DEO falsely placed incarceration hold on my claim - hasn't been resolved for weeks

This happened to me in 2025. The DEO system periodically runs database checks against various systems including court/incarceration records. Sometimes they pick up outdated information or confuse you with someone with a similar name. You need to speak with a claims adjudicator who can remove the hold, but getting through is tough. You'll need to upload documents proving your identity and employment history after release to the document portal in CONNECT. Go to 'Determination, Pending Issue and Decision Summary' and look for the fact-finding questionnaire about incarceration.

OMG SAME THING RIGHT NOW!! My claim has been on hold for 3 weeks for the same thing!! I was in county jail for 2 days in 2022 and somehow this is causing a hold?? This is insane! Did you get this fixed yet??

I had this issue with DEO last year. The incarceration hold is frustrating but solvable. Here's what you need to do: 1. Complete the fact-finding questionnaire as soon as it appears in your CONNECT portal 2. Upload a letter from your probation officer (if applicable) confirming completion of your sentence 3. Upload ID documents (driver's license, social security card) 4. Upload proof of employment history since release (W-2s, paystubs) 5. Most importantly - you NEED to speak with a claims adjudicator directly The regular DEO call center reps can't remove these holds - only adjudicators can. I spent weeks calling the regular line with no help until I used Claimyr.com to get through to someone who could actually help. They have a service that connects you with DEO agents quickly - way better than calling yourself 100 times. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj Once I spoke with an adjudicator, they removed the hold within 48 hours and released my payments.

just call them early like 7:29am right before they open at 7:30 thats wat i do n i always get thru

This incarceration hold issue is happening to TONS of people lately!! I'm in a Florida unemployment Facebook group and at least 5 people posted about this same problem in the last month. Seems like DEO updated their system to be more aggressive with these checks but it's catching outdated info. The system is an absolute JOKE - they make it nearly IMPOSSIBLE to reach anyone who can actually fix these issues!!! I had a different issue (school employee hold even though I've NEVER worked at a school) and it took 9 WEEKS to resolve. I had to contact my state representative before anyone would help me. Try that route if you can't get through on the phone!

Have you checked if someone might be using your identity? My cousin had this happen and it turned out someone had stolen his identity and committed crimes using his name. You might want to check your credit report just to be safe. The DEO system might be picking up records that aren't actually yours.

After battling with DEO for weeks over a similar hold, I finally got through using the Claimyr service the other commenter mentioned. It really does work - connected me to a DEO agent in about 15 minutes after I'd been trying for days on my own. The adjudicator told me these incarceration holds are automatically triggered by their system and require manual review. He cleared mine immediately after verifying my identity. The key is getting to an actual adjudicator who has the authority to remove these holds. Regular call center agents can't help with these specialized issues.

@system_critic Not expensive considering I was about to miss a car payment. Worth it just to get the issue fixed. The adjudicator actually told me they've been having issues with their automated cross-checking system pulling outdated records. She said many people have been experiencing these incarceration holds incorrectly.