DEO claim stuck in 'locked' status since April - can't reach anyone by phone

same thing happened 2 me back in june!!! so frustrating omg

The DEO phone system is COMPLETELY BROKEN. It's not you - it's their pathetic excuse for a customer service system. I was in exactly your situation for 6 weeks. The trick is you need to call exactly at 7:30am when they first open - and keep hitting redial until you get in the queue. Even then you might wait 2+ hours. If you call after 8am, forget it - you'll never get through. Also, have you tried sending a message through your CONNECT inbox? Sometimes they actually respond to those.

This sounds like an ID verification issue. Even though you can log in with your PIN, the system might be flagging your claim for identity verification. Check if there's anything in your CONNECT inbox about completing ID.me verification. If there isn't, you might need to proactively do the ID.me verification anyway. Go to ID.me and create an account using the same email you used for CONNECT, then complete the verification process. This resolved a similar issue for many claimants. After completing ID.me, it can take 2-3 business days for your claim to unlock automatically.

After facing a similar issue, I discovered Claimyr.com which helped me finally get through to a DEO agent. It basically keeps dialing for you until it gets through, then connects you to an agent. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj Once I got through to an agent, they explained my claim was locked due to an adjudication issue related to my previous employer's response. The agent was able to escalate it and got it unlocked within 2 days. Definitely worth trying since you've been waiting since April!

Have you reached out to your state representative's office? This was the ONLY thing that finally worked for me after my claim was locked for over 2 months. Google your district's state rep, call their office, and explain your situation. They have special contacts at DEO who can escalate your case. My claim was unlocked within 5 days after my rep's office contacted DEO on my behalf. Don't wait any longer - they're literally there to help with these government agency issues.

Try emailing Vanessa.Brito@deo.myflorida.com she works in the directors office and helped me get my locked claim fixed after months of nothing. Put your claimant ID and "LOCKED CLAIM SINCE APRIL" in the subject line. She usually responds within 48 hrs.

The whole Florida unemployment system is RIGGED to deny people benefits. They deliberately make it impossible to contact them. They deliberately create these "locked" situations so people give up. Rick Scott admitted it was designed this way! I had to file a formal appeal before anyone would even look at my claim. Document EVERYTHING - dates/times of calls, screenshots of your locked claim, copies of all emails. You'll need this if you end up having to file an appeal or complaint with the Department of Labor.

Update on your situation: There's actually a specific issue happening with claims filed in April 2025. DEO is conducting a system-wide review of claims from that period due to a detected fraud pattern. This doesn't mean your claim is fraudulent, but it's caught in this larger review. Here's what you need to do: 1. Contact the DEO Locked Claims Division directly at 1-833-FL-APPLY (select option 5, then 2, then 1) 2. Prepare to verify your identity with your Social Security number, claim ID, and answers to your security questions 3. Request an expedited review based on financial hardship 4. Ask specifically for your claim to be removed from the April 2025 batch review Once you reach someone, they should be able to manually release your claim from the locked status within 24-48 hours. If successful, you'll need to claim all your back weeks individually.

UPDATE: Finally got through!!! After trying the direct line that @helpful_advisor suggested plus contacting my state rep's office, my claim was unlocked yesterday! Had to speak with a claims specialist who explained there was a "system flag" on my account related to previous employment verification. They removed the flag manually and now I can access everything. Already claimed all my back weeks and should receive payment within 2-3 business days. THANK YOU everyone for your help - I would have never figured this out without your suggestions!