Impossible to reach DEO agents by phone - FL system WAY worse than TN unemployment

Florida's DEO system is notoriously difficult to navigate compared to other states. I went through similar frustrations last year. The 'pending issues' status usually means they need additional information or verification, but they don't make it clear what they need. Have you checked your Determination/Pending Issue Summary page in CONNECT? Sometimes it gives clues about what's holding things up. Also, try calling right when they open at 7:30am - that's when I finally got through after weeks of trying.

the deo is the WORST!!!!! ive been waiting 8 weeks with 'pending adjudication' and cant pay my electric bill now. they dont care about us AT ALL

I was in the exact same situation last month after moving here from Georgia. The secret is to call the specific regional CareerSource office instead of the main DEO line. They have direct connections to DEO staff and can sometimes help push your claim through. Look up which CareerSource region covers your county and try them. That's how I finally got my 'pending issues' resolved after 5 weeks of getting nowhere with the main line.

Have you tried using Claimyr? It's the only thing that worked for me after 3 weeks of constant calling. It's a service that basically keeps dialing for you until it gets through to an agent, then connects you. I was skeptical at first but got connected to a DEO agent within 20 minutes after trying for weeks 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

Yes! Once I got through, the agent saw that my claim had an identity verification flag that didn't trigger the usual ID.me email notification. She fixed it right there and my payments started processing two days later. Worth every penny to not spend weeks more waiting.

The real issue with Florida's DEO is that after the 2020 surge, they drastically reduced staff but the system problems never got fixed. I work with an advocacy group for unemployment claimants and we hear these stories constantly. In addition to the suggestions above, try contacting your state representative's office. They have liaisons who can escalate DEO issues - I've seen them resolve cases that were stuck for months. Just Google "Florida find my representative" and it'll show you who to contact based on your address.

Make sure you keep claiming your weeks even while your claim shows pending issues!!! This is SUPER important. I didn't realize this when I had a similar problem and lost 3 weeks of benefits because I thought I couldn't claim until the pending issues were resolved. BIG mistake.

ya the FL system is designed to make ppl give up thats the truth... they dont want to pay benefits so they make it impossible to talk to anyone

I moved from New York to Florida last year and experienced the same culture shock with the unemployment system. What eventually worked for me was sending a physical letter (yes, actual mail!) to the DEO Appeals Unit explaining my situation. It sounds ridiculous but I got a call back within a week after trying the phone for a month straight. Sometimes the old-school methods work when technology fails. The address should be on your determination letter.

Just wanted to follow up - were you able to get through using any of these methods? I'm curious which one worked for you.