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If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
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I'm really grateful this thread exists - just filed my first unemployment claim in Florida after getting laid off from my manufacturing job and was completely confused about the work search requirements. My brother told me they weren't enforced anymore but clearly he was wrong! After reading everyone's experiences, I'm definitely taking this seriously. Already started a spreadsheet to track my job applications and plan to hit those CareerSource workshops too. Better to be over-prepared than lose benefits over something preventable. One thing I'm wondering - when you report your work searches during the bi-weekly claim, do you have to enter all the detailed information right then, or just confirm that you completed 5 activities? I want to make sure I'm ready for whatever format they use when I file my first claim next week. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences here. This is exactly the kind of practical advice I needed!
When you file your bi-weekly claim, you just need to confirm that you completed the required work searches - you don't have to enter all the detailed information during the claim process itself. However, you absolutely need to keep detailed records because if you get selected for an audit (which seems to be happening more frequently based on what others have shared), they'll ask for all that documentation after the fact. I learned this the hard way when I got audited and had to scramble to find old application confirmations! Your spreadsheet approach is smart - I wish I had started that from day one instead of trying to recreate everything from memory later.
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!
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OP, what state are you in? The process can vary a lot depending on location.
I'm in Florida, but living close to the Alabama border.
Oof, Florida's system is notoriously bad. Definitely try the legal aid route others suggested.
I'm dealing with something similar in FL and it's absolutely maddening. One thing that helped me get some movement on my claim was filing a complaint with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity's ombudsman office. You can do it online and they're supposed to follow up within 10 business days. Also, if you haven't already, make sure you're checking your CONNECT account daily - sometimes they'll request additional documents with zero notification. The whole system is designed to wear you down, but don't let them win. Keep fighting for what you're entitled to!
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Wait really? That's good to know! Are there any other CareerSource offices that have direct DEO connections like that? I'm in Tampa area.
This is super helpful, thank you for sharing! I'm dealing with the exact same "missing information" notice right now and was starting to panic. I've been trying to call DEO for the past two days with no luck - just endless busy signals. I had no idea CareerSource could actually access the CONNECT system and help with this stuff! There's one about 20 minutes from me, so I'm definitely going to try that tomorrow instead of wasting more time on hold. Did the CareerSource rep give you any kind of documentation or reference number when they fixed it? I want to make sure I have proof that everything was resolved in case DEO tries to pull this again later.
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I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! Been stuck in the ID.me verification loop for 2 weeks and it's absolutely maddening. What's really frustrating is that I can see my ID.me account shows "verified" but CONNECT still won't let me in. One thing I discovered that might help - when you call the DEO number, try pressing 0 immediately when the automated system starts instead of going through all the menu options. Sometimes it bypasses the busy circuits and gets you to a different queue. I managed to get through once using this method, though the agent couldn't help with my specific issue. Also, has anyone tried filing a complaint with the Florida Ombudsman? I'm considering that route if the email and Claimyr suggestions don't work out. The whole system feels designed to exhaust people into giving up, but we can't let that happen when we're entitled to these benefits. Thanks for posting this - it's oddly comforting to know I'm not the only one dealing with this nightmare!
The pressing 0 trick is genius! I never would have thought to try bypassing the menu system like that. I'm definitely going to give that a shot when I call tomorrow morning. And you're absolutely right about the system feeling designed to exhaust people - I've had that exact same thought multiple times over the past few weeks. It's like they're banking on us just giving up and going away. But you're right, we can't let that happen when these are benefits we've earned and are entitled to. I haven't heard of anyone trying the Florida Ombudsman route for DEO issues, but that sounds like it could be worth exploring if all the other suggestions here don't pan out. Let me know how that goes if you end up filing a complaint - it might be useful for others dealing with similar issues. Thanks for sharing the 0 bypass tip and for the solidarity! Sometimes just knowing other people are going through the same frustrating experience helps keep the motivation up to keep fighting through this broken system.
I've been following this thread closely because I'm in almost the exact same situation - multiple ID.me verifications but still locked out of CONNECT. Reading everyone's experiences has been both frustrating (knowing how widespread this is) and helpful (so many good suggestions!). One thing I wanted to add that I discovered through my own research: if you're on social media, try reaching out to @FLDEO on Twitter/X. I've seen several people report that they got faster responses through their social media team than through traditional channels. Post your issue publicly with your claimant ID and ask for help - sometimes the public visibility motivates faster action. Also, for anyone dealing with this, make sure you're checking your spam folder regularly. I almost missed a critical email from DEO because it went to spam, and it contained instructions for completing my account unlock that I never would have seen otherwise. The persistence everyone is showing here is inspiring - this system is clearly broken but we can't let that stop us from getting the benefits we're entitled to. Keep fighting and sharing information like this!
Jacob Lewis
This whole thread is exactly why I tell everyone to save screenshots of EVERYTHING in CONNECT! The system has so many glitches and missing notifications that you really need to protect yourself with documentation. I had a similar issue last year where DEO claimed I didn't respond to an "identity verification request" that literally never appeared anywhere in my account. When I finally got through to someone (after weeks of trying), the agent admitted it was a known system bug where certain notifications weren't displaying properly for some users. What's really messed up is that they put the burden on us to somehow magically know about requests we can't see, then penalize us when we don't respond. It's like being expected to take a test you were never told was happening. For anyone going through this - don't give up! These "eligibility issues" almost always have simple explanations, but DEO makes it nearly impossible to find out what they are without speaking to an actual human. The connection services like Claimyr really are worth it when you're stuck in phone call hell for weeks. Also, once you do get it resolved, ask the agent to put notes in your file about what happened. Sometimes having that documentation helps prevent the same issue from happening again later.
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Avery Davis
•This is such great advice about taking screenshots! I wish I had known this earlier in my unemployment journey. I've been dealing with DEO for about 8 months now and only recently started documenting everything after getting burned by their "we sent you something" claims when nothing ever showed up in my account. The identity verification bug you mentioned sounds infuriating - it's bad enough that the system has these glitches, but then they blame US for not responding to invisible requests? That's just cruel. I'm definitely going to start asking agents to put notes in my file when I get issues resolved. That's a really smart tip that I never would have thought of. It makes sense that having that documentation could prevent repeat problems, especially with how glitchy CONNECT is. Thanks for sharing your experience and the practical advice. This community has been such a lifeline for navigating all the DEO chaos when their own system leaves us completely in the dark about what's actually happening with our claims.
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Mae Bennett
This entire thread perfectly captures the nightmare that is dealing with DEO! Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear that CONNECT has serious systemic issues with notifications not appearing properly. What really bothers me is how this creates a two-tier system where people who can afford services like Claimyr get their issues resolved quickly, while those who can't are stuck in phone call hell for weeks or months. It shouldn't cost extra money just to access the unemployment benefits you're entitled to! I'm currently dealing with my own mysterious eligibility issue (different from OP's but equally frustrating) and this thread has convinced me to start taking daily screenshots of my CONNECT pages. The idea that they can claim they sent notifications that never actually appeared is terrifying - especially when your financial survival depends on these benefits. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories and solutions here. It's sad that we have to rely on community knowledge to navigate a system that should be straightforward, but I'm grateful this resource exists. DEO really needs to fix their notification system before more people get denied for "failing to respond" to invisible requests.
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Luca Ferrari
•You hit the nail on the head about this creating a two-tier system! It's absolutely wrong that people have to pay extra just to access benefits they've already earned. The fact that DEO's phone system is so broken that third-party services are even necessary is a complete failure of government service. I've been following this community for a while now and the pattern is always the same - mysterious denials, invisible notifications, and weeks of trying to reach someone who can actually help. It's like they're counting on people giving up out of frustration. The screenshot advice is brilliant and something I wish I'd known from day one. I'm going to start doing daily documentation too because you're right - the idea of being denied for not responding to something that was never visible is absolutely terrifying when you're already struggling financially. This community really has become essential for surviving the DEO process. It's ridiculous that we have to crowdsource solutions to problems that shouldn't exist in the first place, but I'm so grateful people share their experiences here. Without threads like this, so many of us would be completely lost in the CONNECT maze.
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