Have you received a hearing date yet? If not, you still have time to submit additional evidence. I recommend sending a more detailed letter from your doctor using the Appeals Document Upload feature in CONNECT. The letter should specifically state: 1) Your condition was directly worsened by specific workplace conditions, 2) Immediate cessation of work was medically necessary, and 3) Why reasonable accommodations would not have been sufficient. Include medical records showing your condition worsened while employed there. This approach has helped several clients I've worked with, and occasionally results in a favorable decision without a hearing, though that's uncommon.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now - had to quit my retail job due to panic attacks that were triggered by the crowded, high-stress environment. My psychiatrist told me the workplace was exacerbating my anxiety disorder and I needed to leave immediately for my mental health. Of course, DEO denied me for the same "failed to make reasonable efforts" reasoning. Reading through these comments is really helpful - it sounds like the hearing process isn't as intimidating as I thought it would be. @Isabella Oliveira, I'd definitely recommend getting that more detailed letter from your neurologist like others have suggested. The fact that your doctor specifically told you to leave immediately seems to be a key factor in winning these cases. Good luck with your appeal!

@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?

Update: I found my 1099-G online in CONNECT just like people suggested here. For anyone else looking, go to View and Maintain Account Information, then look for the 1099-G option in the dropdown menu. Thanks everyone for your help! Sending this info to my tax guy now.

Glad you were able to find yours online! This thread has been super helpful - I was in the same boat waiting for mine in the mail. Just want to add for anyone else reading this: when you're in CONNECT looking for the 1099-G, sometimes the page takes a while to load so don't give up if it seems slow. Also, make sure you have a PDF reader installed because it downloads as a PDF file. Mine showed the correct amount thankfully, but definitely good advice from others here to double-check against your own records before filing!

This might sound weird, but have you tried reaching out on Twitter? Sometimes public callouts get their attention.

I'm so sorry you're going through this! 4 months is absolutely ridiculous. I went through something similar last year and what helped me was creating a detailed log of every interaction - dates, times, who I spoke with, reference numbers, etc. Also, if you haven't already, try filing a complaint with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity's ombudsman office. They're supposed to help resolve these kinds of issues. Sometimes having an official complaint on file can help push things along. Don't give up - you deserve to get your benefits!

UPDATE: I finally got through! For anyone with the same problem - I used the 7:29am trick mentioned above AND called on Tuesday instead of Monday (which seems less busy). Was on hold for 45 minutes but finally spoke to someone who reset my two-factor authentication and connected it to my new phone number. All fixed now and I was able to claim my weeks that were pending! Thanks everyone for your help!

Congratulations on getting through! This is really helpful for others dealing with the same issue. I'm curious - when you called at 7:29am, did you get the usual "high call volume" message or did it actually put you in a queue? I'm planning to try this method myself next week for a different account issue and want to know what to expect. Also, do you remember roughly how long the actual account reset process took once you had the agent on the line?