjudication since June myself. One thing that helped me get some traction was filing a formal complaint through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity's website (not just calling). They have a complaint form under "Contact Us" that creates a case number and forces them to respond within a certain timeframe. I also started sending certified letters to DEO documenting my hardship situation - something about having to sign for mail seems to get more attention than phone calls. The other thing I'd suggest is reaching out to local news stations - Channel 9 here in Orlando has done several investigative pieces on DEO delays and they're always looking for people willing to share their stories. Sometimes public pressure is the only thing that works with these agencies. Hang in there and keep fighting!

This is becoming such a widespread problem! I work in HR and we've had three employees this year come to us with the same issue. One thing I'd add to all the great advice here - make sure your son keeps detailed records of EVERYTHING including dates/times of all phone calls, reference numbers from DEO, and copies of all correspondence. When our employees went through this, DEO required extensive documentation to prove they never filed. Also, some employers are now proactively monitoring for unemployment claims filed against their active employees, so don't be surprised if his HR department reaches out - it's actually a good sign that they're being vigilant about protecting their workers from this type of fraud.

I'm so sorry this happened to your son! This exact same thing happened to my neighbor a few months ago. One thing that really helped speed up the process was having her contact the Florida Attorney General's office in addition to DEO. They have an identity theft unit that works directly with DEO on these cases. You can file a complaint online at myfloridalegal.com under "Consumer Protection." They actually followed up with her case and helped get it resolved faster than just going through DEO alone. Also, make sure your son checks his Social Security earnings record online - sometimes these fraudulent claims show up there too and need to be disputed separately. The whole situation is incredibly stressful but you're doing all the right things by reporting it immediately!

I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! Been on PEUC since January and suddenly no weeks available since 3/21. The frustrating part is that CONNECT still shows my claim as "active" but there's literally nothing to claim. I've been calling every day this week with no luck - either busy signals or I get disconnected after waiting for hours. It's so stressful when you're depending on these payments to survive. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences and solutions here - at least now I know I'm not alone and it's not something I did wrong. Going to try the Claimyr service tomorrow since calling directly hasn't worked for me.

I just want to say thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions here! I've been lurking on this subreddit for months but never posted until now. I'm also dealing with this PEUC issue - no weeks available since 3/17 despite having an "active" claim. Reading through all these responses has been such a huge relief because I was starting to think I somehow messed up my claim or got disqualified without knowing it. The fact that this is a known system glitch gives me hope that it can actually be fixed. I'm going to try the early morning calling strategy and also look into Claimyr. It's absolutely ridiculous that DEO can just update their system and break people's benefits without any notice or communication. These are real people with real bills depending on these payments! Anyway, thank you all for creating such a helpful community where we can support each other through these bureaucratic nightmares.