Welcome to the community! I'm glad this thread has been so helpful for you. It really shows how valuable it is when people share their real experiences navigating the DEO system. Since you're just starting out too, I'd recommend bookmarking this thread - I keep coming back to reference specific tips people shared here. The combination of practical documentation advice and industry-specific job search strategies makes this such a comprehensive resource. One thing I'll add that helped me: don't be afraid to ask follow-up questions in this community as you go through the process. People here are really generous with sharing their knowledge, and sometimes issues come up that you don't anticipate until you're actually in the middle of claiming weeks or dealing with the CONNECT system. Also, if you do decide to set up that tracking spreadsheet everyone mentioned, consider sharing a template with other newcomers once you get it working well for you. Paying it forward keeps this community so helpful for people who are stressed and overwhelmed when they first start this process. Good luck with your unemployment claim and job search! The restaurant industry really is hiring right now, so hopefully both of us will find something soon.

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who recently completed the Florida unemployment process successfully! Reading through all these helpful responses brings back memories of how overwhelming it felt at first, but you're absolutely taking the right approach by getting organized from day one. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet that really helped me: create a simple weekly checklist that you can print out and check off as you complete activities. Something like: - Applied to 2-3 positions online ✓ - Made 1-2 networking contacts ✓ - Completed 1 in-person visit/workshop ✓ - Updated tracking spreadsheet ✓ - Saved confirmation emails/screenshots ✓ Having that visual checklist made it feel less abstract and more manageable. Plus it's satisfying to check things off! For restaurant management specifically, don't forget about casino food service positions if you have any in your area - they often need experienced hospitality managers and the pay can be really competitive. Also consider reaching out to catering companies that handle corporate events or weddings - they value restaurant management experience for coordinating large events. The stress you're feeling is completely normal, but you're clearly approaching this the right way. Keep that detailed documentation everyone's emphasizing, stay connected with your industry network, and remember that your management skills are valuable and in demand right now. You've got this!

Yes, you can definitely deduct business expenses for your dog sitting work! Since you're essentially running a small business, you can deduct things like: - Gas/mileage for traveling to clients (huge one!) - Dog treats, toys, or supplies you buy for the pets - Cleaning supplies if you're doing overnight sits - Phone expenses (portion used for Rover communications) - Any equipment like leashes, waste bags, etc. Keep ALL receipts and track your mileage - the IRS standard mileage rate is 65.5 cents per mile for 2023. Even small expenses add up quickly with gig work. I use a simple app to track my miles automatically. Also consider setting up a separate checking account for your Rover income and expenses - makes bookkeeping much easier come tax time. And if you're doing overnight sits, you might be able to deduct a portion of your phone/internet bills since you're using them for work. Just make sure everything is legitimately business-related and keep good records. The IRS is pretty reasonable about gig work deductions as long as you can justify them!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who does both Rover and TaskRabbit while on unemployment - the key is DOCUMENTATION! I keep screenshots of every booking confirmation, payment notification, and client message. When I had to speak with a DEO agent about a discrepancy in my claim, having all that documentation saved me from a potential overpayment situation. One thing I learned is that if you have a cancellation fee from Rover (like when a client cancels last minute), you still need to report that as income for the week it was earned, even though you didn't actually provide any service. DEO considers any payment from your 1099 work as reportable income. Also, don't forget that Florida has a partial benefit formula - if your weekly Rover earnings plus your reduced unemployment benefit end up being less than your full weekly benefit amount, you might actually come out ahead financially some weeks. It's worth doing the math to see if picking up an extra small gig is worth it or if you should wait for a bigger one. Stay organized and honest with your reporting - the system is definitely confusing but being upfront about everything is always the safest route!

Welcome to the community, Zara! Your situation sounds exactly like what so many of us have experienced - the IP address fraud flag is such a hidden trap that catches people completely off guard. Remote workers especially seem to get hit with this since we naturally access accounts from multiple locations throughout our normal routines. You're smart to tackle this early at day 2 rather than waiting weeks like some people did before finding this thread. The DEO.Feedback email approach has been incredibly effective based on all the success stories here. When you send that email tomorrow, make sure to mention that you're a remote worker who accesses from multiple legitimate locations - sometimes providing context about WHY you have different IP addresses can help expedite the unlock process. Also definitely follow the documentation advice that's been shared throughout this thread - screenshot everything, save email confirmations, log your attempts with timestamps. It creates a protective paper trail if there are ever questions about missed claim weeks. This thread really has become the definitive resource for DEO lockout issues because people are sharing real solutions that actually work, unlike DEO's official "help" system. Looking forward to your update - hopefully you'll have another success story to add to this collection soon!

This thread has been such an incredible resource! I just joined this community after being locked out for almost a week now, and reading through everyone's experiences has been both eye-opening and reassuring. The IP address fraud flag explanation completely makes sense - I'm a gig worker who's been accessing my account from home, various client locations, and even the public library when my internet was down. Never would have thought this normal behavior could trigger a security lockout! What really gets me is how DEO's vague "security reasons" message gives absolutely no clue about what's actually wrong. If they just said "Account locked due to multiple IP addresses detected" or something specific, it would save everyone so much confusion and stress. Instead we're all left guessing and panicking about missing claim weeks. I'm definitely going to try the DEO.Feedback@deo.myflorida.com email approach first thing tomorrow with "URGENT ACCOUNT LOCKED" in the subject line - the success stories here give me real hope that this might actually work. If that doesn't pan out, the Claimyr service that worked so well for Keisha is next on my list. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions here. This community support means everything when you're dealing with such a frustrating system. I'll make sure to update with my results!

This thread has become absolutely incredible! I'm amazed by how much collective knowledge everyone has shared - it's like we've created the DEO survival guide that should actually exist officially but doesn't. I wanted to add a resource that helped me during my own adjudication saga last year: **Florida's Department of Management Services Ombudsman** at 850-487-1691. They handle complaints about state agencies when normal channels fail. If your adjudication goes beyond 8 weeks with no communication, they can sometimes light a fire under DEO to actually review your case. Also, for anyone dealing with **employer disputes** specifically - if your former employer is contesting your claim, you can request copies of exactly what they submitted to DEO by calling and asking for your "separation documentation." Sometimes employers submit incomplete or inaccurate information that's holding up your case, and knowing what they said helps you provide counter-evidence. **Pro tip for phone calls**: If you get an agent who says they "can't help" or "can't transfer you," politely ask to speak with their supervisor or request they document in your file that you called and what assistance you requested. This creates a paper trail that higher-level agents can see when you call back. The persistence and creativity everyone has shown in this thread is inspiring. We shouldn't have to become DEO experts just to get benefits we're entitled to, but at least we're helping each other navigate this broken system! Keep fighting everyone - your benefits are worth it! 💪

I've been following this amazing thread for days and finally wanted to contribute! I'm a former DEO employee (worked there 2019-2022) and seeing all the struggles everyone is sharing breaks my heart, but I'm so impressed by the collective wisdom you've all built here. A few insider tips that might help: **Internal priority system:** Cases that have documented legislative inquiries (state rep/senator contacts) get flagged in the system and moved to a "priority queue" - that's why those political contacts work so well. **Adjudicator schedules:** Most adjudicators work 7am-3:30pm Tuesday-Friday. Monday mornings are always backlogged from weekend claim submissions. This explains why Tuesday 7:30am has been working so well for everyone. **System quirks:** The CONNECT upload system processes files in alphabetical order, which is why that filename format someone mentioned (CLAIMANTID_ISSUE_DATE) actually works - it gets processed faster than random filenames. **Direct supervisor escalation:** If you reach an agent who can't help, ask for "workforce services supervisor" specifically - this gets you to someone with actual authority to make decisions, not just regular customer service. The fact that claimants have had to reverse-engineer the system like this shows how badly DEO needs reform. But until that happens, you're all doing incredible work helping each other navigate this mess. Keep sharing what works - you're literally saving people's livelihoods! ❤️

Update for anyone else finding this thread with the same issue: I checked with my case from last year, and the exact timing was 37 days from my first unemployment payment with child support withheld until it appeared in my ex's account. After that, it was consistently 12-14 days for each subsequent payment. The system is frustratingly slow, but it does eventually work. Also worth noting - when the payments finally started, they came individually (not as one lump sum), but several showed up on the same day since they were all backlogged in the system.

I'm dealing with the exact same frustrating situation right now! DEO has been taking $112/week from my benefits for child support for over a month, but my ex hasn't seen a penny yet. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both helpful and infuriating - 30-45 days seems to be the norm, which is absolutely ridiculous in 2025. I tried calling both DEO and the child support office multiple times but either get disconnected or told "it's processing" with no real timeline. At least now I know this delay is unfortunately normal and not just my case being lost in the system. Going to try calling that CS number (800-622-KIDS) tomorrow to see if they show anything pending. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it helps to know we're not alone in dealing with Florida's broken systems!