Out-of-state remote worker for FL company - DEO claim confusion and delays

This is a common issue with remote workers crossing state lines. Generally, you should file in the state where you physically performed the work (Pennsylvania in your case), even if your employer paid taxes to Florida. However, since your employer paid UI taxes to Florida, the states need to coordinate. This is called a 'combined wage claim' or sometimes an 'interstate claim'. PA should be processing your claim but they'll need to get wage information from Florida DEO. This takes longer than regular claims because the states have to communicate with each other. Have you received any communication from PA about a 'wage investigation' or 'interstate claim'?

I went through this exact situation last year (but reversed - FL resident working for PA company). The key is making sure both states are communicating. You need to call PA unemployment and specifically ask them to check the status of your 'combined wage claim' or 'interstate claim' with Florida. Ask them if they've received the wage information from Florida yet. If not, they should be able to tell you when they requested it. In my case, the wage information got lost between states and I had to make about 20 calls before finding someone who actually followed up. Don't take 'we're still processing' as an answer - ask specifically about the Florida wage verification.

The system is COMPLETELY BROKEN for remote workers!! I waited 3 MONTHS for my interstate claim between Florida and Georgia last year. Georgia blamed Florida, Florida blamed Georgia, and meanwhile I couldn't pay my rent!!! The states DON'T COMMUNICATE properly and your claim will just sit there forever unless you hound them daily. They lost my wage information TWICE and I had to have my former employer send it directly. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING and call BOTH STATES even if they tell you not to!!!

ur supposed to file where u physically worked (PA) but since ur company paid FL taxes its gonna be complicated. my buddy had similar issue took like 8 weeks to sort out. just keep calling

I had a similar situation trying to reach both FL DEO and another state's unemployment office. After weeks of failed attempts, I tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they actually got me connected to a DEO agent within 45 minutes when I couldn't get through for weeks on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj In interstate claims, you need to talk to actual agents who can check the status of wage transfers between states. The automated systems and online portals don't handle these special cases well. Once I got through to a real person, they were able to check what was happening with my wage information and actually push things forward.

To answer your question about timeframes - interstate claims typically take 4-8 weeks to process, sometimes longer if there are complications. It's not ideal, but it is normal for these cases to take longer than standard claims. You mentioned you're facing financial hardship while waiting. Make sure to look into emergency assistance programs in your area. Many counties have emergency rental assistance, utility payment help, and food banks that can help bridge the gap while you're waiting for unemployment benefits. When your claim is eventually processed, you should receive all backpay from your initial filing date.

im dealing w/ this right now too! so frustrating!! PA keeps telling me to wait but its been 6 weeks already. i finally got through to someone yesterday who said my FL wage info never came through and they had to request it again. now im back to waiting again 😭

One more important tip: call Florida DEO directly and ask if they've received a wage request from Pennsylvania for your claim. If they say yes, ask when they responded. If they say no, you'll know Pennsylvania hasn't properly initiated the request. Also, check if your former Florida employer has received any verification requests about your employment. Sometimes employers delay responding to these requests, which holds up the entire process. You might want to contact your former employer's HR department to make sure they've responded to any unemployment verification requests.

Yes, you should receive backpay from your initial filing date if your claim is approved. Just make sure you're completing all your weekly certifications while you wait, even though you're not receiving payments yet. Missing those weekly claims can complicate your backpay situation. Regarding approval rates for interstate claims - they're not necessarily denied more often, but they do face more administrative hurdles. The key factors are still the same: did you lose your job through no fault of your own, do you have sufficient work history/earnings, and are you able and available for work. The interstate aspect mainly affects processing time, not eligibility criteria.

Just wanted to say hang in there! My interstate claim between Florida and another state took 7 weeks to process last year, but I did eventually get all my backpay. The waiting is horrible but keep pushing and documenting everything.

One more thing - check if PA has an unemployment office you can visit IN PERSON. I finally resolved my interstate claim when I went in person and refused to leave until someone helped me. Phone calls and online messages get ignored but when you're sitting in their office they sometimes magically find solutions!!

I'm going through something similar right now! I'm a remote worker from Texas for a Florida company and just filed my claim last week. After reading all these experiences, I'm already dreading the wait. One thing I learned from my research is that you should also document every single phone call you make - date, time, who you spoke with, and what they told you. I started a spreadsheet because I have a feeling I'll be making A LOT of calls based on everyone's experiences here. Also, has anyone tried reaching out to their state representatives or senators for help? I've heard sometimes their offices can push government agencies to respond faster when constituents are facing hardship. Might be worth a shot if you've been waiting over a month with no progress. Stay strong - it sounds like most people eventually get their benefits, it just takes way longer than it should for interstate claims!

I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now - remote worker from North Carolina for a Florida company. Filed my claim with NC unemployment 3 weeks ago and it's been radio silence ever since. Reading through all these comments is both terrifying and reassuring at the same time! A few things I've learned from my own research that might help: - Make sure you have copies of all your tax documents showing FL employment taxes were paid - Keep detailed records of every interaction with both state agencies - Don't rely solely on online portals - they often don't show the full picture for interstate claims I'm going to try that Claimyr service mentioned earlier since I literally cannot get through to anyone at NC unemployment. Has anyone else had success with similar callback services for interstate claims specifically? Also planning to contact my former employer's HR department tomorrow to make sure they're responding promptly to any verification requests. It's ridiculous that we have to manage this process ourselves when it should be automatic between the states! Hang in there everyone - sounds like persistence is key even though the system is completely broken for remote workers.

I'm currently going through this exact same situation! Remote worker from California for a Florida company, filed with CA unemployment 5 weeks ago and it's been a complete mess. Reading everyone's experiences here is both helpful and terrifying. What I've learned so far: - CA unemployment told me they requested wage info from Florida 3 weeks ago, but when I called FL DEO yesterday they said they never received any request - My former employer's payroll department confirmed they paid all UI taxes to Florida, not California - I've been filing my weekly certifications but haven't received a penny yet Based on everyone's advice here, I'm going to: 1. Start calling BOTH states daily until I get real humans who can track the wage request 2. Contact my former employer's HR to make sure they respond quickly to any verification requests 3. Document everything in a spreadsheet like @Oliver Schulz suggested 4. Look into that Claimyr service if I can't get through on my own The most frustrating part is that this should be a routine process between states, but instead we're stuck managing it ourselves while our bills pile up. At least knowing that others have eventually gotten their backpay gives me some hope! Has anyone had success getting their state's unemployment office to put a rush on the interstate wage request? I'm wondering if there's specific language I should use when I call.

I'm dealing with this nightmare right now too! Remote worker from Virginia for a Florida company, been waiting 6 weeks since filing with VA unemployment. This thread has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea interstate claims were this broken. What's really helped me so far based on everyone's advice: - Started that spreadsheet to track every call (wish I'd done this from day one!) - Found out my former employer never responded to the initial verification request - they didn't even know they were supposed to - VA unemployment claimed they sent wage request to Florida 4 weeks ago, but FL DEO has no record of receiving it I'm going to try the Claimyr service tomorrow since I literally cannot get through to either state's phone lines. It's insane that we have to pay a third party service just to talk to our own government agencies! For anyone else going through this - don't trust what the online portals say about "processing." Call and demand specifics about what step your claim is actually on. The automated systems have no clue how to handle interstate situations. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences here. At least we know we're not alone in this bureaucratic hellscape and that persistence eventually pays off (literally)!

I'm dealing with this exact same interstate nightmare right now! Remote worker from Colorado for a Florida company, been waiting 8 weeks since filing with Colorado unemployment and getting absolutely nowhere. What's really helped me after reading through this entire thread: - Finally got through to FL DEO yesterday using that Claimyr service someone mentioned - turns out Colorado never actually sent any wage verification request despite telling me they did 6 weeks ago! - My former employer's payroll department had been waiting for verification requests that never came - Started calling both states daily with specific questions about case numbers and reference IDs like others suggested The breakthrough came when I got both states on a three-way call (took me 47 attempts to coordinate this) and we discovered the wage request was sitting in Colorado's "pending interstate queue" with no one assigned to process it. The agent was able to send it while we were all on the phone together. For anyone just starting this process - don't trust ANYTHING either state tells you about "processing" or "waiting for information." Demand specifics, get reference numbers, and verify everything with both states. The system is completely broken but persistence does eventually pay off. I should finally get my first payment next week after 8 weeks of hell, but at least I'll get all the backpay. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - this thread literally saved my sanity and gave me the roadmap to finally get results!

I'm currently dealing with this exact same situation as a remote worker from Arizona for a Florida company! Filed with Arizona unemployment 3 weeks ago and this thread has been absolutely eye-opening about what I'm actually facing. Based on everyone's experiences here, I realize I need to stop passively waiting and start being aggressive about managing this process myself. Arizona unemployment just keeps telling me to "wait for processing" but clearly that means nothing is actually happening behind the scenes. Starting tomorrow I'm going to: - Call FL DEO directly to verify if they've actually received any wage verification request from Arizona - Get my former employer's payroll department involved proactively to make sure they're ready for verification requests - Start that documentation spreadsheet everyone's mentioned (wish I'd started this 3 weeks ago!) - Try that Claimyr service if I can't get through to actual humans The three-way call strategy that @Zadie Patel mentioned is brilliant - I never would have thought to coordinate both states on the same call to force them to actually communicate instead of just claiming they are. This thread should honestly be required reading for any remote worker. The fact that we have to become our own case managers for what should be a routine government process is absolutely insane, but at least now I know what I'm up against. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and strategies!