Is 4-month DEO adjudication delay normal? My claim's been stuck since March

Unfortunately, lengthy adjudication periods are pretty common with Florida DEO right now. I was stuck for about 10 weeks before my claim was finally processed. The key is getting through to an actual adjudicator who can review your claim. Regular call center agents can't help much with claims stuck in adjudication - you specifically need an adjudicator to review whatever is flagged in your account. Have you tried contacting your state representative? That sometimes helps speed things up.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHY THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!! They're INTENTIONALLY creating these delays hoping you'll go away!!! I waited 5 months last year and only got my benefits after threatening legal action. The DEO is a MESS and nobody in Tallahassee cares! They changed the system to make it HARDER for legitimate claimants to get benefits they EARNED. My advice? Blow up their phones every single day, document EVERYTHING, and file a complaint with the Department of Labor. It's ridiculous we have to jump through these hoops just to get what we're entitled to!!!

I had a similar situation back in February. My claim was stuck for about 5 months in adjudication because my previous employer contested my eligibility (I was laid off but they claimed misconduct). What helped me was reaching out to my state representative's office. They have staff who can contact DEO directly on your behalf and often get quicker responses. Just Google "[your county] Florida state representative" and you'll find their contact info. They usually have a form specifically for constituent services.

have u checked ur inbox in the CONNECT system? sometimes they send fact finding questions there and if u dont answer them in 7 days it can delay everything. also check the determination section, they might have sent something u need to appeal but didnt notify u by email/text. the system is designed to be confusing on purpose tbh

I had the same issue for almost 4 months and finally managed to get through to an adjudicator who fixed my claim. The trick is reaching an actual DEO agent who can transfer you to the adjudication department. I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent within 45 minutes instead of spending weeks trying to get through. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj The agent explained that my claim was flagged for income verification, but there was a glitch where the system never sent me the request for documents. Once I spoke with the adjudicator, they cleared it up and I got my first payment 3 days later with all my back weeks. Definitely worth reaching a real person who can tell you exactly why your claim is stuck.

In response to the question about Claimyr - yes, it does work. I was skeptical too, but it connected me to an agent when I'd been trying for weeks with no success. The agent explained my claim was stuck because the system had flagged a potential overlap with a previous employer, but no one had reviewed it. The key is getting to an agent who can see exactly what's holding up your claim.

To answer your question about documentation for your state rep: It helps to provide them with your claimant ID number, the date you filed your initial claim, screenshots of your CONNECT account showing the pending status, and a list of all the times you've attempted to contact DEO with no response. This gives them everything they need to advocate on your behalf. Also, if there's a specific hardship (like your eviction risk), definitely mention that as it can help them prioritize your case.

my neighbor works for deo (not supposed to tell anyone lol) but she said theyre super understaffed right now and claims from march-april got kinda buried in the system during a software update. she said if u can actually reach someone they can usually fix it fast but getting through is the hard part. good luck!!

Just a quick update - I received my backpay last month after my state rep intervened. It took about 2 weeks from the time I contacted them until my claim was fixed. Definitely be persistent with both DEO and your representative's office. For what it's worth, my adjudication was delayed because my former employer didn't respond to DEO's request for information within the timeframe, but instead of automatically approving my claim (which should happen), it got stuck in limbo. Only when someone manually reviewed it did it get approved.

To answer your other question - when you do get through to an agent (whether via Claimyr or other means), ask them to transfer you to an adjudicator or at minimum, have them add detailed notes to your account about your attempts to resolve the issue. Regular agents can't fix adjudication issues, but they can escalate your claim for review. Make sure to get the agent's name and ID number for your records. Sometimes just having an agent properly document your situation can move your claim up in the priority queue.

UPDATE: I finally got through to DEO this morning using Claimyr! The agent confirmed my claim was stuck because my former employer reported different dates of employment than what I entered (literally off by 2 days). She transferred me to an adjudicator who fixed it on the spot and released all my weeks for payment! The agent said I should see the money in 2-3 business days. THANK YOU everyone for your help and advice! I'm so relieved after months of stress.