Update? Were you able to get your claim resolved? I'm curious if the Claimyr suggestion helped or if you found another way through.

Glad to hear you're making progress with Claimyr! For others in similar situations, I'd also recommend contacting your state representative's office - they often have direct lines to DEO and can help expedite claims that are stuck in adjudication hell. My cousin had a similar business closure issue and her rep's office got her claim moving within a week after being stuck for 2 months. They basically act as a liaison between you and DEO when the normal channels aren't working.

Just wanted to follow up - were you able to get this resolved? I'm curious if any of our suggestions helped. I've been seeing more posts about account locks lately and wonder if DEO is having a system-wide security issue they're not telling us about.

Wow, this is really concerning! I'm glad you got it resolved but it's scary that this is happening to so many people. I've been having some weird issues with my CONNECT account too - not lockouts but sometimes when I log in it says my last login was at a time I wasn't even online. Now I'm wondering if someone has been trying to access mine too. For anyone else dealing with this, it sounds like the key steps are: 1. Call the fraud department at 1-800-342-9909 (not regular customer service) 2. File the identity theft report at IdentityTheft.gov 3. Consider switching to Way2Go card instead of direct deposit 4. Enable 2-factor authentication on your email I'm definitely going to be more vigilant about checking my account now. Thanks for sharing your experience and glad it worked out!

Just wanted to give a huge shoutout to everyone in this thread for creating such an incredible resource! I've been dealing with DEO issues for 6 weeks and this conversation has given me more actionable strategies than hours of googling official websites. I'm particularly interested in trying both the Claimyr service and contacting my state representative simultaneously. It seems like having multiple approaches working at once increases your chances of breaking through the bureaucratic wall. @Ava Hernandez your progress update was so encouraging! The fact that you now have a specific timeline and know exactly what's causing your delay is huge progress. Really hoping that adjudicator follows through within the promised timeframe. One thing I wanted to add that might help others - I've been keeping a detailed log of every call attempt, including dates, times, what menu options I tried, and how long I waited before getting disconnected. It's helped me identify patterns in when I'm more likely to get through versus just hitting busy signals. Might be useful documentation if you need to escalate further up the chain or contact legislators. Thanks again everyone for turning this frustrating situation into something where we can actually help each other succeed. This is what community support should look like!

This thread has been absolutely incredible to follow! As someone who's been stuck in DEO hell for 5 weeks now, reading through all these detailed strategies and success stories has given me more hope than I've had in a month. @Ava Hernandez your journey from complete frustration to finally getting answers is exactly what so many of us needed to see. The fact that Claimyr got you through in hours after weeks of failed attempts is remarkable - definitely going to try that service myself. I wanted to add one more resource that hasn't been mentioned yet: some county libraries offer free "government assistance navigation" services where volunteers help people deal with benefits issues. I found this out by accident when I went to use their computers to file more online requests. The volunteer couldn't call DEO for me, but they helped me organize all my documentation and even printed out copies of everything for my records. It's not a magic solution, but it helped me feel more prepared for when I do finally get through. Also, for anyone keeping track of costs - I calculated that I've spent over $60 in phone charges from calling that 800 number so many times from my cell phone. The Claimyr fee is looking more reasonable by the day! Thank you to everyone who's shared what actually works instead of just complaining. This community support is making an impossible situation feel manageable.

I'm so sorry you're going through this Alice! The DEO system is absolutely maddening and you're definitely not alone. I went through the same thing about 6 weeks ago and it took me almost 2 weeks to get resolved. A few things that might help based on my experience: 1. For the lock date on the form - just put your best guess, even if it's today's date when you first noticed. They really don't verify this against anything, it's just for their internal tracking. 2. Try calling the DEO Reemployment Assistance Customer Service line at (850) 245-7105 instead of the main number. It's their Tallahassee office direct line and sometimes has shorter wait times, especially mid-week around 2-3pm. 3. Document EVERYTHING - take screenshots of error messages, keep records of when you called, etc. If this drags on, you might need to file a complaint with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity's Inspector General. 4. Most importantly - don't let this stop you from claiming your weeks! You can claim by phone even with a locked account, and you can also request backdating later if you miss deadlines due to their technical issues. The whole system is designed to be frustrating, but hang in there. You WILL get this resolved! Keep us posted on what works for you.

I feel your pain Alice! I just went through this exact same situation last month and it's absolutely infuriating. The DEO system seems designed to make people give up on their benefits. Here's what finally worked for me: I used multiple approaches at once instead of just trying one thing. I filled out the unlock form with my best guess date (like others said, they don't actually verify it), AND I emailed RA.BPC@deo.myflorida.com, AND I called that technical support line someone mentioned earlier. The key thing that saved me was discovering I could still claim my weeks by calling 1-833-FL-APPLY even while locked out of the online system. That took all the pressure off the timing since I knew I wouldn't miss any deadlines while waiting for the unlock. I also want to echo what others said about contacting your state representative - that's actually what got my case resolved fastest. Their office called DEO directly and my account was unlocked within 48 hours. You can find your rep's contact info on the Florida House or Senate websites. Don't give up! This system is broken but there are ways around it. Keep trying multiple approaches and document everything in case you need to escalate further.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! Been stuck in the ID.me verification loop for 2 weeks and it's absolutely maddening. What's really frustrating is that I can see my ID.me account shows "verified" but CONNECT still won't let me in. One thing I discovered that might help - when you call the DEO number, try pressing 0 immediately when the automated system starts instead of going through all the menu options. Sometimes it bypasses the busy circuits and gets you to a different queue. I managed to get through once using this method, though the agent couldn't help with my specific issue. Also, has anyone tried filing a complaint with the Florida Ombudsman? I'm considering that route if the email and Claimyr suggestions don't work out. The whole system feels designed to exhaust people into giving up, but we can't let that happen when we're entitled to these benefits. Thanks for posting this - it's oddly comforting to know I'm not the only one dealing with this nightmare!

I've been following this thread closely because I'm in almost the exact same situation - multiple ID.me verifications but still locked out of CONNECT. Reading everyone's experiences has been both frustrating (knowing how widespread this is) and helpful (so many good suggestions!). One thing I wanted to add that I discovered through my own research: if you're on social media, try reaching out to @FLDEO on Twitter/X. I've seen several people report that they got faster responses through their social media team than through traditional channels. Post your issue publicly with your claimant ID and ask for help - sometimes the public visibility motivates faster action. Also, for anyone dealing with this, make sure you're checking your spam folder regularly. I almost missed a critical email from DEO because it went to spam, and it contained instructions for completing my account unlock that I never would have seen otherwise. The persistence everyone is showing here is inspiring - this system is clearly broken but we can't let that stop us from getting the benefits we're entitled to. Keep fighting and sharing information like this!