UPDATE: Thanks for all the advice everyone! I tried the email approach that @profile4 suggested, documented EVERYTHING including screenshots of all my CONNECT errors, and followed up exactly 7 days later asking for a supervisor review. And guess what? IT WORKED! Just got notification that my claim effective date has been changed to 03/29! Now I need to go back and claim those additional weeks. For anyone dealing with this same issue, be super persistent and document EVERYTHING. I'll post again once I actually receive the backdated payments.

Just be careful when claiming those backdated weeks! Make sure you accurately report any income or job searches during that period. DEO is doing a lot of audits this year and if they find discrepancies, you could end up with an overpayment notice. I'd recommend keeping a spreadsheet of all weeks claimed, work searches reported, and payments received just to be safe.

did u try logging into CONNECT and checking ur payment history? sometimes it says more details there

Update us if you get this resolved! I'm currently waiting on my payment too (though mine still says processing) and now I'm worried I'll have the same problem.

wait what???? i did mine on my phone last week and got a confirmation email too... now im worried! how can i check if my application actually went through???

Just want to follow up - were you able to get access to a computer and reapply? If you're still having trouble finding computer access, some McDonald's restaurants have free computer kiosks you can use as well. Not all locations have them, but it's worth checking ones in larger cities. Also, keep detailed notes of all the extra steps and delays this has caused you. If you end up needing to appeal anything related to your claim (like backdating or work search requirements for these weeks), having documentation of the system issues you encountered will be helpful.

One important thing no one has mentioned: If you work less than full-time, you must still complete the five work search activities each week to maintain eligibility. The temp work doesn't count toward your work search requirements. Many people miss this and end up having issues with their claims. Also, keep a separate log of all your work search activities AND your temp work hours/pay in case DEO audits your claim later (which they often do).

I understand your anxiety about this. DEO's partial unemployment rules can be confusing. Let me clarify: You MUST report all earnings when you claim weeks, even small amounts. If you don't, it's considered fraud and they can make you repay all benefits plus penalties. However, taking temporary work shouldn't disqualify you completely. Regarding the work search requirements - technically if you work less than full-time in a week, you still need to complete work searches. But if you're "job attached" (meaning you have a return-to-work date within 8 weeks), you might be exempt. This is something you should confirm with a DEO representative to be absolutely certain for your specific situation.

My friend works at CareerSource and she told me that DEO knew that FL would only get 4 weeks but they didn't tell anyone bcuz they didn't want people complaining!! So they just let everyone think more money was coming. SMH

Just to clarify some information for those still confused: 1. LWA was a limited federal program administered by FEMA, not a standard unemployment benefit 2. States had to apply for each week of funding 3. Florida was approved for and distributed 4 weeks ($1200) 4. Some early-applying states received up to 6 weeks ($1800) 5. The program is now completely closed and no additional LWA payments will be issued for any state If you received $1200 total for LWA in Florida, you have received the complete amount you're eligible for.