DEO taking forever to pay benefits - possible homelessness while waiting for money owed

This system is DESIGNED to be broken!!! I went through the exact same nightmare last year. My claim was stuck for almost 11 weeks and I nearly lost my car. The politicians don't care because most of them have never lived paycheck to paycheck. The DEO is intentionally understaffed and their systems are outdated garbage. The whole thing is set up to discourage people from collecting benefits they're entitled to.

I'm sorry you're going through this. Florida DEO is unfortunately known for these long adjudication periods. Have you tried reaching out to your state representative? Many of them have staff dedicated to helping constituents with unemployment issues. They can often get answers much faster than we can by calling DEO directly. Also, look into emergency rental assistance programs in your county while you wait - many still have funds available from pandemic-era programs.

yea this happend to me too last month, so stressful! my landlord was about to kick me out and everything. DEO is the worst!

I had the exact same situation - claim stuck in adjudication for 9 weeks with eviction looming. I was finally able to get through to a DEO agent using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have this service where they call DEO for you and then connect you when they get an agent on the line. Saved me hours of redial hell. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj When I finally got through, it turned out there was an income verification issue they never bothered to notify me about. The agent was able to clear it on the spot, and I got paid within 48 hours. Definitely worth it in my situation given what was at stake.

Honestly, this kind of delay is completely unacceptable but extremely common in Florida. For the political question - the DEO falls under the governor's administration, and the legislature controls its funding and operations through various committees. So both the executive and legislative branches have responsibility. Regarding immediate help: Do you know why your claim is in adjudication? Common reasons include employment verification issues, separation reason disputes, or income verification problems. Knowing the specific issue might help address it faster.

lol welcome to FL unemployment where they treat us like criminals for asking for OUR MONEY. i waited almost 3 months last year, called everyday, sent emails, the whole thing. my advice? document EVERYTHING and keep calling. eventually you'll get lucky and reach someone who actually knows what their doing. most agents will just tell u to wait tho 🙄

One thing I want to add - if you're facing imminent homelessness, call 211 immediately. They can connect you with emergency shelter options and sometimes even hotel vouchers depending on your county. Don't wait until you're actually evicted to look into these resources. Regarding contacting your representative - yes, just call their office and explain your situation. Ask specifically for the staff member who handles DEO cases. They typically have direct contacts at DEO that can expedite claims.

Update on my situation - I finally got through to DEO with that Claimyr service I mentioned. Turns out there was an earnings discrepancy between what I reported and what my employer reported for my last quarter. The agent was able to resolve it immediately once I explained that I had picked up extra shifts during those weeks. My benefits were released two days later, and I was able to catch up on rent. Don't give up - sometimes these issues can be resolved quickly once you actually get through to the right person.

I've been helping people with DEO issues for a while now, and here's my advice: 1. Try calling right when they open at 7:30am - the queue fills up within minutes 2. Check your CONNECT inbox daily for fact-finding questionnaires - sometimes they send these without notification 3. Make sure ALL your work search activities are logged properly 4. If you have an adjudication issue, be aware they're required by law to resolve it within 21 days, but they rarely meet this requirement 5. If you reach 8 weeks without resolution, contact the DEO Reemployment Assistance Help Center and specifically request an escalation Hang in there - the system is frustrating but persistence usually pays off eventually.