Florida Unemployment
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DEO approved me for minimal benefits after 30+ years in workforce - is this normal?
I'm completely blown away right now. After working consistently for over 30 years at the same manufacturing company, I was laid off when they relocated operations to Mexico. I filed for unemployment through DEO in January and just got my monetary determination letter. They're only giving me $275 a week for 12 weeks - that's barely $3,300 total! How is this possible after paying into the system for THREE DECADES? My neighbor got laid off from his job of 5 years and is getting almost the same amount. The CONNECT system shows my wage credits but something feels seriously wrong here. Has anyone else experienced this ridiculously low benefit amount despite a long work history? Is there any way to appeal this determination or am I just stuck with the scraps they're giving me?
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DEO unemployment benefits causing tax refund delays - anyone else waiting since March?
I filed my taxes in early March (almost 8 weeks ago now) and my refund is STILL showing as "processing" on the IRS website. The only thing different about my taxes this year was claiming unemployment benefits from Florida DEO for about 4 months. I'm starting to get really worried something's wrong. I claimed about $6,800 in unemployment benefits and made sure to use the 1099-G form DEO sent me. I double-checked all my info but I'm not a tax expert - maybe I messed something up with how I entered the unemployment income? Has anyone else who received Florida unemployment had their tax refund significantly delayed this year? The IRS site just says it's "still being processed" with no explanation.
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hey has neone tried using turbotax to check if they did it rite? my friend said u can go back in and look at ur old return 2 see if u missed anything
I did use TurboTax and double-checked my return. Everything looks correct as far as I can tell. The 1099-G amount matches what I entered, and I did include the tax withholding from Box 4. I guess it's just the IRS being extra cautious with unemployment benefits this year.
One final update that might help others: The IRS announced they're specifically taking longer with returns that include unemployment benefits because of potential tax credit implications. It doesn't necessarily mean you did anything wrong. For anyone receiving DEO benefits this year (2025), I strongly recommend having at least 10% withheld for federal taxes (you can set this in your CONNECT account under tax withholding preferences). This won't prevent the IRS scrutiny, but it will reduce the chance of owing taxes next year. Also, many people don't realize that unemployment benefits can affect other tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit. Sometimes the IRS delay is because they're recalculating these credits based on your unemployment income.
Thanks for all this information! It's been really helpful. I'll definitely set up the 10% withholding going forward. Just to update everyone - my refund FINALLY showed up today! Took almost 10 weeks but it's finally done. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences and advice!
DEO FPUC $600 payments - total number before July 31 deadline?
Hey everyone, I've been getting the regular unemployment benefits plus the extra $600 payments (FPUC I think it's called?), but I'm confused about how many of those extra payments I should expect in total. Is it capped at 13 weeks of the $600 payments, or will I get them for every eligible week until the July 31 cutoff? My claim was approved in early May, so I'm trying to budget and figure out how many more weeks I'll receive this additional amount. The DEO website is so vague!
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does anyone know if they're gonna extend the $600 past july??? my bills dont stop just cuz the govt decides to stop helping!!
They SHOULD extend it but with this government who knows!!!! You should be calling your representatives EVERY DAY to demand they extend it! The economy hasn't recovered and we're STILL in a pandemic!!!
There's currently no legislation passed to extend the $600 FPUC payments beyond July 25th. However, it's always possible that Congress could pass something new before the deadline. For now, I'd recommend planning your budget assuming the payments will end as scheduled on July 25th, and then it'll be a nice surprise if they do get extended.
My cousin in California said they get a different amount. Is Florida's $600 different from other states?
The FPUC payment of $600 is the same fixed amount nationwide - it's a federal program. However, the regular unemployment benefit amount varies significantly between states. Florida's regular UC benefits max out at $275/week (one of the lowest in the country), while California's can go up to $450/week. So your total weekly payment (regular benefits + $600) would be different between states, but the FPUC portion is always $600.
ID.me verification succeeds but CONNECT login redirect fails - stuck for 3 months!
I'm at my wits end with this DEO CONNECT nightmare. Every time I complete the ID.me verification process, I get the green checkmark saying I'm verified, but then it NEVER redirects me back to the Florida CONNECT portal. It's been almost 3 months of this endless loop! I've tried different browsers, cleared cookies, used my phone instead - nothing works. ID.me support says everything is fine on their end and it's a DEO issue. Meanwhile my benefits are just sitting there unclaimed and bills are piling up. I've called the DEO hotline literally 47 times (I've been keeping count) and either get disconnected or sit on hold until the office closes. Has this happened to anyone? Did you find a solution? I'm desperate to claim my weeks before they expire!
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i had sorta the same problem but it turned out i was using an old bookmark that went to the wrong login page try going directly to connect.myflorida.com instead of following links from emails or old bookmarks that might help
Quick update for everyone dealing with this issue: DEO just released a bulletin yesterday acknowledging the ID.me redirect problem. They've implemented a temporary workaround while they fix the underlying issue. If you're experiencing this problem, you can now email ID.mehelp@deo.myflorida.com with: - Subject line: "ID.ME REDIRECT FAILURE" - Your full name as it appears on your claim - Your claimant ID number - Date of birth - Last 4 of SSN - The approximate date you completed ID.me verification They're prioritizing these requests and processing them within 5-7 business days according to the bulletin. This is much faster than the general inquiry email address.
Thank you so much for this update! I just sent an email with all this information. Fingers crossed this works!
DEO changed work search questions - confused about new Covid-19 fields in CONNECT
I tried claiming my weeks today and noticed DEO completely changed the work search questions in CONNECT! The availability question now has different Covid-related instructions that weren't there before. When I answer 'yes' to being available, it takes me to a whole new page asking for work search details with fields for 'date of contact' and other info, but it seems like you're supposed to just type 'Covid-19' somewhere? I'm absolutely terrified of answering wrong and delaying my payments. I even tried opening a different browser thinking maybe it was a cookie issue, but got the same new questions (and that annoying little walking man animation while it loads). The system specifically mentioned that based on my location, I am required to complete work searches. But that can't be right - I'm in Palm Beach County where the work search waiver is extended until 8/20/25. We're not even in the government's phase 3 reopening yet! Has anyone else seen these new questions? How are you answering them without messing up your claim?
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i tried to claim yesterday and got those same new questions! but i thought we had to do work searches now? im in miami-dade and my neighbor said the covid waiver ended already. this is so confusing!!!!
For Miami-Dade, the work search requirements came back on 7/31/25. You DO need to complete and report 5 work search contacts per week now. If you haven't been doing them, you should start immediately. The COVID waivers are county-by-county and change based on local conditions.
Just wanted to update everyone - DEO just released an official statement about the work search question changes. They confirmed it's a system update that caused confusion. Here's what they said: 1. If you're in a county with an active work search waiver, put "COVID-19 WAIVER" in all fields 2. If your county's waiver has expired, you MUST complete 5 work search activities per week 3. All claims using the COVID waiver will be manually reviewed to verify county residence 4. They're working on an update to make the system recognize county waivers automatically They also said if you made an honest mistake on a recent claim due to confusion, you can call to have it corrected without penalty.
Thank you for this update! This makes me feel much better about using the COVID waiver. I submitted my claim earlier today with "COVID-19 WAIVER" in all fields, so hopefully it processes correctly.
Mateo Rodriguez
I see you mentioned having an adjudication pending. That's actually a bigger immediate concern than the benefit amount. The adjudication process can drag on for weeks if you don't actively follow up. If you need to reach DEO about the adjudication issue, I really can't recommend Claimyr enough - it's the only reason I got my adjudication resolved in a reasonable timeframe. When I called using their service, I asked the DEO rep specifically what documentation they needed to clear the adjudication, then uploaded it right away to my CONNECT account AND followed up again three days later. Being proactive made all the difference. Otherwise, you could be waiting months before receiving any benefits at all, regardless of the amount.
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Anastasia Romanov
AuthorYou're right - getting any benefits is better than nothing at this point. I'll try Claimyr to get through to DEO. Do they need specific documentation for a company relocation? I have my severance letter that clearly states the reason for layoff was the facility closing and operations moving to Mexico.
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Luca Greco
That severance letter stating the facility closure and relocation is exactly the kind of documentation you should upload to support your claim. Go to your CONNECT dashboard, click on the "Document Upload" section, and submit it as support for your adjudication issue. Select document type "Proof of Employment Separation" when uploading. After uploading, call DEO to confirm they received it and ask if anything else is needed. The severance letter should help speed up your adjudication process since it clearly documents a qualifying job separation. Make sure to continue claiming your weeks while the adjudication is pending - if approved, you'll receive back payments for weeks properly claimed.
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Anastasia Romanov
AuthorThank you so much for this specific advice! I just uploaded my severance letter as you suggested. Now I'll try to get through to DEO to confirm they received it. I've been claiming my weeks religiously every two weeks, so hopefully I'll get backpay once this is resolved. Still frustrated about the low maximum benefit, but at least I'll have something coming in while job hunting.
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