Business closure unemployment stuck in review for 6+ weeks - owner disappeared with debts

This happened 2 me when my construction company folded last year!!! They ghosted everyone and DEO kept my claim stuck for like 2 months!! The problem is DEO sends notices to the employer to confirm the reason for separation and if they don't respond at all, it goes to adjudication HELL. My claim was stuck because the system kept trying to contact a business that didn't exist anymore. You NEED to call and explain but good luck getting through those phone lines LOL

Your situation is actually quite common with business closures. What's happening is that DEO tries to contact the employer to verify the separation reason, and when they can't reach them, the claim gets flagged for adjudication review. Your former employer's disappearance is definitely causing the delay, but it doesn't mean you won't get benefits. You need to provide DEO with any documentation showing the business closed - newspaper articles, eviction notices you might have seen posted, final paystubs, anything showing the closure was real. If you have contact info for any other former employees, having them file claims too can help establish a pattern.

did u try uploading documents to connect? somewhere in ur account there shud be a place to add stuff but i forget where exactly lol. also did ur boss give u any notice or paperwork when they closed? that would help ur case

I went through something similar when the hotel I worked at closed during renovations but never reopened. The real problem is that DEO needs to verify your job separation reason and wage information, but they can't contact your employer. In cases like this, you need to speak directly with an adjudicator, but getting through on the phone is nearly impossible with their regular number. I was stuck for weeks until I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual DEO agent. They have this service where they keep calling DEO for you and then connect you when they get through. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj When I finally got through, I explained that my employer had vanished, and the agent put notes in my file and escalated it to an adjudicator. My claim was approved about 10 days later. Definitely worth trying since you're already 6 weeks in with no progress.

THE SAME TGHING HAPPEN TO ME LAST YEAR!!! DEO is BROKEN!!! My boss closed his plumbing business and FLED TO COSTA RICA with all the company money and DEO kept saying they were "waiting for employer response" FOR WHAT??? HE LEFT THE COUNTRY!!! I had to fight for 9 WEEKS to get my money and they don't backpay interest or anything even though it was THEIR FAULT!!! The system is RIGGED against workers!!!!!

Just wanted to add one thing - make sure you keep claiming weeks even while your claim is pending! I made the mistake of stopping because I thought it wasn't working, then had to appeal to get those weeks back. Doesn't matter if it says pending, keep doing your work searches and claiming.

Hey there, I actually work in HR and deal with unemployment claims all the time. Here's what's happening: when a business closes and the owner isn't responding to DEO's requests for information, your claim gets flagged for manual review (adjudication). The good news is that Florida law has a "non-response default" provision - if the employer doesn't respond to DEO's inquiries within a certain timeframe, they have to process your claim based solely on your information. You need to get through to a DEO agent and specifically request that they note your file with "employer non-responsive due to business closure" and ask for escalation to an adjudicator. Also ask them to check if your former employer's DEO account is inactive, which would further support your case. In the meantime, gather any evidence of the closure - pictures of the closed location, news articles, social media announcements, final pay stubs, or statements from coworkers. You can upload these to your CONNECT account under "Documentation.

Update? Were you able to get your claim resolved? I'm curious if the Claimyr suggestion helped or if you found another way through.