That's great news! This is a very common issue with ID.me verification - it shows complete on their end but doesn't properly transfer to the CONNECT system. For anyone else reading, always double-check that your verification status shows correctly in both systems. Glad you got it resolved!

I'm so sorry you're going through this Omar - the stress and anxiety from these account locks is absolutely real and valid. I went through something similar last year and it nearly broke me mentally. The combination of financial stress and feeling completely powerless against this broken system is devastating. A few things that helped me beyond what others have mentioned: 1) File a complaint with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity's Inspector General if you haven't already - sometimes this creates a paper trail that gets attention, and 2) Consider reaching out to local news stations. They love stories about CONNECT failures and sometimes media attention can expedite resolution. Also, please don't apologize for sounding "dramatic" - you're facing potential homelessness because of government incompetence. That's not dramatic, that's a legitimate crisis. Take care of your mental health during this process. Many community health centers offer sliding scale counseling if you need someone to talk to while fighting this battle. Hang in there - you've got some solid advice in this thread and you WILL get through this!

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at DEO! Used Claimyr this morning and was connected to an agent within 20 minutes. The agent confirmed they received my identity documents but said they were "pending review" in the verification queue. She submitted an escalation request due to the length of time and my hardship situation. She said I should see movement on my account within 3-5 business days. Will update again once I know more. Thank you all for the helpful advice!

That's fantastic news! So glad Claimyr worked for you - I've been hesitant to try it but hearing your success story gives me hope. The fact that they could actually confirm your documents were received and submit an escalation is huge progress. Fingers crossed you get your account unlocked soon! Keep us posted on how it goes over the next few days.

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!

Congratulations on getting it resolved! Your experience really highlights how broken the DEO system is - the fact that you had to use multiple workarounds just to get a basic account issue fixed is ridiculous. But I'm glad the combination of contacting your state rep and using Claimyr worked out. For anyone else still struggling with this issue, it sounds like the key takeaway is that ID.me verification doesn't automatically unlock your CONNECT account - there's a separate "security flag" that DEO has to manually remove. This explains why so many people get stuck in limbo even after successful verification. Thanks for updating us with what worked - these success stories give the rest of us hope when dealing with this nightmare system!

@Aisha Hussain So glad you got this resolved! Your post really helped me understand what I'm dealing with. I just completed my ID.me verification yesterday and sure enough, my CONNECT account is showing the same "locked for security reasons" message. Based on your success, I'm going to try both approaches - contacting my state rep AND using Claimyr. It's frustrating that we have to do all this extra work just to access benefits we're entitled to, but at least there's a proven path forward. Quick question for anyone who's been through this - about how long should I wait before trying these methods? I know Aisha said she waited a week, but I'm wondering if I should give it a few more days first or just start the process now since we know the "security flag" issue requires manual intervention anyway. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is honestly more helpful than DEO's actual customer service!

I'm in week 3 of adjudication and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My employer contested my claim after I was laid off due to "budget restructuring" - seeing how common this pattern is makes me realize it's probably a deliberate delay tactic. I've been trying to call DEO every day with zero success, just like everyone else here. After reading all the Claimyr success stories, I'm going to try it tomorrow morning. It's frustrating to pay $20 just to access information about my own case, but it seems like the only way to actually talk to a human who can tell me what's really going on. The uncertainty is honestly worse than the waiting - at least if I knew what they needed or how much longer to expect, I could plan accordingly. Thank you to everyone sharing their experiences, especially @Lena Kowalski for the detailed updates! It gives me hope that there's actually a way through this nightmare. I'll make sure to update everyone once I try Claimyr and hopefully get some real answers about my adjudication status.

I'm in week 5 of adjudication and this entire thread has been such a lifesaver! My situation is almost identical to everyone else's - legitimate layoff due to company downsizing, employer contested it (probably to delay payments), and absolutely zero communication from DEO about what's actually happening with my case. I've been calling the regular DEO number every single day and it's completely useless - either immediate busy signals or it just hangs up after a few seconds. The financial stress is really getting to me since I have no idea when this might resolve or if there's something specific they need from me. After reading all these success stories with Claimyr, I'm definitely going to try it this week. It's ridiculous that we have to pay a third-party service just to get basic information about our own unemployment claims, but at this point I'm willing to try anything that actually works. The pattern everyone's describing - missing documentation that DEO never requested, employer contests on legitimate layoffs, complete communication blackout - shows just how broken this system really is. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating this supportive community. It really helps knowing we're not alone in this nightmare, and that there might actually be a way to get real answers about our cases. I'll definitely update everyone once I try Claimyr and hopefully make some progress!