DEO CONNECT missing 'Claim Weeks' button despite active eligibility - locked weeks mystery

I had EXACTLY this issue back in January! The claim weeks button would show up sometimes and not others, totally random. Turns out there was a pending adjudication issue on my account that wasn't visible to me OR most of the regular reps! It was some employment history verification thing that got flagged in their system. The weeks get locked automatically when there's an unresolved issue, even if your claim shows 'Active'. You need to specifically ask to speak with a claims adjudicator or a supervisor when you call - the regular reps often can't see the underlying issues. Make sure to have your employment history, separation reason, and all your income documentation ready when you call. Good luck with your appeal - definitely mention this technical issue during your hearing!

omg the CONNECT system is sooooo glitchy!! i had a different issue where my whole account would crash whenever i tried to claim but same result - couldn't get my money!! so annoying!!

This is a known issue with the CONNECT system that DEO refuses to properly address. What's happening is that there's a background flag on your account - could be an identity verification issue, employment history discrepancy, or income verification problem. These flags don't always show up in the regular portal interface, but they trigger the system to hide the claim weeks button. Here's what you need to do: 1. In your appeal hearing, specifically ask the appeals referee to check your account for 'hidden adjudication issues' or 'system flags' - they have access to see this 2. Request that they document in your case file that you've been attempting to claim but the system functionality is preventing you 3. Ask them to manually release the locked weeks 4. Get the direct email of whoever handles your appeal and follow up after the hearing The regular customer service reps often don't have the system access or training to see these background flags. Only supervisors and adjudicators can see and fix them. I went through this exact nightmare for 11 weeks last year. Once they fixed the flag (was an employer response issue in my case), all my back weeks were suddenly available to claim.

I spent 4 months battling a similar issue with missing claim weeks buttons last year. Regular DEO phone reps are basically useless for this specific problem because they can only see the surface-level account info. I finally got it resolved by using Claimyr to get through to an actual adjudicator who could see the backend of my account. Regular DEO lines kept disconnecting me after 2+ hours of waiting, but Claimyr got me connected to a real person in under 20 minutes who actually had system access to fix the issue. The service was super easy to use - check out their demo video here: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj Once I got through to someone who actually knew what they were doing, they found there was a 'verification hold' on my account that was automatically locking my weeks. They removed it and I was able to claim all my back weeks the next day. Website is claimyr.com if you're interested.

I BET YOUR EMPLOYER IS FIGHTING YOUR CLAIM!!!! Mine did this to me and the weeks would disappear because there was an 'employer protest' flag on my account!!!! The DEO NEVER TELLS YOU about these things and just locks everything until it's resolved!!!! THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST US!!!!!

Just want to add that during your appeal hearing, make sure to specifically ask about any 'fact-finding questionnaires' that might be pending in the system. Sometimes the CONNECT system expects you to complete a fact-finding questionnaire, but the notification doesn't show up properly in your inbox or gets filtered out of your email. When there's an unanswered fact-finding, the system will often hide the claim weeks button until it's resolved. The annoying part is that you might not even know the questionnaire exists if the notification failed. The appeals referee can see if there are any pending fact-findings assigned to your account and can sometimes reset them so they appear properly in your portal. Good luck with your hearing!

anyone else think its crazy that we literally cant get our money because a button doesnt show up? like who designed this system lololol

UPDATE: Had my appeal hearing today and you guys were RIGHT! There was a hidden fact-finding questionnaire that never showed up in my inbox. Something about additional verification of my last employer's address (which is ridiculous since THEY have that information already). The appeals referee was actually really helpful and identified the exact issue within minutes. She reset the fact-finding so it now appears in my CONNECT inbox, and said once I complete it, the claim weeks button should reappear within 24-48 hours. Then I can claim all my back weeks! Will update again when I know if it worked. THANK YOU all for the advice!

Great news about your appeal! Just a heads-up that it might take more than the promised 48 hours for the system to update after you submit the fact-finding. Mine took about 4 business days before the claim weeks button reappeared. If it doesn't show up by next week, don't panic - just call again (use Claimyr if regular phone lines aren't working) and ask them to check if the fact-finding was properly processed in the system.

so did u get tha money yet? im having same problem w my account need to kno if this actually works

This thread is so helpful! I'm dealing with a similar issue where my claim weeks button disappeared after I was able to claim for the first two weeks. My status shows active and I have a monetary determination, but weeks 3-6 are just... gone. No button, no explanation. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like there's probably some hidden flag or pending issue I don't know about. I've been calling DEO for weeks but keep getting told "everything looks fine" by reps who clearly can't see the full picture. @Beatrice Marshall - really hoping your claim button comes back soon! Your appeal experience gives me hope that there's actually a solution to this nightmare. I'm going to request an appeal hearing specifically to get someone who can see the backend issues. This is so frustrating but at least now I know I'm not alone and there are actual steps to take. Has anyone else had success getting through to adjudicators directly, or is the appeal process really the best way to get this resolved?

@Natasha Kuznetsova - I've been following this thread closely since I'm dealing with a similar nightmare! From what I've seen, the appeal process seems to be the most reliable way to get someone who can actually see and fix these hidden system flags. The regular customer service reps just don't have the access or training to identify these backend issues. If you're going to request an appeal hearing, I'd recommend documenting everything first - screenshot your active claim status, your monetary determination, and the missing claim weeks. Also keep records of all your calls to DEO and what each rep told you. During the hearing, ask specifically about: - Hidden adjudication issues or system flags - Pending fact-finding questionnaires that didn't appear in your inbox - Any verification holds on your account - Employment history or income verification flags The appeals referees seem to have much better system access than regular reps. Even if your initial claim wasn't actually denied, you can often request a hearing about "administrative issues" or "system technical problems" that are preventing you from claiming benefits you're entitled to. Good luck - this whole system is broken but at least there seems to be a path forward if you can get to the right person!

I've been lurking in this community for months but finally decided to join after reading this thread - you all have given me hope that there's actually a solution to this nightmare! I'm dealing with the exact same missing claim weeks button issue. Been approved since February, got my monetary determination ($285/week), claim shows active, but I've only been able to claim 2 out of 7 weeks because the button just vanishes randomly. What's really frustrating is that I work in IT, so I know this isn't just a "glitch" - there's clearly some backend flag or hold that's triggering this behavior. The fact that multiple people are experiencing identical symptoms tells me this is a systemic issue with how CONNECT handles certain account states. I'm definitely going to follow the advice here and request an appeal hearing to get access to someone who can actually see what's going on behind the scenes. The regular reps have been absolutely useless - I've gotten answers ranging from "try clearing your browser cache" to "the system is just slow today." Meanwhile my rent is due and I'm rationing groceries. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions. This community is literally a lifeline when the actual government system fails us so badly.

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been dealing with the exact same issue for the past month - my claim weeks button keeps disappearing even though my claim is active and I have a monetary determination. I've been approved since mid-February but have only been able to claim 4 out of 9 weeks because the system is so unreliable. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly eye-opening. I had no idea about these "hidden flags" or backend adjudication issues that regular reps can't see. I've called DEO probably 15 times and gotten completely different explanations each time - everything from "technical maintenance" to "your employer hasn't responded yet" (even though my separation was clearly voluntary resignation). @Beatrice Marshall - I'm really hoping your claim button comes back after completing that fact-finding questionnaire! Your update about the appeal hearing finding the hidden issue gives me so much hope. I think I need to request an appeal hearing myself just to get someone who can actually see what's wrong with my account. This whole situation is absolutely maddening. We're not asking for anything unreasonable - just access to benefits we've already been approved for! The fact that a simple button disappearing can block us from our money for months is completely unacceptable. Thank you all for sharing your strategies and keeping each other updated. This community support means everything when the actual system fails us so badly.