Found a way out of DEO pending status - 27 weeks stuck with no payments

You're absolutely right about contacting your representative - it's the most effective solution when you're stuck in the DEO system. I was in a similar situation last year with 19 weeks of pending payments after my identity verification failed in CONNECT but showed complete in ID.me. Called hundreds of times, emailed the provided contact addresses, even tried visiting a CareerSource office in person. NOTHING worked until I contacted my state representative. They have direct contacts at DEO that can bypass the normal channels. Within 8 days of contacting my rep, all my pending weeks switched to paid status. Make sure to provide your rep with your claimant ID number, full legal name, date of birth, last 4 of SSN, and detailed timeline of your issue. The more organized your information, the faster they can help.

My account was pending for like 2 months then suddenly approved last week. never did anything special just waited lol. i think they just randomly get to ppl eventually

Interesting about that 30-day policy! I've been stuck for 11 weeks with "adjudication in progress" on my account and none of the DEO agents I spoke with mentioned this. They just kept saying "be patient" and "the system is backlogged." Going to call my rep right now. Quick question though - did you have any adjudication issues or just pending payments? Did they tell you what caused the lock on your account from January to March?

Has anyone tried Claimyr? My sister-in-law was stuck in pending for about 8 weeks and couldn't get through on the phone either. She used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got her connected to an actual DEO agent in like 30 minutes instead of constantly getting busy signals. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj. She said it was worth it because the agent was able to tell her exactly why her claim was stuck (missing employment verification) and what to submit. Might be worth trying before waiting on the legislative route which can still take weeks.

The 30-day escalation policy is real, but getting them to honor it is another story altogether. I worked as a CareerSource career coach during 2020-2022 and saw hundreds of cases like yours. Here's what's likely happening: When they requested your 2019 W2, it triggered an employment wage verification investigation, which puts all payments on hold. The system is supposed to only verify your most recent employment quarter before filing, but sometimes it flags older periods, especially if there's a discrepancy between what you reported and what's in their system. The legislative route is definitely your best option at this point. Legislators can request what's called a "Constituent Services Inquiry" which forces DEO to review the account within 5-7 business days. Make sure your representative submits this specific type of request. Also, document EVERYTHING. If your issue isn't resolved after the representative's intervention, you have grounds for a complaint with the Department of Financial Services and possibly the Office of Inspector General. Both have authority over DEO and can force action.

THE ENTIRE DEO SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO DENY BENEFITS!!! I've been fighting with them since January too. They locked me out, then wanted ID verification AGAIN even though I already did ID.me, then put me in adjudication for "ability to work" even though I answered everything correctly. 6 MONTHS OF MY LIFE WASTED trying to get what I'm entitled to!!! They hope people just give up. AND THEY'RE STILL USING THAT BROKEN CONNECT SYSTEM that cost taxpayers $81 MILLION!!! My rep helped a little but told me there's a huge backlog of legislative requests because so many people are having issues. Call EVERY DAY until they help you!

thanks for sharing this info!! my claim has been stuck pending for 9 weeks now and i've been freaking out about rent. just found my rep and sent an email with all my info. fingers crossed this works!! did they say how long it typically takes once the rep contacts DEO?

anyone know if this works for overpayment issues too? deo saying i owe $4200 but it was their mistake

UPDATE: My representative's office just called me back! They submitted my case to their DEO contact yesterday and said I should see movement within 7-10 business days. The assistant specifically mentioned that 27 weeks of pending payments is "way outside the acceptable timeframe" and they're marking it as urgent. She also said they've had dozens of similar cases in recent months, so everyone is right about this being a widespread issue. Will update again when (hopefully) payments start moving!