DEO waiting week payment delayed - applied 6 weeks ago but still nothing?
I submitted my initial unemployment claim on March 3, 2025 and got approved after about 2 weeks. Everything seemed to be going fine - my status shows 'eligible' and I've been claiming my weeks regularly. A DEO agent told me the waiting week check would arrive within 3 weeks, but it's been over 6 weeks now and still nothing in my account! My regular bi-weekly payments started coming through fine after the 3rd week, but that first waiting week payment just never showed up. Has anyone else experienced this? I've tried calling but keep getting disconnected after 30+ minutes on hold. Is this normal or should I be worried? My bills are piling up and I'm counting on every payment.
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Cassandra Moon
same thing happnd to me!!!! waited foreverrrr for that first week. DEO is sooooo slow. took like 2 months 4 me 2 get it. they r the worst!
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Eli Wang
•2 MONTHS?? Seriously?? That's ridiculous. Did you have to do anything special to finally get it processed?
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Zane Hernandez
The waiting week payment is often processed separately from your regular benefit payments and can take longer to receive. The 3-week timeframe they gave you is unfortunately just an estimate. In my experience working with several claimants, the waiting week payment can take 6-8 weeks to process, especially if there's a high volume of claims being processed. Have you checked your payment history in CONNECT to see if it shows as 'processed' but not 'paid' yet?
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Eli Wang
•Thanks for explaining! I just checked CONNECT again and it shows as 'processed' with a date from 2 weeks ago, but payment status just says 'pending.' Does that mean it's coming soon? Should I keep waiting or try to contact them again?
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Genevieve Cavalier
If it shows as 'processed' but payment is 'pending,' there might be an issue with your payment method. Are you set up for direct deposit or the Way2Go card? Sometimes there's a verification delay with banking information. You should definitely try to speak with an agent to resolve this. I managed to get through to DEO using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they get you past the busy signals and endless holds. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj. Was worth it for me because I had a similar payment issue that got fixed the same day once I actually talked to someone.
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Ethan Scott
•does that claimyr thing actually work? i've been trying to get through to deo for like 3 weeks now and i'm about to lose my mind lol
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Genevieve Cavalier
It worked for me after I'd wasted days trying to get through. They basically keep calling for you until they get a connection, then call you back when they have an agent on the line. Definitely better than hitting redial all day.
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Eli Wang
•I might try that if I don't see movement in the next few days. I'm set up with direct deposit and all my other payments have come through fine, it's just this waiting week one that's stuck. So frustrating!
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Lola Perez
THE WAITING WEEK IS A SCAM!!!!! They NEVER pay it! I filed back in JANUARY and still haven't gotten mine even after calling 50+ times!!! DEO keeps ALL that money for themselves and hopes you'll forget about it. The whole system is RIGGED against us hardworking citizens!!!!
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Zane Hernandez
•That's not accurate. The waiting week payment is definitely paid - it's just often delayed. Florida law requires the waiting week to be paid for all eligible claims. If you've been waiting since January, there's definitely something wrong with your specific claim that needs to be addressed. Have you checked if there are any pending issues or fact-finding questions in your CONNECT account?
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Nathaniel Stewart
My waiting week was actually my fastest payment lol. But that was back in February when claim volume was lower. It's gotten way worse lately with all those tourism layoffs. My sister applied in April and her waiting week took 7 weeks to come through. This might help - ask them specifically if it's in adjudication or if there's a hold reason. Sometimes they won't tell you unless you specifically ask.
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Eli Wang
•That's good to know about asking for adjudication status specifically. I'll definitely try that approach next time I call. Glad your sister eventually got her payment - gives me some hope!
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Riya Sharma
I had to wait 9 weeks for my waiting week payment and then suddenly it just showed up in my account one day with no explanation. DEO never sent any notification or update. Just randomly appeared. The regular payments were fine and on schedule tho.
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Eli Wang
•That's so weird! I guess I should just be patient then. At least my regular payments are coming through. Thanks for sharing your experience.
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Zane Hernandez
Just an update based on recent information: If your waiting week payment shows as 'processed' but 'pending' for more than 4 weeks, it might be caught in what DEO agents call the 'payment verification queue.' This is separate from adjudication. You'll need to specifically ask them to check this queue when you call. The good news is that once they identify it there, they can usually expedite it within 72 hours.
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Eli Wang
•Thank you so much for this specific information! I've been trying to call again today with no luck, but I'll keep trying and specifically ask about the payment verification queue. Really appreciate the help!
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Cassandra Moon
did u check ur way2go card if u have 1? sometimes they send it there even if u picked direct deposit. suuuuper annoying!
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Eli Wang
•I don't have a Way2Go card, just direct deposit. But maybe they sent one and I didn't realize? I'll check my mail more carefully. Thanks for the suggestion!
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Ethan Scott
just wait it out man. everyones saying the same thing. DEO sucks and nothing works right but the money shows up eventually lol
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