Denied DEO benefits despite continuous employment - need direct contact urgently
Just received my determination letter and I'm completely baffled - DEO denied my claim even though I've been with the same employer since July 2021! I was temporarily laid off due to facility renovations (supposed to last 6 weeks), filed as instructed by HR, and somehow got denied. The determination says 'insufficient qualifying wages' which makes ZERO sense given my employment history. I've tried calling the main number 50+ times but keep getting disconnected. The CONNECT message center isn't helping either - sent 3 messages over the past week with no response. This is beyond frustrating! Does anyone have direct contact info for an actual person who can review my case? I need this fixed ASAP as my savings won't cover rent next month.
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Lukas Fitzgerald
tryd to reapply?? sometims the system just glitches n denys ppl for no reason. happnd to my cousin last month. he just did a new application n it workd
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Nadia Zaldivar
•I'm worried if I reapply it'll just delay things even more? I'm already 3 weeks into this mess and getting desperate. Did your cousin have to wait the full processing time again?
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Ev Luca
Don't reapply! That will likely cause more problems and might flag your account for fraud investigation. Your issue sounds like it could be a wage reporting error. Sometimes employers don't properly report all quarters to DEO, especially if they process payroll out-of-state. You need to file an appeal within 20 days of your determination letter date. Also, request a copy of your wage transcript from your CONNECT account under the "Determination, Pending Issue and Decision Summary" section to see what wages DEO actually has on record for you.
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Nadia Zaldivar
•Thank you! I just checked and my wages for Q4 2024 are completely missing, though I worked full-time all those months. Is that likely the issue? How do I prove those wages during appeal?
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Avery Davis
OMG dealing with this exact thing right now!! So frustrating! They denied me saying I quit when I was actually laid off! These people don't even read the applications I swear
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Collins Angel
•The DEO system is deliberately designed to reject as many claims as possible. They've been doing this for years - make the system confusing, deny valid claims, hope people give up. It's disgusting how they treat Floridians who are just trying to access benefits they've EARNED.
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Marcelle Drum
After spending 3 weeks trying to get through to a DEO rep about my missing wages issue (which sounds similar to yours), I finally used Claimyr to get connected to a live agent in about 20 minutes. They have a service that basically navigates the phone system and holds your place in line - then calls you when they have a rep on the line. Saved me from the constant busy signals and disconnects. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a demo at https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj The agent was able to see that my employer's quarterly report was received but not processed properly. They put a note on my account and escalated it to a claims examiner who fixed it within a week. Much better than waiting for an appeal hearing that could take months.
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Tate Jensen
•Thx for sharing this! Been trying to reach someone for days about my account being locked after ID.me verification.
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Adaline Wong
You MUST file an appeal ASAP - the 20-day deadline is strict. While waiting for the appeal, also try contacting your local CareerSource office. They sometimes have direct contacts to DEO staff who can review issues. And definitely get documentation from your employer showing your work history and wages for the missing quarters. Pay stubs, W-2s, employment verification letter - anything official. The appeal process takes about 4-6 weeks currently from what I'm seeing with clients (I'm not a lawyer but work in HR).
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Nadia Zaldivar
•Just filed my appeal online and uploaded my last 6 months of pay stubs. Also emailed my HR department asking for an employment verification letter. Should I also try to get someone on the phone or just wait for the appeal now?
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Ev Luca
I recommend still trying to reach someone by phone while your appeal is pending. Sometimes they can resolve these wage issues without going through the full appeal process, which saves a lot of time. Make sure your appeal clearly states that you believe this is a wage reporting error and include exact dates and amounts you worked that are missing from their records.
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Marcelle Drum
•Agree with this. My appeal was scheduled for 7 weeks out, but when I finally got through to someone on the phone, they actually fixed the issue in their system and I didn't need the appeal hearing at all. They canceled it and my payments started processing that same week. Definitely worth trying to get someone on the phone.
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Collins Angel
This system is BROKEN!!! I know people who've been waiting 3+ MONTHS for appeal hearings! And the DEO keeps "accidentally" denying obvious approvals to manipulate their numbers. They WANT low unemployment stats so they just deny everyone and make appeals impossible. Meanwhile people are losing homes and can't feed their families. DISGUSTING!!
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Avery Davis
•YES!! My neighbor went through this last year and ended up having to move back with his parents at 42 years old while waiting for his appeal!! The stress literally gave him shingles!!
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Nadia Zaldivar
UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at DEO using the Claimyr service (thanks for that recommendation @commenter). The agent confirmed my Q4 wages were missing from their system, apparently because my employer submitted them under a slightly different company name after a corporate restructuring. She's escalated my case to a claims examiner for review. The agent said it should be resolved in 5-7 business days and that I can withdraw my appeal if it gets fixed before the hearing date. Huge relief! Will update again when it's resolved.
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