DEO adjudication limbo after employer no-response - started new job while waiting

OMG the exact same thing happened to me last month! The fact finding status kept changing from completed to not completed, then back again. It's like their system is completely broken. My adjudicator also blamed my employer for not responding. I swear DEO does this on purpose to avoid paying people.

This is actually a common issue with the CONNECT system. The fact finding status will often show as completed when YOU have completed your part, but then revert to incomplete when they're waiting on employer response. What likely happened is that after the 48 hours, they sent another request to your employer, which reset the status. Since you've started a new job, make sure you report your employment and earnings when you claim weeks. You're still eligible for partial benefits if your earnings are less than your weekly benefit amount, and you're definitely entitled to benefits for those weeks you were fully unemployed regardless of your current employment status.

my freind worked at olive garden and the same exact thing!!! his boss never responded and then he got denied and had to appeal. took like 3 months total i think. the system is sooooo messed up lol

Good news is that you should still receive benefits for those eligible weeks even though you've started working. Bad news is that DEO is notoriously slow with adjudication, especially when employers don't respond. Have you tried calling them back? Most people can't get through on the regular line, but I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a live agent in about 20 minutes after weeks of busy signals. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj When I finally got through, I asked specifically for my case to be escalated to a supervisor because of the long delay, and that seemed to help speed things up.

It worked for me! I was skeptical too, but after trying for 3 weeks to get through on my own, I was desperate. Got connected to an actual DEO agent who could see my file and help.

Congrats on the new job! That's the most important thing tbh. The DEO system is a nightmare but at least you've got income coming in now.

THEY'RE DOING THIS ON PURPOSE!!! My claim was stuck for 12 weeks because of "employer not responding" and then they DENIED me after I already found a new job too!!! Had to file an appeal and wait ANOTHER 6 weeks!!! The whole system is designed to make people give up!!! CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE - that's the ONLY thing that finally worked for me!!!

When I had a similar issue in 2023, I found out there's actually a statute that says if the employer doesn't respond within a certain timeframe, DEO is supposed to make a determination based solely on the claimant's statement. Section 443.091 of Florida Statutes, I believe. You might want to mention this specific statute when you call them next. Also, make sure you keep claiming weeks even while waiting for adjudication and even though you've started working. You won't get paid for weeks you don't claim, even if they eventually approve your case.

My roommate works for a staffing agency and she said its normal for it to take 2-3 months sometimes for adjudication stuff to clear. The system is super backed up right now

Update on your situation: With your fact finding status changing, it sounds like they're actually working on your case, which is a good sign. Since you mentioned you started a new job, here's what will likely happen: 1. If they approve your claim, you'll get retroactive payments for all the weeks you claimed while unemployed 2. For the weeks you're working, you'll either get partial benefits (if you earn less than your weekly benefit amount) or no benefits (if you earn more) 3. Your claim remains active for its benefit year, so if something happens with your new job, you can resume claiming Keep an eye on your CONNECT inbox for any new fact finding questions or determination letters.

I'm in a somewhat similar situation right now - been waiting 5 weeks for adjudication after my former employer (a small retail store that laid me off) apparently never responded to DEO's requests either. My fact finding status has been flip-flopping between "completed" and "in progress" for the past two weeks. It's so frustrating because I'm actively job searching but those missing benefit weeks are putting me behind on rent. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like this employer non-response issue is way more common than it should be. Has anyone had success getting their employer to actually respond after DEO reaches out to them directly?

I'm dealing with something very similar right now - been in adjudication limbo for 4 weeks after my previous employer (a local gym that shut down permanently) never responded to DEO's fact finding requests. Like you, my status keeps changing from "completed" to "in progress" and back again, which is so confusing and stressful. I haven't started a new job yet but I'm actively interviewing. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like this employer non-response issue is way more widespread than it should be. It's really encouraging to hear that you found new employment though - that has to take some pressure off even while you're still waiting for those back benefits. Did you happen to save any documentation from when your restaurant closed? I'm wondering if having proof of the business closure might help speed up the process since there's clearly no way they can respond if they're not operating anymore.