DEO confusion - do we get $600 federal supplement with regular unemployment in 2025?

The $600 federal supplement (FPUC) was only during the COVID pandemic. It ended years ago. Now you just get your regular Florida unemployment amount which maxes out at $375/week. The system is back to normal pre-pandemic rules now. There are NO federal supplements anymore. Don't expect anything extra beyond what your CONNECT account shows as your weekly benefit amount (WBA).

The $600 supplement was called Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) and was only available during the height of the pandemic in 2020. There have been rumors about new federal supplements every year since, but nothing has actually passed. In 2025, you only receive your regular state Reemployment Assistance benefit which is calculated based on your past wages. The maximum benefit in Florida is $375 per week. Just make sure you're completing your 5 work search activities each week and reporting them correctly when you claim your weeks, or your payments could be delayed or denied.

my sister thout the same thing last month lol. she was all excited thinkin she was gettin a big fat check then got all mad when it was just the regular amount. florida unemployment is a joke compared to other states tbh

Just to clarify what others have said: The $600 FPUC supplement was only available from April-July 2020. Then it briefly returned as $300 FPUC from December 2020-September 2021. Currently in 2025, there are no federal supplements to regular unemployment. Your payment will come in one of two ways: 1. Direct deposit to your bank account if you set that up in CONNECT 2. Loaded onto a Way2Go debit card (automatically sent if you didn't choose direct deposit) The payment should process within 2-3 business days after claiming weeks if there are no issues with your claim. And yes, Florida's maximum benefit amount of $375/week hasn't increased in over 25 years, despite inflation.

When i was on unemployment back in 2020 we got the extra $600 but that stopped loooong ago. Florida unemployment is literally one of the worst in the entire country and they haven't raised the maximum amount in like forever!!! $375 a week? How is anyone supposed to live on that?? My rent alone is $1800/month. The system is completely broken.

I was locked out of my CONNECT account for nearly a month back in January and it was IMPOSSIBLE to reach anyone at DEO. I tried calling every single day, multiple times a day, and either got busy signals or was disconnected after waiting on hold for hours. Finally I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual DEO agent within 30 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj It was such a relief to finally talk to someone who could help with my locked account! As for your question about the $600 - others are right, that ended years ago. Now it's just the regular Florida amount which isn't much.

And BTW watch out for saying you're "locked out" of your account vs. your "account is locked" - totally different issues to DEO! Locked out usually means password/login issues, while account locked means there's an actual hold on your account that requires adjudication. Make sure you're explaining your issue correctly when you talk to them or you'll waste time getting to the wrong department.

my cousin said there might be a new stimulus check coming but i dunno if thats true or just a rumor. anybody hear anything about that?

Thank you everyone for the quick responses! I really appreciate all the information. Definitely disappointed about the $600 being only during COVID times (and long gone now), but at least I understand the system better. Will focus on my work search activities and hope I find something soon because $306/week is going to be really tight. Florida really needs to update their maximum benefit amount!

Hey Harold, glad you finally got back into your CONNECT account! That 3-week lockout sounds like a nightmare. Just wanted to add to what everyone else has said - you're absolutely right to be disappointed about the $600 supplement being gone. I remember when it ended in 2021, it was such a shock to go back to just the regular state amount. One thing that might help while you're job searching - if you're struggling to make ends meet on the $306/week, look into local food banks and utility assistance programs. Many counties in Florida have emergency assistance programs that can help with rent/utilities while you're between jobs. Also, some temp agencies count as valid work search contacts, so you might be able to find some short-term work to supplement your unemployment. Hang in there - the job market has been pretty decent lately, so hopefully you'll find something soon!

Harold, sorry to hear about your CONNECT nightmare - 3 weeks locked out is absolutely brutal! I went through something similar last year and it's incredibly stressful. Just to echo what everyone else has said - yes, the $600 federal supplement (FPUC) ended back in September 2021. It was only a pandemic relief measure. Now you just get your regular Florida unemployment benefit, which unfortunately maxes out at $375/week (sounds like you're getting $306). One tip that helped me when I was on unemployment - make sure you're claiming your weeks on the same days each time (like every Sunday) and do it early in the day. The system seems to process payments faster when you're consistent. Also, if you haven't already, set up direct deposit in CONNECT - it's way faster than waiting for the Way2Go card. The work search requirement is 5 contacts per week, but you can use online applications, virtual job fairs, even LinkedIn networking messages if you document them properly. Just keep detailed records of everything in case they audit your claim. Good luck with the job search - hopefully you won't need to rely on unemployment for too long!

Harold, I feel your pain about being locked out for 3 weeks! I just went through the same thing last month and it was absolutely maddening. The stress of not being able to access your account while bills are piling up is just awful. Everyone else has already covered the $600 supplement question perfectly - that was only during COVID and ended years ago. Now it's just the regular Florida amount, which honestly barely covers anything these days. One thing I wanted to add that helped me during my unemployment period - check if your local library offers free career services or resume help. Mine had workshops on interview skills and even helped with online job applications. Plus they have free internet and computers if you need them for job searching, and the time you spend there can count toward your work search activities if you're applying for jobs or doing career research. Also, don't forget that Florida unemployment is only for 12 weeks maximum (unless there are extensions), so definitely make the most of this time to find something. The clock starts ticking from your first payment, not when you apply. Hang in there - this whole system is designed to be difficult, but you've already gotten through the hardest part of getting back into CONNECT!

Harold, I completely understand your frustration! I went through a similar CONNECT lockout situation about 6 months ago and it was one of the most stressful experiences I've had. Three weeks is brutal - you must have been going crazy not being able to access your account. Everyone here has given you great info about the $600 supplement being long gone (pandemic-only benefit that ended in 2021). It's such a bummer because that extra money really made a difference back then, but now we're stuck with just the regular Florida amounts which are honestly pathetic. Since you're getting $306/week, I wanted to suggest looking into SNAP benefits if you haven't already - the income limits are pretty generous when you're on unemployment, and it can really help stretch your grocery budget. Also, if you have any utility bills piling up, most power companies in Florida have hardship programs for people on unemployment. For the work search requirements, don't sleep on attending virtual career fairs - they usually count as 2-3 contacts each since you can talk to multiple employers. Florida Works (employflorida.com) posts them regularly. Hope you find something soon and can get off this roller coaster! The system definitely isn't designed to actually help people, but at least you got back into CONNECT finally.

Harold, I'm so sorry you went through that 3-week CONNECT lockout nightmare! That sounds absolutely terrible and I can only imagine how stressful it must have been not being able to access your benefits while bills keep coming. Everyone here has already given you the hard truth about the $600 supplement - that was only during the pandemic (FPUC) and ended back in September 2021. I know it's disappointing to realize you'll only be getting your regular Florida amount of $306/week. The system really is broken when that's supposed to help people survive. Since you mentioned being stressed about the whole process, I wanted to share something that helped me when I was on unemployment last year - try to set up a routine around your weekly claiming and work search activities. I found that doing everything on the same day each week (like Sunday mornings) helped reduce my anxiety about forgetting deadlines or missing requirements. Also, make sure you save screenshots of EVERYTHING in CONNECT - your weekly certifications, work search logs, payment history, etc. The system glitches constantly and having your own records can save you major headaches if something goes wrong again. Hang in there! The job market is actually pretty decent right now, so hopefully you'll find something soon and won't have to deal with this broken system much longer.