DEO confusion - do we get $600 federal supplement with regular unemployment in 2025?
Hey everyone, I've been in a total nightmare with my CONNECT account - locked out for almost 3 weeks! Finally got back in yesterday and claimed my weeks (what a relief). But now I'm completely confused about the payment situation. I keep seeing conflicting info about whether we get two separate payments? Is there still a $600 federal supplement on top of regular Florida unemployment? Or was that just during COVID? If it does exist, do I need to apply for it separately somewhere or is it automatic? And how many weeks does it last for? Sorry for all the questions - this whole process has been so stressful. Really appreciate any help!
18 comments
Amun-Ra Azra
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).
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Harold Oh
•Ohhh that makes sense... I must have been reading some really outdated info then. That's disappointing! So just to confirm - I'll only get the FL amount (which in my case is $306/week) and that's it? No other benefits unless something changes with legislation?
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Summer Green
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.
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Harold Oh
•Thank you for the detailed explanation! So disappointing though. $375 max per week is so low compared to my normal income. And yes, I'm definitely doing those work searches - learned that lesson the hard way when my friend's benefits got delayed last month. So stressful trying to keep up with everything!
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Gael Robinson
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
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Harold Oh
•Yeah I'm definitely feeling that disappointment right now! Was hoping it would actually cover my bills but guess I need to figure something else out fast...
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Edward McBride
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.
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Darcy Moore
•I've been waiting 10 days since claiming weeks and still no deposit to my bank account! CONNECT shows the weeks as "processed" but nothing in my account. Called DEO 23 times yesterday and couldn't get through to anyone. Is this normal or should I be worried something's wrong with my claim?
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Dana Doyle
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.
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Liam Duke
•You're absolutely right. I was on unemployment briefly last year and the maximum benefit doesn't even cover half my rent. The sad part is that FL unemployment is funded by employer taxes, and those rates are among the lowest in the nation. Employers love it, workers suffer. Other states pay 2-3x what Florida does in weekly benefits.
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Darcy Moore
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.
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Harold Oh
•Thanks for the tip about Claimyr! I'll keep that in mind if I have more issues getting through to DEO. Really wish they'd just hire enough staff to handle the call volume! And yeah, definitely disappointed about the $600 being long gone.
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Amun-Ra Azra
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.
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Harold Oh
•Omg I had no idea there was a difference! When I couldn't log in, it said my account was locked due to too many unsuccessful login attempts. So I guess that's the "locked out" situation? Thanks for explaining that - the terminology is so confusing sometimes.
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Gael Robinson
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?
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Summer Green
•That's just a rumor that seems to circulate every few months. There are currently no approved federal stimulus payments or unemployment supplements for 2025. Be careful about making financial decisions based on social media rumors about coming stimulus checks.
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Harold Oh
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!
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Dana Doyle
•Good luck! Make sure u document EVERYTHING with DEO. Screenshot your work searches, save confirmation emails, write down who u talk to when u call. The system is designed to make u give up!!
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