DEO work search requirement waiver ending? Worried about retroactive requirements
So I just heard from my neighbor that DEO might be ending the work search waiver soon and I'm freaking out! I've been on unemployment since late January after getting laid off from my restaurant job. I haven't been documenting my work searches because I thought the waiver was still active - my CONNECT homepage never showed anything about it ending. Is anyone else worried they'll suddenly require us to provide retroactive work search proof for past weeks? I've been applying to jobs but haven't kept detailed records with all the contact info they usually want. Anyone know the actual status of the waiver or if they can demand past proof? Last thing I need is to repay $4,200 because of some technicality!
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Jason Brewer
The work search waiver actually ended months ago for regular RA benefits. If your CONNECT homepage still shows a work search waiver, you might be on some special category, but standard unemployment requires 5 work search activities per week now. It's been that way since September 2024 when they ended the last extension of the waiver. You should definitely start documenting everything immediately.
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Nina Fitzgerald
•Wait WHAT?? My CONNECT dashboard doesn't say anything about this! Are you 100% sure? I'm on regular unemployment, not anything special. Why wouldn't they notify us clearly??
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Kiara Fisherman
i got hit with this too man, totally sucks. they sent me a determination letter saying i owe like $2700 back cuz i didnt do the work searches. never even got a notification the waiver ended lol classic DEO mess
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Nina Fitzgerald
•Oh god, that's exactly what I'm afraid of. Did you try to appeal it? I literally can't afford to pay back anything right now.
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Liam Cortez
This EXACT THING happened to me!!! DEO is SUCH a disaster - they make these changes and expect us to magically know about them. I got an overpayment notice for 3 weeks because I didn't do work searches after the waiver ended. I'm fighting it but we all know how that goes with this broken system. ALWAYS CHECK YOUR ACCOUNT FOR CHANGES WEEKLY!!!
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Savannah Vin
•Did you file an appeal? If so, what documentation did you provide to support your case? I'm wondering if showing evidence that there was no clear notification about the waiver ending would help in these situations.
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Mason Stone
To clarify for everyone: The work search requirement waiver for Florida DEO ended on September 1, 2024. Since then, all regular Reemployment Assistance claimants need to complete and document 5 work search activities per week. This information was supposedly sent via email to all claimants, posted on the DEO website, and added as a notice in CONNECT. For the original poster: They cannot technically require retroactive work searches for periods when you weren't notified, but the burden of proof may fall on you. If you did apply to jobs during this time, try to reconstruct your work search history as best you can - even incomplete records are better than nothing if you face an audit or determination issue.
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Nina Fitzgerald
•Thank you for this information! I never received any email about this, and I check my spam folder regularly. I'm going to start documenting everything now and try to backtrack what I can remember from previous applications. Do you know if they typically audit everyone or just random accounts?
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Makayla Shoemaker
I've been having the SAME issue trying to get someone at DEO to clarify this for weeks! Their phone lines are always busy or disconnect me after 2 hours on hold. I finally found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual DEO agent! It's at claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj The agent I spoke with confirmed the waiver ended Sept 1 but said they're handling retroactive work search issues on a case-by-case basis. If you can show you were actively looking for work but just didn't know about the documentation requirements, they might be lenient. Worth calling to get it sorted out directly with them.
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Kiara Fisherman
•does this claimyr thing actually work? tried calling deo like 20 times this month and never get thru
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Makayla Shoemaker
•Yeah it definitely worked for me after I wasted days trying to get through. Took about 25 minutes to connect with a real person instead of the usual busy signal or automatic disconnect. The agent I talked to was actually helpful once I finally got someone.
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Christian Bierman
My sister works for CareerSource and says they're getting flooded with people who didn't know about the work search requirements coming back. She said best thing to do is 1) start documenting all searches NOW 2) if you get an overpayment notice, file an appeal immediately and explain you never received notification 3) go to CareerSource in person and ask for help with your specific situation - they can sometimes advocate with DEO for you.
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Nina Fitzgerald
•Thank you for the advice! I'll definitely start documenting everything now. Do you know which CareerSource location is best to visit? I'm in the Tampa area.
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Savannah Vin
According to the official Florida DEO handbook, they are required to provide clear notification of any changes to work search requirements. If you can prove you didn't receive proper notification (check your CONNECT inbox history and email), you have grounds for appeal if they try to claim overpayment. In the meantime, I recommend: 1. Start documenting all work searches (5 per week) 2. Print or screenshot your CONNECT homepage showing no notification 3. Check your email history to confirm no notification was sent 4. Keep claiming weeks as normal 5. If you receive a determination letter about overpayment, appeal within the 20-day window Hope this helps!
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Nina Fitzgerald
•This is extremely helpful, thank you! I just checked and there's nothing in my CONNECT inbox about the waiver ending. I'll take screenshots right away as evidence. I really appreciate the detailed steps!
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Kiara Fisherman
anybody know if gig work counts for the work search requirement? been doing doordash while looking for a real job
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Mason Stone
•Gig work like DoorDash doesn't count as a work search activity by itself, but applying to other gig platforms would count as an application. Just remember that if you're earning money from DoorDash, you need to report those earnings when you claim your weeks, even if you're still eligible for partial benefits.
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Jason Brewer
Quick update: I just checked the DEO website and they've added a clarification about the work search requirements. They state they will NOT require retroactive work searches for weeks claimed before you received a direct notification. However, they are sending out notifications now, so after you receive one, you must comply with the 5 work search activities per week. When you log into CONNECT next time, you'll likely see a pop-up notification you have to acknowledge before proceeding.
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Nina Fitzgerald
•That's a huge relief! I just logged into CONNECT and you're right - there's a new pop-up about work search requirements that wasn't there yesterday. At least now I know for sure and can comply going forward. Thank you for the update!
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