Does anyone know if they're processing work search waivers anymore? My industry (event planning) still hasn't fully recovered and I'm wondering if there's any chance of getting extended benefits or a waiver from the 5 work search requirements?

I've been through the Florida unemployment system multiple times over my career, and here's what I can tell you with certainty: 1. Florida's system is designed to be one of the most restrictive in the nation 2. Regular state benefits max out at 12-19 weeks (currently 12 weeks) 3. The federal extensions that were available during COVID have ALL expired 4. There is no special September 2025 cutoff - your benefits end when your weeks run out 5. Once your weeks are exhausted, you cannot file a new claim unless you've earned sufficient wages in a new base period My advice? Start applying for ANYTHING you can get, even outside your field or below your previous pay. Florida's system is designed to force people to take whatever job they can get as quickly as possible. It's not fair, but it's the reality of our state's approach to unemployment.

That's correct - \

The no special characters thing is so true! I used to put (123) 456-7890 format and it would crash every time. Now I just do 1234567890 with no spaces or anything and it works fine. CONNECT is super picky about formatting but never tells you what format it wants!

make sure u know ur benefit year end date too. u can see it in CONNECT. even if u have weeks left, once u hit that date u cant claim anymore. so if ur job doesnt work out and its after ur BYE date, u have to file a whole new claim.

Thank you everyone for all the helpful advice! Based on what you've all shared, I'm going to: 1. Keep claiming my weeks even after I start working 2. Report my gross earnings accurately for the days worked in each claim week 3. Take screenshots of everything I submit as proof 4. Continue this process for at least 2-3 weeks after my earnings exceed my benefit amount I really appreciate all the help - the DEO website doesn't explain this clearly at all!

The DEO system is such a JOKE!! First they can't handle regular volume of claims, now they're asking about jobs we might have IN THE FUTURE?? My tax dollars hard at work 🙄 I'm dealing with an "overpayment" issue right now which is a whole other nightmare.

UPDATE: I finally got this resolved! For anyone else stuck on this July 2025 question, here's what worked: I ended up using Claimyr to reach a DEO agent after trying everything else. Got connected to someone in about 30 minutes. The agent confirmed it's a known system error and manually overrode that section. My claim is now processing! She said they're working on a fix but it might not be deployed for weeks, so getting an agent to manually fix it is currently the fastest solution.

pdfs are way better the system always rejected my phone pics kept saying file error

I converted everything to PDFs and it worked! All documents show as \

kinda related but has anyone else noticed that the CONNECT site is working better lately? it used to crash all the time for me but now i can actually log in without it timing out. at least ONE thing about florida unemployment isnt terrible lol

One more important thing - if you're on Extended Benefits or any special program (not regular Reemployment Assistance), double-check the specific requirements for your program. Some have different work search rules. You can see which program you're on in the "Program Type" field when you log into CONNECT.

UPDATE: I just saw that DEO posted about this specific issue on their Twitter account yesterday. They acknowledged a backlog with ID.me verifications and said they're working through them manually. They're prioritizing accounts in order of verification completion date. They also said you can request expedited review if you have an imminent claim week deadline by calling 833-FL-APPLY and using option 5, then 7, then 2 to reach the ID verification team directly. They've apparently added more staff to handle these issues.

FINAL UPDATE: My account is finally unlocked! The phone option that @helpful_guidance suggested worked. I got through this morning, they confirmed they could see my ID.me verification was complete, and unlocked my account while I was on the phone. I was able to log in immediately after hanging up. For anyone else with this issue: 1. Call 833-FL-APPLY 2. Use option 5, then 7, then 2 3. Be prepared with your claimant ID and verification date Thank you everyone for all your help! This community is amazing.

I used that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier and finally got through to DEO this afternoon. Wanted to update you on what they told me. The agent said: 1. The email about September was a mass communication that doesn't apply to everyone 2. Your CONNECT account showing the July date is the accurate one 3. You need to submit a new application for the extension 4. If you qualify, it's usually processed within 5-7 business days The most important thing is that you need to call them to verify YOUR specific situation since everyone's claim is different. Hope this helps!

UPDATE: I finally got through to DEO this morning! For anyone else dealing with this issue, here's what I learned: 1. The email WAS confusing - the September date only applies if you qualify for the extension 2. I did need to complete a special fact-finding questionnaire that wasn't showing up in my CONNECT inbox 3. The agent manually added it to my account while I was on the phone 4. I have to submit it within 7 days 5. If approved, there shouldn't be any gap in payments The agent said they're getting flooded with calls about this same issue. Apparently the system was supposed to automatically add the questionnaire to eligible accounts, but there's been a technical glitch affecting some users. So glad I kept trying to reach them!

Did you complete the ID.me verification when you applied? That's a common holdup if it wasn't done or didn't process correctly. Check your CONNECT homepage and see if there's a link for ID.me that might be showing as incomplete.

I'd suggest trying one more approach - contact your state representative's office. They often have liaison staff who can escalate claims with DEO. Google "Florida state representative finder" and put in your address to find yours. Their constituent services can sometimes get answers when nothing else works. In the meantime, definitely try the email I suggested and keep claiming weeks. If you're truly in a financial emergency, mention that in your communication with the representative's office - they sometimes prioritize hardship cases.

To answer your follow-up question: Yes, you should report your severance on your biweekly claim forms for the weeks it's meant to cover. Even though you received it as a lump sum, DEO calculates it as if it were weekly income spread across 13 weeks. Regarding the adjudication - it could be for the severance issue alone, but it might also include verification of your reason for separation or other eligibility factors. Unfortunately, CONNECT doesn't always show the specific issues being reviewed. This is where speaking directly with a DEO agent would help clarify exactly what they're examining in your case.

ya'll making this more complicated than it is. they take ur severance, divide by ur weekly benefit amount, and that's how many weeks u gotta wait. just keep claiming every 2 weeks and when the severance period ends they'll start paying u automatically if everything else checks out. they don't actually need to talk to u for this part usually