ID.me account says "already verifies another account" - can't authenticate DEO account after phone shut off

This is actually a pretty common issue with the DEO's ID.me system. When your phone service is disconnected, you need to take specific steps: 1. First, call DEO at 833-FL-APPLY (833-352-7759) using any phone you can borrow 2. Select option 5 for account assistance 3. Explain that you need an alternative authentication method due to phone service disconnection 4. They'll direct you to submit an identity verification form through your CONNECT inbox They should be able to reset your authentication method. The "already verifies another account" error means your email is somehow linked to a different DEO profile in their system. They'll need to manually untangle this.

omg the exact same thing happened to me!!! my phone got shut off and i couldnt get the text codes either. I spent like 3 weeks trying to fix it ugh so annoying

The DEO hotline is basically useless these days. I was having the SAME EXACT ISSUE last month and called literally 57 times before finally getting through. Total joke. The whole system is designed to prevent people from getting benefits!!! Try this email: DEO.CONNECT@deo.myflorida.com - sometimes they respond within a week, but don't count on it. Put "URGENT: ID.ME VERIFICATION FAILURE" in the subject line.

I went through something similar when my phone number changed. The issue is that ID.me can only link to one DEO account at a time. Here's what worked for me: I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually get through to a DEO agent. They have this service where they call DEO for you and connect you when they reach a real person. Saved me days of frustration! They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj that shows how it works. Once I got a live agent, they submitted a ticket to their ID.me liaison team who unlinked my old phone number and created a special temporary verification process for me. Took about 3 business days to resolve after that.

When this happened to me last year i had to physically go to a CareerSource office with my ID and social security card. They have direct lines to DEO representatives and helped me get it sorted out in person. Bring all your documentation though - driver's license, SS card, birth certificate if possible, and your claim information including your claimant ID number if you have it. Also bring something showing your correct email address.

Just to clarify on the ID.me issue specifically - the error message you're getting is because ID.me treats each identity as unique across the system. When it says the account "already verifies another account," that means your identity verification (which is tied to your SSN and legal identity, not just email) is already associated with a DEO account in their system. The resolution requires a DEO agent to reset the association in their database. Unfortunately, there's no self-service option for this specific problem, which is why everyone is suggesting different ways to reach a human agent. The fastest solution is typically: 1. Visit a CareerSource office in person (bring all ID documents) 2. Use a call service like Claimyr to get through the phone lines 3. If all else fails, send a formal written request via certified mail to DEO headquarters Keep claiming your weeks if possible during this process so you don't lose benefits while waiting for the ID.me issue to be fixed.

same problm here but it was cuz i had 2 different emails. one from when i filed in 2020 and another i was using now. the system got confused. anywayz i just gave up and used my moms phone # instead lol

UPDATE: I finally got this resolved! I ended up using Claimyr to reach a DEO representative after CareerSource said they couldn't help with ID.me issues directly. The DEO agent explained that when my phone was disconnected, someone else was assigned my old number, and they had tried to use ID.me with DEO (what are the odds??). That created the conflict in their system. The agent submitted a ticket to their IT department and had me create a brand new ID.me account with a completely different email. After 4 days, I received an email with special instructions to link the new ID.me to my existing CONNECT account. Everything's working now and I can access my account again! Thanks everyone for your help - this system is such a nightmare to navigate.

Wow, what a relief that you got this sorted out! This is such valuable information for anyone else facing this exact situation. The fact that someone else got assigned your old phone number and tried to use ID.me with DEO is honestly mind-blowing - but it explains why these authentication conflicts happen more often than people realize. Your step-by-step resolution process should definitely be pinned somewhere for future reference. The key takeaways seem to be: 1) Don't waste time with the regular phone lines, 2) Use Claimyr or similar services to actually reach a human, and 3) Be prepared to create a completely new ID.me account with a different email if there's a conflict in their system. Thanks for taking the time to update us with the solution - so many people post problems but never follow up with what actually worked!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently dealing with a similar ID.me authentication issue after my phone service was temporarily suspended. What strikes me most about Angelica's resolution is how the root cause was something completely unexpected - someone else being assigned her old phone number and attempting to use ID.me with DEO. For anyone else facing this nightmare, it seems like the key lessons are: 1. Don't waste days calling the regular DEO lines 2. Consider using Claimyr or visiting CareerSource in person to reach actual humans 3. Be prepared that you might need to create an entirely new ID.me account with a different email 4. The issue requires a DEO agent to manually reset the system association - there's no self-service fix I'm going to try the Claimyr route myself since I've been stuck in this loop for over a week now. The fact that this kind of technical glitch can completely block access to unemployment benefits during financial emergencies really highlights how broken this system is. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions!

This is such an important thread that needs to be preserved as a reference guide! I've been lurking in this community for months dealing with various DEO issues, but this specific ID.me authentication problem seems to be becoming more and more common. What really stands out to me is how Angelica's case reveals a fundamental flaw in how the system handles recycled phone numbers. The fact that telecoms can reassign disconnected numbers to new users who then attempt DEO verification creates these impossible conflicts that require manual intervention to resolve. I'm wondering if there's a way to get DEO to acknowledge this as a systemic issue rather than treating each case as a one-off problem? It seems like they could implement some kind of grace period or automatic conflict detection when phone numbers get recycled. For now though, this thread serves as the best troubleshooting guide I've seen for this specific nightmare scenario. The progression from trying traditional support channels to discovering services like Claimyr really shows how broken the official support system has become. Thanks to everyone who contributed their experiences - this kind of community knowledge sharing is literally saving people's livelihoods!

This thread is absolutely incredible and should be required reading for anyone dealing with DEO authentication issues! I've been working as a benefits advocate for over 5 years and I can't tell you how many clients I've seen get completely stuck in this exact ID.me nightmare. What's particularly valuable here is how this demonstrates that these aren't isolated technical glitches - they're predictable system failures that happen when phone numbers get recycled. I've started recommending that my clients immediately update their contact info to include backup email addresses and alternative phone numbers BEFORE they lose service, because once you're locked out, the resolution process is brutal. The community knowledge sharing here has identified solutions that frankly work better than the official support channels. I'm definitely going to start recommending Claimyr to clients who get stuck in phone queue hell, and the CareerSource in-person option is something I hadn't considered for ID.me specific issues. One additional tip: if you're currently receiving benefits and anticipate losing phone service, proactively contact DEO to set up alternative authentication BEFORE your service gets cut off. It's much easier to prevent this problem than to fix it after the fact. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical problem-solving that makes a real difference in people's lives!

As someone who works in IT support, I can add some technical context to this discussion that might help others understand why this ID.me authentication conflict happens so frequently with DEO. The core issue is that ID.me uses what's called "identity binding" - they create a unique digital fingerprint based on your personal information (SSN, legal name, etc.) that can only be associated with one government account at a time. When phone numbers get recycled by carriers (which happens faster than most people realize - sometimes within 30-90 days of disconnection), the new number holder might attempt to verify with ID.me for their own benefits, creating a conflict in the system. What makes this particularly problematic with DEO is that their integration with ID.me doesn't have robust conflict detection or self-service resolution tools. Most other government agencies have implemented fallback verification methods, but DEO seems to rely almost entirely on the ID.me pathway. For anyone currently dealing with this: document everything. Keep screenshots of error messages, note the dates and times of your attempts, and maintain a record of any reference numbers you receive. This documentation becomes crucial when you finally reach a human agent who needs to understand the technical specifics of your case. The solutions mentioned in this thread (Claimyr, CareerSource visits, creating new ID.me accounts) work because they bypass the automated systems and get you to humans who can manually override the conflicts. It's frustrating that this level of intervention is required for what should be a straightforward account access issue.