First-time DEO application showing 'pending' status - what's my next step?

Welcome to the wonderful world of Florida unemployment! You need to start claiming your weeks right away, even while your application is pending. Go to the "Request Benefit Payment" section. You'll need to claim your weeks every two weeks - this is how you tell DEO you're still unemployed and looking for work. Also, start tracking your 5 work searches per week immediately - they'll ask for these when you claim weeks. Make sure your contact info is updated so you get notifications.

i was so confused to!! They dont make it clear at ALL what ur supposed to do after applying. i waited 2 weeks and didnt claim any weeks and almost got disqualified. Make sure u check ur inbox on connect for messages too, sometimes they send important stuff there but dont email u about it

Make sure you're checking your CONNECT inbox DAILY. The DEO won't necessarily email you when they need additional information, and if you miss their fact-finding questionnaires or requests for documents, your claim can be denied. Your claim status will stay "pending" until they finish reviewing your application, which honestly could take anywhere from a few days to several weeks. While waiting, claim your weeks as soon as you're eligible (the system will tell you when) and document your 5 work searches per week - screenshot everything because the system sometimes glitches and loses information!

Trying to get answers from DEO when your claim is stuck in pending is nearly impossible. After two weeks of busy signals and disconnects, I found Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me through to a live agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj. The agent was able to tell me exactly what was holding up my claim and what documents I needed to submit. Saved me weeks of waiting and wondering.

My claim was pending for almost 6 WEEKS. The whole time I kept claiming my weeks and doing work searches. Eventually it switched to active but MAN it was stressful. Just make sure you're doing everything right on your end and be patient (tho I know that's hard when bills are due!).

Everyone's giving great advice! One important thing: your claim status will be "pending" until they make an initial determination on your eligibility. Once approved, it will change to "active" - but even then, your PAYMENTS will still say "pending" until they process each individual week. So many different "pending" statuses, it's maddening! Also, set up direct deposit ASAP if you haven't already. Go to "View and Maintain Account Information" then "Payment Method" and select direct deposit. If you wait until after they approve your claim, you might get stuck with their debit card which takes longer and has fees.

To answer your follow-up question about work searches: When you claim your weeks, you'll be prompted to enter your work search activities directly into the system. You need to include company name, date of application, position, how you applied (online, in person), and contact info. But definitely keep your own separate record too with screenshots of applications, confirmation emails, etc. Florida DEO is notorious for randomly selecting people for work search audits.

btw my sister applied last month and her account got locked randomly for "verification" issues. if that happens dont freak out, just call or use that claimyr thing someone mentioned. the whole process is like designed to be confusing i swear

One last tip - create a DEO-specific email folder and save EVERY email they send you. Also document every time you log in, claim weeks, or make changes to your account (with dates and screenshots if possible). If there's ever a dispute about whether you followed procedures correctly, having your own documentation can save your claim. I learned this the hard way when they claimed I missed claiming a week that I definitely claimed. Good luck with your application!

Good luck with your claim! Just wanted to add one more thing that helped me - download the DEO mobile app if you haven't already. Sometimes when the website is down or glitchy (which happens A LOT), the mobile app still works. You can claim weeks, check messages, and update info through the app. Also, if you're having trouble finding the "Request Benefit Payment" section that Bethany mentioned, it's sometimes labeled differently - look for "Claim Weeks" or "Request Benefits" depending on how the system is feeling that day. The inconsistent labeling is another Florida DEO special feature! Keep us posted on how it goes.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this same confusion last year! One thing I didn't see mentioned - if you're getting any severance pay or have a pension, make sure to report that accurately when you claim your weeks. DEO is really strict about unreported income and it can cause major delays or even disqualification if they find out later. Also, if you worked for multiple employers in your base period, they might need to verify employment with each one, which can add time to the pending status. The waiting is definitely the hardest part, but it sounds like you're doing everything right now. Keep claiming those weeks even if it feels weird to do it while pending - that's totally normal and expected!

Hey Sebastián! Welcome to the Florida DEO adventure - you're definitely not alone in feeling overwhelmed! I see you've gotten tons of great advice already, but I wanted to add something that really helped me when I was in your shoes about 8 months ago. Keep a simple daily log of what you did regarding your claim - whether you checked CONNECT, claimed weeks, did work searches, or even just "no action taken today." I use a basic notebook and just write the date and what I did. This saved me when DEO questioned whether I had been claiming weeks consistently during my pending period. Having that written record made the difference between getting paid and having my claim denied. Also, don't be surprised if your claim status randomly changes back and forth sometimes - mine went from "pending" to "active" to "under review" and back to "active" within a single week. The system is... quirky. Just keep doing what everyone here told you to do and document everything. You've got this!