DEO claim effective date change nightmare - can't claim March/April weeks despite multiple calls

OMG same exact thing happened to me last month!! So ridiculous how they just transfer you around in circles until you give up. Did you try the chat feature on CONNECT? That's what worked for me.

The chat feature they mentioned isn't actually available for claim effective date issues - it's only for general questions. For your specific problem, you need to speak with the Claims Processing Unit, not regular customer service. The menu options that worked for me were 5, then 7, THEN 3 (not 1 or 2 like you've been trying). Also, call right when they open at 7:30 AM - I had to try 3 mornings in a row but finally got through. They fixed my claim date issue in about 10 minutes once I actually reached someone in the right department.

Oh shoot my bad, I was thinking of something else. There WAS a chat but they got rid of it i think. Sorry!!

I spent 6 WEEKS trying to fix my claim effective date and get access to my back weeks. The DEO phone system is designed to frustrate you until you give up - it's not an accident that calls disconnect! After trying everything, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to a real DEO agent in about 10 minutes who fixed my claim date issue. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj It's worth it for claim date issues because those require talking to a specific department that's nearly impossible to reach normally.

Former DEO employee here. For claim effective date changes that have already been processed but aren't allowing you to claim weeks, this is actually a separate issue called "week availability restriction" in the CONNECT system. It happens when the date change is approved but a secondary flag doesn't get removed. You need to specifically ask for a "week availability restriction removal" when you call. Use these exact words. And make sure you're speaking with a Tier 2 claims specialist, not regular customer service. Regular reps actually CAN'T help with this even if they wanted to - they don't have system access to those settings. I'd also recommend sending a detailed message through your CONNECT account (not email) using the "Contact Us" link from your dashboard. In the message, specifically state: 1. The date your claim effective date was changed 2. The exact weeks you're trying to claim (list the dates) 3. Request a "week availability restriction removal" This creates a documented case that gets routed properly.

You have to specifically ask to be transferred to a Tier 2 specialist. There's no direct menu option for it. Say exactly: "I need to speak with a Tier 2 claims specialist about a week availability restriction removal following a claim effective date change." Also, just so you know - if they do fix it, there's still about a 3-day processing time before the weeks will become available to claim in your account. And you'll likely need to call again after that to have them release the payments since they'll be outside the normal claim window.

the deo is TRASH!!!1! i spent FIVE MONTHS trying to get weeks from when my claim date changed. ended up having to go to my state representative's office and have them intervene. by that point i was about to be evicted. the whole system is designed to deny benefits we deserve by making it impossible to navigate!!!!

Just following up on my earlier comment - if the morning calls still don't work, another approach is to visit a CareerSource Florida center in person. They have direct lines to DEO specialists and can sometimes get issues resolved that are impossible over regular phone lines. Not all locations offer this service though, so call your local center first to ask if they have DEO assistance available.

UPDATE: IT WORKED!!!! I followed the advice from this thread (especially asking for a Tier 2 specialist and mentioning "week availability restriction") and FINALLY got it resolved! Called at 7:32am, used option 5-7-3, waited about 15 minutes, and got a really helpful agent. She immediately knew what was wrong when I used those specific terms. My weeks from March/April are now showing as available to claim in my CONNECT account! Thank you all SO MUCH for the help - especially the former DEO employee who explained exactly what to say. For anyone else dealing with this issue, the key was definitely getting to the right department and using the correct terminology.