DEO identity verification loop nightmare - verified with ID.me twice but system still says unverified
I'm at my wit's end with this identity verification nightmare. My husband filed his unemployment claim on March 5th, 2025 and immediately verified his identity through ID.me. The confirmation email came through and everything seemed fine. Then last week (over a month later!), we received a determination letter stating his identity wasn't verified and that he needed to call DEO to complete verification. He's called at least 30 times but either gets disconnected or sits on hold for hours before getting cut off. He's tried EVERYTHING - verified through both the old and new ID.me system (yes, both!), emailed DEO more than 15 times with screenshots of his successful verification, and even tried visiting a CareerSource office who just told him to keep calling. His CONNECT account still shows "identity not verified" and all his weeks are on hold. We have bills piling up and this verification loop is preventing him from receiving any benefits. Has anyone broken through this ID.me verification cycle? Any suggestions for getting a human being to actually look at his account and fix this? I'm desperate for any advice!
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Liam McConnell
I went through something similar back in January. The issue is there's a disconnect between the ID.me system and DEO's internal verification system. The only way I finally got it resolved was by speaking to a specific department called the "Identity Verification Unit" which isn't the same as regular DEO agents. You need to specifically ask for that department when you call. Try calling right when they open at 7:30 AM - that's when I had the best luck getting through. Also, make sure he has his claimant ID, the last 4 of his SSN, and the ID.me confirmation emails ready when he calls. If that doesn't work, try emailing DEO.Verify@deo.myflorida.com with all the verification evidence. Put "URGENT: ID.me Verification Loop" in the subject line.
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Mei Zhang
•Thank you so much for this! I had no idea there was a special department for identity verification issues. We'll try calling at 7:30 tomorrow morning and specifically ask for the Identity Verification Unit. Did you have to say anything special to get transferred to them? Also, how long after speaking with them did they fix your account?
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Amara Oluwaseyi
OMG THIS VERIFICATION THING IS THE WORST!!! I had the EXACT same problem in february!!!1! Verified on id.me THREE SEPARATE TIMES and the stupid DEO system still said i wasnt verified. I called and called and emailed and nothign worked. its like they WANT us to give up on getting benefits we deserve!!!
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CosmicCaptain
•Did you ever get it resolved? I'm dealing with this ID.me loop now too and getting nowhere fast. My claim has been on hold for almost 8 weeks because of this verification nonsense.
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Giovanni Rossi
After fighting with this for weeks, I used Claimyr to get through to a DEO agent. They have a service that calls DEO for you and gets you in the callback queue so you don't have to keep redialing and waiting on hold. Cost me a few bucks but saved hours of frustration. The agent I spoke with was able to manually verify my identity in the system. Check out their video to see how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj
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Mei Zhang
•I've never heard of Claimyr before. How exactly does it work? Did they get you through right away or was there still a wait time? I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point because the verification issue is blocking all benefit payments.
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Fatima Al-Maktoum
This is a known issue with DEO's system right now. ID.me integration problems have been affecting thousands of claimants since they updated their verification system in February 2025. Key things to know: 1. You need a TIER 2 agent who has access to the identity verification module in CONNECT. Regular agents can't help with this. 2. The verification queue is separate from regular adjudication. When you call, immediately say "I need help with ID.me verification that's stuck in pending status despite successful verification." 3. If calling doesn't work, you can try contacting your state representative's office. They have special DEO liaisons who can escalate these issues. 4. Make sure all documents used for ID.me verification exactly match what's on his unemployment application (middle initials, suffix, etc). Even minor discrepancies can trigger the verification loop. 5. Double check that the email address used for ID.me matches what's in his CONNECT account.
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Dylan Mitchell
•I'm a claims adjudicator (not with FL but another state) and this explanation is spot-on. The ID.me integration issues are causing problems in multiple states. The verification systems don't always talk to each other correctly. Def ask for Tier 2 support when calling.
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Sofia Gutierrez
have you tried the FB group "Florida Unemployment Issues"? theres admins there who used to work for DEO and they help people get unstuck with verification problems. might be worth joining and asking there too
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Mei Zhang
•Thanks for the suggestion! I'll definitely look up that Facebook group. At this point we need all the help we can get. I'm hoping someone there might have direct contacts or know the right phrases to use when calling DEO.
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CosmicCaptain
I actually just got through this exact situation last week! What finally worked was contacting my state senator's office. I filled out their constituent services form online explaining the ID.me verification loop, and they have liaisons who work directly with DEO. Within 3 days, someone from DEO called me, manually verified my identity in their system, and released all my held payments. Try finding your local state rep or senator and reaching out to their office!
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Mei Zhang
•This is incredibly helpful! I didn't even think about contacting our state representatives. I just looked up our state senator and they have a form specifically for DEO issues. I'm filling it out right now. Thank you so much for suggesting this route - it gives me hope we can finally get this resolved!
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Dmitry Petrov
i think DEO is doing this on purpose to save money... they make the verification impossible to complete and then deny benefits when u cant verify... its been happening to everyone i know who filed recently
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Liam McConnell
•While the system definitely has problems, this isn't intentional. It's a technical integration issue between ID.me (third-party vendor) and the CONNECT system. The verification data doesn't always transfer correctly between systems. Always request to speak with a Tier 2 agent or the Identity Verification Unit specifically - they can see both systems and manually match your verification.
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Fatima Al-Maktoum
Update on the ID.me verification issues: DEO released a statement yesterday acknowledging the verification transfer problems. They've created a new dedicated email address specifically for claimants caught in the verification loop: ID.VerificationFix@deo.myflorida.com When emailing, include: 1. Full name as it appears on your claim 2. Claimant ID number 3. Last 4 of SSN 4. Screenshots of successful ID.me verification 5. Date of your original claim filing In the subject line put "ID.me Verification Transfer Issue - [Your Claimant ID]" They're promising 5-7 business day resolution through this new process.
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Mei Zhang
•This is amazing information! Thank you so much for sharing this update. We'll email the new address right away with all the required information. It's good to hear DEO is finally acknowledging the problem and creating a specific process to fix it. I'll report back if this works for us!
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