Confused about DEO waiting week and claim dates after first payment

Congrats on getting your first payment! Yes, Florida does have a waiting week, which is usually the first week after you apply. In your case, that would be the week of 6/30-7/4 (it's a partial week since you applied on 6/30). You won't get paid for that waiting week - it's just how the system works. Going forward, you'll claim weeks in two-week increments. So your next claim will be for 7/12-7/25. The CONNECT system will show you what dates you're claiming when you log in during your scheduled claim time. Florida requires you to complete 5 work search activities per week unless you have a work search exemption.

the waiting week is just the first week after u apply and u never get paid for it. its total BS if u ask me!!!! they just keep one week of ur money forever. and make sure u do ur work searches EVERY WEEK even if u dont claim until later. u need 5 per week in florida and they can audit u anytime. i got audited last year and almost lost all my benefits cuz i was missing 2 work searches!!!!

To clarify some facts: The waiting week is the first week you are eligible for benefits, but you don't receive payment for it. Since you applied on June 30th, your waiting week was likely the partial week of 6/30-7/4. For claiming weeks, Florida's DEO uses a biweekly schedule. You'll claim two weeks at a time according to your assigned schedule in CONNECT. The system will tell you which weeks you're claiming each time you log in during your claim window. Important reminder: You MUST complete and document 5 work search contacts for EACH week (unless you have an exemption). Keep detailed records including: - Date of contact - Method of contact (online, in-person, email) - Business name, phone number and address - Result of your application If you're having trouble reaching DEO to get clarification, I used Claimyr.com to get through to a live agent after weeks of busy signals. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj

You can record your work searches directly in CONNECT when you claim your weeks. There's a section where you enter all the details for each work search activity. However, I still recommend keeping your own separate log as backup in case there are any system issues or if you get selected for an audit. And to answer your earlier question - yes, you just move forward now. You don't need to do anything about the waiting week. It's just part of how the system works.

wait im confused about something else - if you applied june 30 wouldn't your waiting week be june 23-29? or does the waiting week start after you apply? i thought it was the week before

what bothers me is how DEO makes this so confusing on purpose!!! i applied last month and was so confused about everything. had to figure out CONNECT, ID.me, waiting week, work searches, claim weeks... it's like they designed it to be complicated so people give up. i spent 3 DAYS trying to get someone on the phone before i found that claimyr service someone mentioned above. finally got through to a person who explained everything. honestly worth it just to get some actual answers instead of the confusing info on their website. OP - definitely keep records of EVERYTHING. take screenshots of your work searches and confirmations. florida DEO loves to do "fact finding" investigations and if you can't prove something they'll make you pay everything back.

If you miss your claim window, you can still claim late, but you need to provide a good reason. Log into CONNECT and there should be an option to claim weeks after the deadline has passed. You'll need to complete a questionnaire explaining why you missed the deadline. Valid reasons include technical issues, medical emergencies, or not receiving proper notification. If your reason is accepted, you'll be able to claim those weeks. If not, you may lose those weeks of benefits. To avoid this issue, I recommend setting multiple calendar reminders for your claim dates. The DEO does send email reminders, but they're not always reliable.

My friend had the same problem last year and what helped was setting up a calendar reminder on her phone for every two weeks. The system doesn't actually tell you what your claiming schedule is until AFTER you've claimed for the first time, which is so backwards. She basically just set it up so every other Wednesday she'd get a reminder to log in and check if it was her claim week. I think different SSNs get different days assigned but once you know your pattern it's the same every time.

Yes, that sounds about right. After you log in to CONNECT, on your homepage there should be a message that tells you exactly when your next claim date is. It'll say something like "Your next date to claim weeks is 07/26/2025" or whatever the exact date is for your schedule. One more tip: make sure you're answering all the questions correctly when claiming weeks. If you worked at all during a claim week (even part-time), report it accurately. If you were unable to work or refused work for any reason, be honest about it. Incorrect reporting can lead to overpayment notices later.