Just to clarify, to qualify for the current FSC program you need: 1. Exhausted regular state benefits 2. Have earned at least 40x your weekly benefit amount in your base period 3. Be in an approved high unemployment county (DEO publishes the list monthly) 4. Have completed at least 5 verifiable work searches per week If you don't meet ALL of these requirements, you'll only receive the state benefit amount. And yes, the maximum state benefit was increased to $375 in the last Florida legislative session.

Whatever you do, make ABSOLUTELY SURE you're reporting any part-time income correctly. If you earned less than $375 but still had some income, you need to report it for each week. I missed reporting $120 from a side gig and ended up with an overpayment notice and had to appeal. NIGHTMARE. The DEO is super strict about this now.

Just wanted to follow up on this since there seems to be some confusion about retroactive payments. For 2025 claims with effective date changes, here's what typically happens: 1. The state portion (RA benefits - up to $275/week) processes first 2. These will show as "processed" for 3-7 business days before payment info appears 3. Federal supplements (if your retroactive weeks fall in eligible periods) process separately 4. The federal portion may appear under a different claim ID or payment system 5. Bank holidays and weekends add 2-3 days to the normal processing time If your payments stay in "processed" status for more than 10 business days, that usually indicates an issue that requires agent intervention. At that point, calling DEO is your best option.

Quick update for everyone who responded - my state payments moved from "processed" to having a payment date today! The issue was exactly what some of you mentioned - retroactive claims just take longer to move through the system. The agent I spoke with (finally got through after 2 hours on hold) said the federal supplements should appear in my account in about 7-10 business days as a separate payment batch. They said it's completely normal for them to be processed separately with retroactive approvals. Thanks everyone for your help!

my nieghbor said theres a new bill for extra $$ but it hasnt passed yet. dont get hopes up tho florida never does anything to help us. $275 is a joke my car payment is more than that lol

Thanks everyone for the responses. I'm really disappointed to learn there's no extra $300. My neighbor must have been talking about something else or remembering from the pandemic. I've been playing around with my CONNECT account and found where to have taxes withheld (thanks for that tip!). I've also been keeping detailed records of my work searches - applying to at least 7 jobs per week even though only 5 are required. I'm going to try to get through to DEO to ask about training opportunities that might extend my benefits. Thanks again for all the helpful info!

Just to add some additional information: if you're receiving $600 weekly, that means your WBA (Weekly Benefit Amount) is on the higher end of Florida's scale. The maximum is $615 in 2025. If you're having 10% withheld for federal taxes, that would be $60, leaving you with $540. This is normal and actually might save you from a surprise tax bill later. But if you prefer to manage your tax obligations separately, changing the withholding setting as I mentioned earlier is perfectly fine. Just make sure you're setting aside around 10-15% of your benefits for taxes.

did u figure it out? was it the tax thing?

any luck with this yet? i'm invested in ur story now lol

That's great news! Make sure to document everything - the tracking number, the supervisor's name/ID, the date and time of the call. Set a calendar reminder to follow up exactly when they said. The squeaky wheel gets the grease with DEO, unfortunately. Please keep us updated!