DEO Claims Stuck in Limbo for 8 Months - Should We Contact Gov/Congress?

YES!!! I've been screaming this for months!!! My claim has been stuck since February - every time I call they tell me "it's in the queue" or "a specialist will call you back" but NOBODY EVER CALLS. I lost my retail management position and have all the documentation they could possibly want. How can they just ignore people for months while bills pile up? I've already written my state rep TWICE with no response. The system is completely BROKEN. They're probably hoping we just give up and go away.

i had similar issue took almost 5 months but eventually got paid. keep calling everyday thats what i did. the trick is calling right when they open at 7:30am

I work as an employment advocate, and I can tell you contacting your representatives can actually help. Be specific in your request - include your claimant ID, the exact dates of your claim, and specifically ask them to inquire about why your adjudication is taking so long. Representatives have liaison offices that can sometimes cut through the red tape. Also, be aware that claims with any hint of employer dispute automatically get flagged for manual review, which creates the adjudication delay. If your former employer contested anything (even minor details), that could explain the hold-up. The system is definitely overwhelmed, but strategic pressure on elected officials can work. Document every contact attempt with DEO (date, time, what was promised) to share with your representative.

my sister had the same thing happen last year. it turned out someone in HR at her old job had checked the wrong box on some form which triggered the whole adjudication thing. took forever to resolve. maybe check with your old employer?

Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to an actual agent? It's the only thing that worked for me after weeks of trying. Their service connects you directly to a DEO agent without the endless hold times - I got connected in about 20 minutes vs the 3+ hours of hold time I was experiencing before. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj When I finally got through, I found out my claim had been sitting with a simple flag that an agent resolved in about 10 minutes. The website is claimyr.com - I was skeptical at first but honestly it saved me from losing my apartment while waiting for benefits.

Former DEO employee here. The backlog is unfortunately very real and getting worse. The department lost about 30% of its experienced adjudicators in the past 18 months due to budget cuts and poor management. Your best options: 1) Contact your state representative AND senator (both are important) 2) When calling DEO, specifically ask for a "status of claim escalation" - this specific phrase can help 3) If your claim has been pending more than 60 days, request a "hardship review" based on financial circumstances The adjudication queue currently has claims dating back to late 2024, so unfortunately the 8-month wait isn't unusual. The system is absolutely broken, but knowing the right terminology can sometimes help move things along.

the DEO website is down half the time too lol. tried to submit my work searches last week and the site was "under maintenance" for 2 days straight

I finally got my benefits after 5 months in adjudication by contacting my state representative. I emailed with my claimant ID, last 4 of SSN, and detailed timeline of my claim issues. Their office contacted DEO directly through some special liaison channel, and suddenly my claim was processed within 10 days. Definitely worth trying - their contact info should be on flsenate.gov or myfloridahouse.gov depending on which rep you need. I also found that sending a formal written request for "Determination Status under Florida Statute 443.151(3)(a)" via certified mail to DEO headquarters sometimes lights a fire. The statute requires them to make determinations within a specific timeframe, though they routinely ignore it.

The whole system is RIGGED to deny benefits by creating impossible barriers!!! My cousin works for a different state agency and says DEO management gets BONUSES for keeping payment rates low. They DELIBERATELY make it hard to get through so people give up! It's all about saving the state money at the expense of struggling Floridians!

Final update for anyone following this thread - I took everyone's advice here and: 1) Used Claimyr to finally reach a live agent who explained my claim had an employer verification flag, 2) Contacted my state rep with all my claim details, and 3) Sent a certified letter citing Florida Statute 443.151(3)(a). Not sure which one worked, but ALL MY PAYMENTS CAME THROUGH yesterday! 8 months of benefits all at once. Keep fighting and try all available options - persistence eventually pays off with this broken system.