One other option worth considering - Florida has the "No Fee Identification Card Program" if you're unemployed and need an ID for job seeking. They also have the "Employ Florida Marketplace" which sometimes lists employers willing to hire and train simultaneously. If you've exhausted your job search and can't get into a training program quickly, you might qualify for Reemployment Assistance (RA) benefits while you continue looking. The application process is through CONNECT on the DEO website. You'd need to meet regular work search requirements (5 work searches per week) and claim weeks on time. That could at least provide some income while you navigate the training options or find an employer offering on-the-job training.

I went through a similar struggle about 8 months ago and here's what worked for me. First, definitely apply for the interstate unemployment claim since you worked in Georgia - that money will help while you figure out training. For the WIOA program, I'd suggest calling multiple CareerSource locations in your area. Each office has different funding availability and some are more helpful than others. When I called, I specifically asked to speak with their "WIOA eligibility specialist" rather than general intake. Also, don't overlook community colleges - they often have their own workforce development grants separate from DEO. Valencia College and other state colleges sometimes have quick certification programs (8-16 weeks) with financial aid options. One more thing - if you're open to it, look into apprenticeship programs through the Florida Department of Education. They're in healthcare, IT, and skilled trades. Some are paid apprenticeships where you earn while learning. Much faster than waiting for DEO funding that might never come. Good luck! The system is frustrating but there are ways through it if you keep pushing.

I remember when I was on unemployment during the pandemic they would send these kinds of letters all the time. One week they'd say I owed money, next week they'd say nevermind. The whole system is just outdated and confusing. Glad you don't actually owe anything!

Same thing happened to me last month! Got a scary looking overpayment notice that made me panic, but when I actually read through it the balance was $0.00. Turns out they had to send the notice because their system flagged something from when I was working part-time while collecting benefits, but then they automatically applied the partial earnings offset rules and it zeroed out. The notice is just their way of documenting that they reviewed it and made the adjustment. Keep the paperwork but you shouldn't need to do anything else if it clearly shows $0 balance.

So glad you got it sorted out! This is exactly why I always tell people to check CONNECT at least twice a week even when they don't get emails. The system will sometimes add new requirements or questionnaires without sending any notification at all. I've seen people miss important deadlines because they were only logging in when they got emails. Also, pro tip: if you ever get another one of these vague "missing information" emails, take a screenshot of your entire CONNECT dashboard before you start clicking around - sometimes fixing one issue reveals another one, and it helps to have a record of what you saw initially. Hope your payment comes through on Wednesday!

This is such a perfect example of why we need this community! Victoria, I'm so glad you found the missing info and got it submitted - your experience is going to help so many other people who face the same confusing situation. For anyone else reading this thread, I want to emphasize what Jacob said about checking CONNECT regularly even without emails. I learned this the hard way when I missed a work search requirement update that was posted to my account with zero notification. Now I log in every Monday and Thursday just to scan for anything new. Also, if you're comfortable sharing, Victoria - when your payment does come through, it would be helpful to know how long the whole process took from when you submitted the missing info to when you actually received payment. That timeline info is really valuable for others going through the same thing!

UPDATE: I finally got this resolved! For anyone else having this issue, here's what worked: I used the Claimyr service that someone mentioned above to get through to an actual person at DEO. The agent explained that my account was created during the pandemic and got stuck in the system update transition. They manually added a username to my account and sent a completely new password reset link to my email. I was able to claim my weeks that were pending and even got backpay for the ones I missed while locked out! Thank you to everyone who offered advice - this community is amazing!

This is such a relief to read! I've been dealing with the exact same issue for over a week now and was starting to panic about missing my claim deadlines. It's frustrating that DEO doesn't have clear instructions about this username requirement anywhere on their website - I've been going in circles trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do. Thank you @Aisha Khan for updating us with your solution, and thanks to everyone else who shared their experiences. It really helps to know we're not alone in this mess. I'm going to try the Claimyr service tomorrow since the phone lines have been impossible for me too. Hopefully they can get me sorted out quickly like they did for you!

Just to follow up on my earlier comment - make sure you're still claiming weeks while waiting for the federal portion to arrive. Some people think they don't need to claim weeks after getting approved for backdating, but you absolutely do need to continue claiming on schedule or you'll miss out on future payments. Log in every two weeks and complete your work search requirements!

Congrats on getting your state payments processed! That's a huge relief, I'm sure. I'm currently going through a similar situation - got my backdating approved about a week ago and I'm anxiously waiting to see any movement on my account. Question for you: when you checked your account and saw the status changed to 'processed', did you get any email notification from DEO or did you just have to keep checking manually? I've been logging in obsessively every day but wondering if I should expect some kind of alert when things update. Also really hoping my timeline is similar to yours - 5 weeks of back pay would make such a difference right now!