DEO keeps hanging up when I call - impossible to reach a real person!

The DEO phone system is completely broken by design. I spent TWO WEEKS calling 30+ times a day before finally getting through. The trick that worked for me was calling exactly at 7:29am (right before they officially open) and immediately selecting the options to speak to someone about an existing claim. Even then it took 5 attempts that morning. Their system is deliberately set up to prevent people from getting help - they'd rather we just give up. If you have a pending adjudication issue, you absolutely need to speak with someone though.

OMG SAME!!!! i've called like 50 times this week 😡😡😡 the system is such garbage. my neighbor said her cousin got through by selecting spanish option even tho she doesnt speak it and then just asked for english rep when someone answered lol might try that tomorrow

I'm a former DEO contractor, and I can tell you the phone system is overwhelmed because they cut staff by 60% since the pandemic while claim volume is still high. Your best approach is multi-pronged: 1) Keep calling, but focus on Tuesday-Thursday between 10:30-11:45am when call volume typically dips a bit. 2) Send a detailed message through your CONNECT portal (on the left menu there's a "Contact Us" option). 3) Email your state representative - they have special channels to escalate claims issues and can often get results in 7-10 days. 4) Visit a CareerSource center in person if possible - they have direct lines to DEO specialists. The 3-week pending status usually means you have an adjudication issue that requires human review. This could be wage verification, separation reason, or availability questions.

Stop wasting your time with the regular phone line. After 2 months of trying, I used a service called Claimyr that got me connected to a DEO agent in less than 20 minutes. It basically keeps dialing for you until it gets through their system. Saved my sanity. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj The agent I spoke with was able to see that my claim had been flagged for employment verification but no one had actually reviewed it yet. She pushed it through to adjudication while I was on the phone.

@SketchyClaimer It is legit - I had the same concern at first. But I was missing payments for 9 weeks and was about to be evicted. The service just handles the calling part, then connects you directly to the actual DEO agents. The agents work for the state, not the service. I was desperate enough to try anything after not being able to reach anyone for weeks.

the deo is a complete joke lol. they hung up on me 67 TIMES (yes i counted) before i finally got someone. and then that person transferred me and i got disconnected again!! waste of taxpayer dollars if you ask me

Have you checked if there's a fact-finding questionnaire in your CONNECT inbox that needs to be completed? Sometimes claims get stuck in pending because they're waiting for you to submit something, but the system doesn't notify you properly. I thought my claim was just "pending" for no reason, but when I clicked on "Inbox" in CONNECT, there was a questionnaire about my last employer that had been sitting there for 2 weeks.

This happened to me too! The calling thing is so frustrating. When I couldn't get through I went to my local CareerSource office in person (they're partners with DEO) and the staff there helped me figure out the issue with my claim. They couldn't fix it directly but they have a special email address they can send urgent issues to. Might be worth trying if you have one nearby.

I just walked in, but this was at the Hialeah location. You might want to call ahead to check if your local office requires appointments. They were actually super helpful and way nicer than I expected!

After literally hundreds of call attempts over several weeks, I finally got through to DEO yesterday. The agent told me they're having major staffing shortages and their call system can only queue a maximum of 1,000 calls at once - so once that fills up (which happens within minutes of opening), everyone else gets the auto-disconnect message. If your claim is still pending after 3+ weeks, there's definitely an issue that requires manual review. Common holdups include: - Employer dispute about reason for separation - Income verification discrepancies - Work search requirement issues - Previous overpayment flags - Identity verification problems Check your determination status in CONNECT by clicking on "View and Maintain Account Information" and then "Determinations and Pending Issues." This might give you more info.

The "able and available" adjudication is very common. This typically means they need to verify that you're able to work and available for work. It could be triggered by something in your application responses, like if you indicated you had transportation limitations, childcare issues, or are only available for certain shifts. This type of adjudication usually requires an adjudicator to contact you for clarification, which is why you need to get through to someone. While waiting, make sure you continue claiming your weeks and completing all work search requirements. If approved, you'll receive backpay for all eligible weeks.

I'm dealing with the exact same nightmare! Been trying to get through for almost a month now. The system is completely broken. What finally worked for me was using the callback feature - if you call and get the busy message, sometimes there's an option to request a callback instead of hanging up. It took 3 days but they actually called me back! Also, I found that calling RIGHT at 8:00am on Wednesdays seems to have slightly better odds. The wait times are still insane (I was on hold for 2.5 hours) but at least I didn't get disconnected. Hang in there - you're not alone in this mess!

I feel your pain - the DEO system is absolutely maddening! I went through the same thing for 6 weeks earlier this year. What finally worked for me was a combination of strategies: I called at exactly 7:30am on Tuesdays (seems to be the lowest call volume day), and I also filed a complaint with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity's Inspector General office online. Within 3 days of filing that complaint, I got a call back from a supervisor who was able to resolve my pending issue in 10 minutes. The IG complaint form is on their website under "Report Fraud, Waste & Abuse" but you can use it for service complaints too. Sometimes you need to escalate beyond the regular customer service channels. Don't give up - your benefits are worth fighting for!

I'm going through the exact same frustrating experience right now! Been trying to reach DEO for over 2 weeks about my pending claim and getting nowhere with their broken phone system. Reading through all these responses is both reassuring (I'm not alone!) and infuriating (this system is clearly designed to make us give up). I'm going to try a combination of the strategies mentioned here: calling at 7:29am tomorrow using @Liam O'Donnell's timing trick, visiting my local CareerSource office like @AstroExplorer suggested, and filing an Inspector General complaint as @QuantumQuasar recommended. It's absolutely ridiculous that we need to become investigative journalists just to get help with our own benefits, but I refuse to let this broken system defeat me. @Mei Liu - have you had any luck with the determination status info that @Liam O'Donnell helped you find? At least knowing it's an "able and available" issue gives you something concrete to address when you finally get through to someone. Hang in there - we'll figure this out!

I've been dealing with this same nightmare for the past month! The DEO phone system is absolutely broken and it's clear they're hoping we'll just give up. After reading through all these helpful responses, I wanted to share what's been working for me lately: I've had the most success calling between 7:28-7:31am on Tuesday through Thursday mornings. It still takes multiple attempts (usually 8-12 tries), but I've managed to get through 3 times in the past 2 weeks using this window. The key is to call RIGHT before they officially open at 7:30am and be ready to immediately navigate through the menu options. Also, definitely check your "Determinations and Pending Issues" section in CONNECT like others mentioned - mine showed a similar "able and available" flag that I didn't even know existed. Once I knew what the specific issue was, the agent was able to address it directly instead of us both guessing what was wrong. The system is absolutely infuriating, but don't give up! Your benefits are there waiting for you - it's just a matter of getting past their deliberately difficult barriers. Keep trying the early morning calls and consider the Inspector General complaint route if you're still stuck after a few more attempts.