Florida Unemployment
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When will DEO start paying the extra $300 weekly FPUC benefit?
I just got approved for regular unemployment last week (finally!!) and received my first payment of $275. I heard there's supposed to be an extra $300 per week from the federal government on top of the state benefit, but it's not showing up in my CONNECT account or on my Way2Go card. Does anyone know when the DEO will start distributing this additional money? Is there something special I need to do to qualify for it? This is my first time ever on unemployment and I'm really counting on that extra money to cover rent next month.
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Confused about unexpected $980 DEO payment - regular benefit is $220 biweekly
Hey everyone, I'm really confused about a payment I just saw in my account from DEO. I normally get $220 biweekly for my regular unemployment benefits, but today I checked and there was a payment for $980?? I've been filing all my weeks regularly and submitted multiple appeals over some issues they had with my claim earlier. Could this $980 be backpay for those weeks I was fighting to get approved? By my math that would be like 6 weeks of benefits plus my current payment. I'm afraid to spend any of it until I know for sure what it is. Has anyone had a similar situation with unexpected larger payments? Should I call DEO to clarify or just assume it's backpay I'm entitled to?
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has anyone else noticed the connect website is down AGAIN today?????? trying to claim my weeks and can't even login!! this is the 3rd time this month!!!!
This is off-topic from the original question about backpay, but yes, CONNECT is experiencing maintenance issues today. They usually post planned outages on the DEO Twitter account, but sometimes they have unplanned downtime too. Try again later tonight or early tomorrow morning when traffic is lower.
I'm following this thread closely because I'm in a similar situation! Been fighting with DEO for WEEKS about my claim, and suddenly got a deposit that seems like it might be backpay but I'm terrified to spend it. The anxiety of dealing with Florida unemployment is honestly worse than being unemployed itself sometimes. 😭 Has anyone who got backpay received any kind of official notice or letter from DEO explaining what the payment was for? I haven't gotten anything in my CONNECT inbox...
You typically won't receive a special notice about backpay - it's just considered regular payment for weeks that were previously on hold. However, if you look in your CONNECT inbox, you should see determination notices for any issues that were resolved, which would have triggered the release of those payments. These determination letters are your official documentation that the weeks were approved for payment.
New DEO Regular Benefits exhausted - timeline for applying to Extended Benefits?
My Regular Unemployment benefits just ran out yesterday and this morning I noticed a link in my CONNECT account to apply for Extended Benefits. Can anyone share how long it typically takes for Extended Benefits applications to get processed? I'm really worried about a gap in payments. Also, I'm confused about income verification - should I proactively upload my W2s and payment stubs now or wait until DEO specifically requests them? The instructions weren't clear about when to submit documentation. Bills are piling up and I can't afford any delays. Thanks for any advice!
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Update: I uploaded all my documentation last night and called DEO this morning using the Claimyr service that was recommended. Got through in about 20 minutes! The agent confirmed they received my documents and said my Extended Benefits application looks good so far. She mentioned there's currently a 7-10 day processing time. Just wanted to update in case anyone else is in the same situation. Thanks everyone for your help!
Great news! Make sure to keep claiming your weeks during this transition period, even if your payment status shows as pending. Document each of your five weekly work search activities thoroughly - include the company name, position, application date, contact method, and contact person if possible. The DEO has been requesting proof of work searches more frequently for Extended Benefits recipients.
did u get that weird fact finding thing in ur inbox when u applied for extended benefits? i got that and didn't understand half the questions lol
Those fact finding questionnaires are DELIBERATELY confusing! It's just another way they try to deny benefits. I got one asking if I had refused any "suitable work" but never defined what they consider "suitable" - is it just any job offer or something in my field? And why do they ask the same questions five different ways? Pure bureaucratic nonsense designed to trip people up.
DEO approved retroactive date change but no federal payments appearing - stuck on 'processed' status
So I've been fighting with DEO since February to get my effective date changed due to technical issues when I first filed. After 3 months of calling, I finally got my request approved last week and they added 6 retroactive weeks to my CONNECT account! I claimed all the weeks yesterday, and today they're showing as 'processed' - but I've noticed two big problems: 1) The payment amount is showing ONLY the state benefit ($275/week) with nothing from the federal supplement I should qualify for, and 2) There's no payment date or transaction number yet. Has anyone dealt with retroactive payment issues recently? Do federal payments come separately? I'm worried they're going to be 'processed' forever without actually hitting my account. Any insights appreciated!
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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.
this is super helpful, thanks! Is there a way to tell which periods qualify for the federal supplement? I'm still confused about what I'm supposed to get.
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!
Make SURE you screenshot everything and follow up if those federal payments don't show up!!! Don't let them get away with "forgetting" what they owe you!
DEO 'double-dip' glitch from 2020 still blocking my payments in 2025 - no one fixing it!
I'm about to lose my mind dealing with this DEO nightmare! Since December 2020 (over 4 years ago!!), I've been trapped in this 'double-dip' system glitch where CONNECT shows I'm collecting benefits from TWO different claim periods simultaneously - which obviously isn't true! Every single time I call DEO, the agent says "Yes, we can see the system error" but then nothing happens. Four years of this runaround and I'm still waiting for almost $8,700 in benefits I'm legitimately owed. The agents keep saying they're "escalating it to IT" or "sending it to a special adjudication team" but literally NOTHING changes in the system. My dashboard still shows this phantom second claim that I never even filed! Has anyone else dealt with this particular glitch? Did you ever get it resolved? I've tried everything - calling daily, visiting CareerSource offices, sending emails to every DEO address I can find. At this point I'm considering legal action because this is just ridiculous.
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any luck with this yet? i'm invested in ur story now lol
Update! I used Claimyr yesterday and actually got through to DEO in about 25 minutes (after trying for DAYS on my own). Asked for a supervisor with technical system access, mentioned the Quarter Change Technical Review and the Florida Administrative Code thing. The supervisor actually knew what I was talking about! She said she's submitting the correction to their database team with an urgent flag since it's been outstanding so long. She gave me a tracking number and said to check back in 5-7 business days. First time I've felt hopeful in years!
Brady Clean
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
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Skylar Neal
To clarify, there is no pending legislation in Florida that would increase unemployment benefits or add supplemental payments at this time. While federal proposals occasionally appear, nothing is currently moving forward that would affect Florida claimants in the near future. The $275 maximum weekly benefit has remained unchanged for over 20 years, despite inflation.
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Sophie Footman
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!
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