
Florida Unemployment
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I'm at my wits' end trying to get my unemployment claim resolved. I've been stuck in adjudication for 8 WEEKS due to a 'discharge' issue from my previous employer (restaurant suddenly closed without warning). My CONNECT account shows the same status day after day, and I've now had TWO so-called "escalations" with zero movement. The last DEO rep I spoke with literally told me 'your case is in the queue but hasn't been assigned to a case manager yet.' EIGHT WEEKS and it hasn't even been LOOKED AT?? Has anyone successfully tracked down direct contact info for adjudication case managers? Email addresses? Extension numbers? Anything? I'm about to be evicted and my car payment is 45 days past due. I've tried calling the regular DEO number about 30 times and either get disconnected or told they can't do anything but put in another "escalation" (which clearly does nothing). Any advice would be seriously appreciated.
OK this is driving me crazy! Just got a weird random $750 deposit from DEO this morning with ZERO explanation. My payment pattern has been totally unpredictable. Last week I claimed my regular weeks and received $687.50 as expected, then $1500 showed up a day later (which I think was backpay??). CONNECT showed I wasn't supposed to claim again until May 23rd, but I logged in today out of curiosity and it suddenly prompted me to claim a week from early May - like before my waiting week even started! I'm thinking this random $750 might be for the waiting week they're now paying? Or possibly for that random early May week it had me claim? Anyone else dealing with these random unexplained payments? I'm grateful for the money but terrified they'll say I was overpaid later. The CONNECT system is so glitchy lately! 🤯
@profile4 I called right when they opened at 7:30am and still waited on hold for 1.5 hours. I think Monday mornings are slightly better than other times. Just had to keep redialing when it disconnected me (about 8 times).
I'm dealing with something similar! Got a random $685 deposit yesterday with no explanation in CONNECT. My regular claim schedule got all mixed up after that system update in May too. Reading through everyone's experiences here makes me feel so much better - I was worried I'd have to pay it back later! It sounds like they're definitely catching up on backpay and waiting weeks from the system glitch. I'm going to start taking weekly screenshots of my payment history like some of you suggested. Has anyone figured out if there's a way to see which specific weeks these mystery payments are for in CONNECT?
I claimed my weeks on Thursday through CONNECT and the website showed it was processed, but I still haven't gotten my deposit on my Way2Go card. It usually hits my account within 24-48 hours, but nothing so far. The status says 'processed' when I log in, but no money yet. Could the delay be because it's the weekend? How long is normal for DEO payments to actually hit your account after claiming? This is my 3rd month on unemployment and I've got rent coming up next week so I'm getting antsy about when the money will actually show up.
does anyone know if changing your direct deposit info causes delays? i just switched from way2go to my credit union
I've been dealing with Florida unemployment for about 8 months now and can confirm that weekend delays are totally normal. The DEO system processes your claim quickly (that's why you see "processed" status), but the actual money transfer goes through the ACH banking system which doesn't operate on weekends or holidays. Your Thursday claim timing means you'll typically see the deposit on Monday or Tuesday. I've found that claiming on Monday gives you the best chance of getting paid by Thursday/Friday, avoiding that weekend anxiety. Also keep an eye on federal holidays - they can add an extra day or two to processing times. The good news is that once you see "processed" in CONNECT, the money is coming - it's just a matter of waiting for the banking system to catch up!
So I moved to Florida in December 2024 because I accepted what seemed like a great job offer in marketing. The company recruited me from out of state, I relocated my whole life here, and then they let me go after just ONE MONTH citing 'restructuring.' I was completely blindsided. Now I'm stuck in FL with a 6-month lease and no job. I've started applying everywhere but wondering if I can get unemployment benefits while I search? I know there's usually some work history requirement but since I JUST moved here specifically FOR a job that disappeared, I'm not sure what rules apply. Does anyone know if FL DEO would approve me with only 1 month of work history in this state? The separation wasn't my fault at all - I have the termination letter stating it was due to company restructuring. Do I have to use my work history from my previous state? The CONNECT application is confusing me. Really appreciate any advice!
My neighbor just went through this same situation. She moved from Texas for a job that ended after 2 months. She did get approved but it took almost 8 weeks! The good news is she got all the back pay. Hang in there!
I'm in a similar situation - moved to Florida from Illinois for a job that lasted only 3 weeks before the company folded completely. I successfully got approved for unemployment through the Combined Wage Claim process, but it took about 6 weeks total. A few things that helped me: 1. File IMMEDIATELY - don't wait. The sooner you file, the sooner your retroactive payments will start from. 2. When filling out the employment history section, be very detailed about your previous out-of-state job. Include exact dates, wages, and reason for leaving. 3. Upload any documentation you have right away - your Florida termination letter, previous state pay stubs, W-2s, etc. Don't wait for them to ask. 4. Set up a spreadsheet to track your work search activities from day one. I used columns for date, company name, position, method of contact, and contact info. The waiting period is stressful, but if you have sufficient wages from your previous state, you should qualify. Just be patient and keep claiming your weeks religiously. Good luck!
So frustrated with this whole process! I lost my job on March 28th but couldn't get my claim submitted until yesterday because the CONNECT system kept giving me errors (either 'site maintenance' or it would freeze on the employment history page). After WEEKS of trying, I finally got my application to go through, but now I'm worried I'll miss out on 3+ weeks of benefits. Has anyone successfully called DEO to get their claim backdated to when they actually became unemployed? The system only lets me claim weeks going forward from when my application finally processed. I can prove I was trying to apply earlier with screenshots of the errors. Any advice on what number to call or what to say to actually get this fixed?
UPDATE: Thank you all for the advice! I submitted a backdate request through CONNECT yesterday and also sent an email with my screenshots to the DEO.BPC email address. This morning I checked my Determination History tab as suggested and there's already a notice saying my backdate request was APPROVED! Now I just need to figure out how to claim those backdated weeks.
Great news! To claim your backdated weeks: 1. Go to your home page in CONNECT 2. Look for "Claim Weeks" under the "Weekly Benefit Details" section 3. You should now see the backdated weeks available to claim If you don't see them right away, give the system 24-48 hours to fully process the backdate. Remember you'll need to complete the work search requirements for each week (5 job contacts per week) unless you had a specific exemption. Congratulations on getting this resolved quickly!
That's awesome that you got approved so quickly! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - been trying to file for 2 weeks and keep getting error messages. Your post gives me hope that the backdate process actually works. Going to try the CONNECT request form today and take screenshots of all the errors I'm getting. Thanks for sharing your success story!
Dylan Wright
Something else to try: send an email to DEOclientadvocate@deo.myflorida.com with your claimant ID number, the last 4 of your SSN, and a brief explanation of your situation. Be super polite and professional in your email. I've seen this work for some people when they're stuck in adjudication for extended periods. Also, make sure your work search records are perfect and up-to-date while you wait. If they do finally resolve your adjudication in your favor, they'll check your work search compliance before releasing payments. You don't want to finally get through adjudication only to be denied for insufficient work searches.
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Giovanni Gallo
AuthorThank you! I just sent an email to that address with all my info. And yes, I've been meticulously documenting my 5 work searches every week. I'm applying for anything I remotely qualify for at this point. I really appreciate everyone's help here - this community has given me more useful information than all my calls to DEO combined.
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
any update? did ne of these work for u?
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Giovanni Gallo
AuthorYes! Getting my state representative involved actually worked! Their office contacted DEO on my behalf and three days later I got a call from an actual adjudicator. She reviewed my case on the spot and approved my claim. All payments were in my account 2 days later. Definitely try the state rep route if you're still stuck!
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Zara Ahmed
@Giovanni Gallo that s'amazing news! How long did it take from when you first contacted your state rep s'office to when they actually reached out to DEO? I m'going to try this route too - been stuck for 6 weeks now with a separation issue. Really gives me hope that there s'actually a way to get through this nightmare system.
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