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Can I restart my DEO unemployment claim after a short temporary job ended?

Just finished a short temp job that only lasted about 4 weeks and now I'm wondering if I can restart my previous unemployment claim with DEO? My claim was active before I took this position, but the job was only temporary (warehouse inventory specialist). The company was upfront that it would be short-term, but I needed something. Now I'm back to square one with no income. Does anyone know if I need to file a whole new claim or can I somehow reactivate my previous one? Do I just log into CONNECT and start claiming weeks again? Will this mess up my remaining balance? I had about $4,800 left on my claim before I took this job. Really confused about the right process here and don't want to mess anything up. TIA!

Rhett Bowman

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OMG I went through this EXACT thing last year!! Took a 3 week job thinking it would turn permanent and then they let everyone go. Such bs. You DON'T need to file a new claim!!! Just log back into CONNECT and there should be an option to reopen your claim. You'll need to report your work and earnings for those weeks you worked. They'll ask all about the job and why it ended. Make sure u have the exact start/end dates and company info ready.

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Thanks for the info! Do you remember if they asked for any documentation from the temp job or was just entering the info enough? I have my last paystub but no termination letter or anything since they told us verbally the assignment was over.

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Abigail Patel

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i did this 2 months ago just log in and claim ur weeks again. they might ask why u stopped claiming before. just be honest

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Daniel White

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You'll need to reactivate your claim rather than filing a new one. Here's what to do: 1. Log into your CONNECT account 2. Select "Reopen Claim" option (if your claim is inactive) 3. Report your employment during the gap period 4. Provide details about why this job ended (temporary assignment completion) 5. Resume claiming weeks as normal Since your benefit year hasn't expired, your remaining balance ($4,800) should still be available to you. You may need to serve a one-week waiting period again depending on how long you were employed. Make sure to complete your work search requirements - remember Florida requires 5 work search contacts for each week you claim benefits. Also, be prepared that your claim might go into adjudication while they verify your temporary job details, which could delay payment by 2-3 weeks.

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Thank you so much for the detailed steps! Do you know if there's any minimum time I had to work at the temp job to qualify for reopening rather than a new claim? I'm worried because it was so short.

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Daniel White

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The length of the temporary job doesn't disqualify you from reopening your existing claim. What matters is whether your benefit year (typically 12 months from when you first applied) is still active and you have remaining benefits. However, there is one important thing to know: if your earnings during the temporary job were high enough to qualify for a new claim (usually earning at least 10x your weekly benefit amount during your base period), DEO might require you to file a new claim instead of reopening the old one. Most likely with just 4 weeks of work, you'll simply reopen your existing claim. Just make sure you report your earnings accurately when you reopen - any incorrect reporting could trigger an overpayment issue later.

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Nolan Carter

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I was in this EXACT situation in January. Had a DEO claim, took a 6-week contract job, then needed to go back on unemployment. Here's what happened: I logged into CONNECT, selected the option to reopen my claim, and had to answer questions about my work during the gap period. The annoying part was my claim went into adjudication for almost 3 weeks while they verified why my temp job ended. I got desperate trying to reach someone at DEO (kept getting disconnected or waiting hours). I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a DEO agent right away - they have this service that gets you past the hold times. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj The agent was able to see that my claim just needed manual approval since the system flagged the short employment period. After that call, my payments started processing within 2 days. The remaining balance from my original claim was still there! Just remember to keep doing your 5 work search activities each week while you wait.

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Thank you! I was worried about the adjudication part - I'll check out that service if mine gets stuck in review too. My bills are already piling up and I can't afford another long wait.

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Natalia Stone

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when i did this my claim got stuck for like 5 weeks because they said i quit my job but i didnt the assignment just ended!!! make sure u select the right reason the job ended or ull be stuck in pending forever

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Oh no, that's exactly what I'm worried about! What reason did you select that worked? The closest option I can think of would be "laid off due to lack of work" but that doesn't exactly fit a temp assignment ending.

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Daniel White

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For a temporary job ending, you should select "Job ended/temporary work completed" if that option is available, or "Laid off due to lack of work" if not. These are considered qualifying separations and shouldn't trigger additional review. Avoid selecting anything that implies you quit or were fired for cause, as those will definitely trigger adjudication delays.

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Tasia Synder

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i think u can restart the claim but i did this and they made me pay back money later becuase they said i didnt report my earnings right... so be super careful about the dates and amounts. also when u log in sometimes the system is glitchy and it doesnt show the reopen claim button right away. try logging out and back in or use a different browser if u dont see it right away.

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Selena Bautista

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I worked at DEO call center during the pandemic (not anymore) and this is a very common situation. The key is properly reporting your return to work AND your subsequent job loss. Here's what you need to know: 1. If your claim is inactive (because you stopped claiming), you'll need to reopen it rather than file new 2. Your benefit year is 12 months from initial filing - if you're still in that window, your remaining balance is still available 3. You MUST report ALL earnings from your temp job during the reopen process 4. For separation reason, select "Lack of Work" or "Temporary Work Ended" - NOT "Quit" or "Fired" 5. Have your employer info ready: company name, address, phone, supervisor name, start/end dates Your claim will almost certainly go into adjudication for review when you reopen after employment - this is normal but can take 2-4 weeks. If it takes longer, you'll need to contact DEO directly. One important note: if you earned enough at this temp job to qualify for a new claim with a higher weekly benefit amount, the system might require you to file a new claim instead of reopening. But with just 4 weeks of work, that's unlikely.

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This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I appreciate the detailed explanation, especially from someone who worked at DEO. I'll make sure to have all my employer info ready before I start the process.

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Rhett Bowman

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Wait - did u mean ur original claim was from before the pandemic? Because if it's SUPER old the rules might be different. When did u originally file ur claim?? If it was more than a year ago u probably need a whole new claim.

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Oh sorry I should've been clearer! My original claim was from about 6 months ago, not during the pandemic. I was laid off in November 2024, started claiming, then took this temp job in March 2025 that just ended.

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Rhett Bowman

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Ok good! Then ya ur in your benefit year still and can just reopen. The system is sooooo picky about the dates and times tho so triple check everything!!!

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Abigail Patel

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good luck getting thru to deo if u have problems! took me 3 days of calling!!!

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