Reporting out-of-state unemployment income to Florida DEO - NJ benefits confusion

u dont put unemployment as a job lol. just list ur actual work history.

I moved from Pennsylvania last year and had the same question! DEO actually wants to know about your actual employers, not your previous benefits. But you definitely need to tell them you received benefits from another state.

You need to report your previous unemployment benefits in the 'Other Income' section of your Florida application. Make sure to indicate it was from New Jersey. Florida and New Jersey are part of the Interstate Connection Network (ICON), so DEO will verify your previous claim information with NJ. They'll check if you have any remaining eligibility on your NJ claim before establishing a Florida claim. Also important - Florida may use your NJ wage credits to establish your Florida claim. This is called a 'combined wage claim' where they combine your work history from multiple states to determine your benefit amount. The process takes longer than a regular Florida-only claim though.

When I transferred from New York to Florida last year, I had to report my previous benefits under 'Other Income' just like someone mentioned above. But here's the most important part - you MUST report all out-of-state employers from your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters). The system will prompt you to provide wage information. Also, be prepared for your claim to go into adjudication while they verify everything with New Jersey. Mine took about 5 weeks to resolve and required a fact-finding interview where they asked about my move and previous benefits. Make sure you continue claiming weeks during this process!

I WENT THROUGH THIS NIGHTMARE when I moved from Georgia!!! They kept saying they needed to 'verify my wages' with Georgia DOL for MONTHS. I called every day and got nowhere - always busy signals or disconnected after waiting for hours. My claim was pending for 9 WEEKS before they figured it out!!! If you start having problems getting through to talk to someone about your interstate claim, try Claimyr (claimyr.com). It's the ONLY way I got through to an actual person at DEO. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj - basically connects you with a DEO agent without the endless busy signals. Seriously saved my sanity when dealing with my interstate claim issues.

just make sure ur not trying to double dip and collect from both states at the same time thats fraud and theyll catch u

One more thing to keep in mind - if you had a higher weekly benefit amount in New Jersey, don't be surprised if your Florida amount is lower. Florida has a maximum weekly benefit of $375, which is much lower than many other states. The calculation will be based on Florida's rules regardless of what you received in NJ.

did you quit your New Jersey job to move to Florida? Because that might be considered voluntary and affect your eligibility. I had to show that my spouse got a job offer here as proof of good cause for relocating.

To answer your previous question about timeframes - yes, interstate claims typically take 4-6 weeks longer than regular claims. You'll need to be vigilant about checking your CONNECT account for fact-finding questionnaires and adjudication notices. They won't always call you - many communications happen through the CONNECT portal. Make sure your contact information is up-to-date so you don't miss any communications. And as others have mentioned, continue claiming your weeks even while waiting for the interstate verification process. You'll be paid retroactively for eligible weeks once approved.