Desperate for DEO agent: How to actually reach a human at Florida unemployment?

lol good luck. been trying since January myself. DEO doesn't answer phones cuz they dont wanna help anybody.

The trick is persistence and timing. I found that calling on Tuesday or Wednesday around 10:30am has slightly better odds. Don't call Monday (busiest) or Friday (they start closing tickets for the weekend). Also, when the automated system asks why you're calling, say "payment issue" rather than "claim status" - the payment queue seems to have more actual humans. Make sure you have your claimant ID ready, your PIN, and the exact dates of any issues you need to discuss. If you do get through, take detailed notes of who you spoke with (get their ID number!) and what they told you. The CONNECT system doesn't always update immediately after they make changes.

OMG I was in the EXACT same situation last month!!! My account was stuck in adjudication for 9 weeks and I couldn't get through AT ALL. I tried everything - calling right when they opened, emailing every address I could find, even tried contacting my state rep (who never responded). What finally worked was using a service called Claimyr. It basically puts you at the front of the DEO call queue so you actually get through to a human. I was skeptical but desperate, and it actually worked - got through to an agent in about 20 minutes after weeks of trying on my own. 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 adjudication was stuck because of a system error on THEIR end - something they never would have fixed if I hadn't gotten through.

It is legit. I was super skeptical too but after wasting literally HOURS trying to get through myself, it was worth it. The alternative was waiting another 2 months for my claim to maybe get processed while bills kept piling up. They don't work for DEO - they just have some system that helps you get through the phone tree.

There are several approaches you can try: 1. Call the alternative DEO numbers: Try 833-352-7759 or 850-245-7105 instead of the main number. Sometimes these have slightly different call routing. 2. Contact your state representative or senator's office. They have special channels to DEO and can often get responses when regular citizens can't. Find yours here: https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/FindYourRepresentative 3. Email specific DEO staff. Try DEO.Feedback@deo.myflorida.com with a detailed subject line that includes your claimant ID and the specific issue (like "Adjudication Pending Since Feb 2025 - Claimant ID #12345678") 4. If your issue is identity verification related, email Identityverification@deo.myflorida.com 5. For truly urgent situations (eviction imminent), note that in your communications and also reach out to local legal aid services who may be able to help expedite. Be sure to document everything - dates you called, who you spoke with, what they said. This will be important if you need to escalate further.

THEY DO THIS ON PURPOSE!!!!! The DEO is absolutely the WORST government agency in Florida and that's saying something!! They make it IMPOSSIBLE to reach anyone because they DON'T WANT TO PAY OUT BENEFITS that we are ENTITLED TO!!! I spent 4 months - FOUR MONTHS!!! - trying to get my adjudication resolved last year. You know what finally worked? I filed a complaint with the Department of Labor and suddenly, MAGICALLY, my claim was processed two days later. Go to https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/unemployment-insurance-payment-accuracy/how-to-file-a-complaint and file a formal complaint. That's the only thing these people respond to.

I don't think they offer callbacks, unfortunately. Florida's system is notoriously outdated compared to other states. One other thing that sometimes works is reaching out through their social media accounts. The Florida DEO has a Twitter/X account (@FLDEO) and sometimes their social media team can escalate issues when you message them publicly. Worth a try if you're still stuck.

Update: I tried the Claimyr service that someone mentioned above, and I FINALLY got through to a real person at DEO this morning! The agent was able to see that my claim had a "wage verification issue" that wasn't even showing up in my CONNECT account. She cleared it and said my payments should process in 48-72 hours. After weeks of trying, it's such a relief to finally get some answers. Thank you everyone for the suggestions!

my cousin works for the unemployment office (not in florida) and she says they're always understaffed especially after covid when they laid off all the temp workers. so its not just florida its everywhere just fyi

Just wanted to give a final update - my payments did come through! They arrived in my account this morning, exactly 3 business days after I spoke with the DEO agent. Such a huge relief after weeks of stress. If anyone else is in the same situation, definitely try some of the suggestions in this thread. Being persistent eventually paid off!

Congratulations Emma! Your success story gives me hope. I've been dealing with a similar situation for about 6 weeks now - my claim has been stuck on "pending determination" and I can't get through to anyone. I've tried calling at different times but always get the busy signal or get disconnected. Based on your experience and the other suggestions here, I'm going to try the Claimyr service and also reach out to my state rep. It's frustrating that we have to pay a third party service just to access our own unemployment benefits, but at this point I'm willing to try anything. For anyone else reading this - it sounds like persistence and trying multiple approaches is key. Don't give up!

I've been following this thread closely because I'm in a similar boat - stuck in adjudication hell since mid-February. After reading about Emma's success, I decided to try the Claimyr service today and actually got through to a DEO agent in about 30 minutes! The agent found that my issue was related to a "base period wage discrepancy" that wasn't visible on my end in CONNECT. She said it happens when employers report wages differently than what's in the system, and it requires manual review. She was able to flag it for immediate processing and gave me a reference number to track the fix. What surprised me was how knowledgeable and helpful the agent was once I actually got through - completely different experience from the horror stories you hear. It really seems like the main problem is just the impossibility of reaching anyone, not necessarily unhelpful staff. For anyone still struggling: document everything, try multiple approaches at once, and don't give up. The system is broken but there are still ways to get help if you're persistent enough. Will update if my payments actually come through!

This thread has been incredibly helpful - thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions! I'm currently dealing with a similar situation where my claim has been "under review" for almost 8 weeks now. Reading about Emma's and Romeo's success stories gives me hope that there actually are real people working at DEO who can help once you get through to them. I'm planning to try the Claimyr service this week based on the positive feedback here, and I'll also follow up with the DOL complaint route if needed. It's absolutely ridiculous that Florida's unemployment system is this broken, but at least this community is helping each other navigate it. One question for those who successfully got through - did the agents give you any timeline estimates for when similar issues might be resolved? I'm trying to manage expectations while also preparing backup plans for rent/bills. Thanks again everyone for the detailed advice and updates!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been stuck in "pending adjudication" for 5 weeks now and was starting to lose hope. Reading about Emma's and Romeo's success stories is exactly what I needed to hear. It's frustrating that Florida's system is so broken that we have to find workarounds just to access benefits we've earned, but I'm grateful this community exists to help each other navigate it. I'm going to try the Claimyr service based on the positive experiences shared here, and also reach out to my state representative as a backup plan. The tip about saying "payment issue" instead of "claim status" when calling directly is something I hadn't heard before - will definitely try that too if I attempt calling on my own again. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and actually providing actionable solutions instead of just complaining. This gives me hope that there's light at the end of the tunnel!