You're right that Florida doesn't have state income tax, but unemployment benefits are still subject to FEDERAL income tax. That's what the 10% withholding is for - federal taxes only. So the DEO is withholding money to send to the IRS, not to the state of Florida.

Update: I was able to change the setting in CONNECT! For anyone else looking, after you log in, click on \

To summarize for everyone who has questions about what to report to DEO when claiming weeks: 1. Report: Wages/earnings from work (even part-time or gig work), severance pay, vacation pay, retirement pay if you just started receiving it, self-employment income 2. Don't report: LIHEAP, SNAP/food stamps, Medicaid, housing assistance, charity assistance, church help, friend/family loans or gifts The key distinction is whether you performed work to receive the money. If you didn't work for it, it's generally not reportable for unemployment purposes. However, there are exceptions like severance and vacation pay which are considered delayed compensation for work already performed.

I had a similar confusion last year about my son giving me money to help with bills while I was on unemployment. I called DEO (waited forever) and they confirmed that gifts and financial help from family members don't need to be reported when claiming weeks. They're only looking for earnings from work. LIHEAP definitely falls under assistance, not earnings.

dont stress urself out 2 much... my roommate made more $ on FL unemployment + doordash (part time) than at his regular job. u can work part time and still get some benefits as long as u report it right. just dont go over the weekly $ limit or u get nothing

Thanks everyone for the helpful info! I'm a little disappointed about the federal benefits being gone, but at least I know what to expect now. I'll make sure to do all 5 work searches each week and document everything carefully. Really appreciate all the advice as a first-timer navigating this confusing system!

when did u last contact them about this? cuz i thought there was like a 1yr limit to dispute claims or something??

As a follow-up: when you contact your state representative, be sure to specifically request that they ask DEO for a "Final Determination" on your claim. This forces them to make a decision one way or another, which then gives you appeal rights if necessary. Without a determination, your claim can theoretically remain "pending" forever. Also, if you were approved for PUA but payments were never released, that's a specific technical issue that was common during the pandemic. It's called a "payment hold" status, and it requires a supervisor override in the CONNECT system. This is exactly the kind of issue a legislative office can help resolve, as they can speak directly to supervisors at DEO.

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! Just as an update - I FINALLY got through to someone at DEO after trying for 2 days straight. Turns out it was a combination of things: 1. They initially denied my first claimed week due to "insufficient work search activities" but after review approved it ($275) 2. They found additional wages from a job I had that pushed my weekly benefit amount up by $25 per week 3. That higher amount was retroactively applied to my previous approved week ($25) 4. They also added a one-time adjustment for some technical reason the agent couldn't really explain clearly ($275) So it all adds up to $600! The agent confirmed I can keep it all, so I'm relieved. Really appreciate everyone's help here!

Don't forget to maintain your work search requirements going forward! Now that they're requiring 5 work search activities per week, they're getting really strict about verifying them. I had a week denied last month for only having 4 activities logged, and it took forever to appeal.