I've been dealing with this same nightmare for the past month! The DEO phone system is absolutely broken and it's clear they're hoping we'll just give up. After reading through all these helpful responses, I wanted to share what's been working for me lately: I've had the most success calling between 7:28-7:31am on Tuesday through Thursday mornings. It still takes multiple attempts (usually 8-12 tries), but I've managed to get through 3 times in the past 2 weeks using this window. The key is to call RIGHT before they officially open at 7:30am and be ready to immediately navigate through the menu options. Also, definitely check your "Determinations and Pending Issues" section in CONNECT like others mentioned - mine showed a similar "able and available" flag that I didn't even know existed. Once I knew what the specific issue was, the agent was able to address it directly instead of us both guessing what was wrong. The system is absolutely infuriating, but don't give up! Your benefits are there waiting for you - it's just a matter of getting past their deliberately difficult barriers. Keep trying the early morning calls and consider the Inspector General complaint route if you're still stuck after a few more attempts.

I'm so glad to see this thread and all the helpful advice! I've been dealing with the exact same issue for almost 4 weeks now - my claim has been stuck in "pending" status and I get disconnected every single time I call. It's incredibly frustrating and honestly feels like they're deliberately making it impossible to get help. I'm definitely going to try the 7:29am calling strategy that several people have mentioned, and I'll also check my determinations section to see if there's a specific issue listed like the "able and available" flag others have found. It's ridiculous that we have to become detectives just to figure out what's wrong with our own claims! Has anyone had success with the email option through CONNECT? I sent a message 5 days ago but haven't heard anything back. At this point I'm willing to try every suggestion in this thread - the CareerSource visit, the Inspector General complaint, everything. It's so wrong that people who've lost their jobs have to jump through all these hoops just to get the benefits we're entitled to. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and strategies. At least now I know I'm not alone in this mess and there might actually be light at the end of the tunnel!

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now! Got laid off in late November with 14 weeks of severance pay and my claim has been stuck in adjudication for almost 6 weeks. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been SO helpful - I was starting to panic that something was seriously wrong with my claim. A few things I've learned that might help others: 1. I called the DEO customer service line at exactly 7:30 AM on a Tuesday and actually got through after being on hold for 2 hours. The agent confirmed that my adjudication is specifically for the severance pay calculation and that I should expect benefits to start automatically once my 14-week period ends. 2. I've been using a spreadsheet to track exactly when each week of my severance period ends - it helps me stay sane knowing there's an actual end date to this waiting. 3. During this time I've been doing freelance graphic design work and reporting it on my biweekly claims. As long as you report ALL income honestly, it shouldn't hurt your claim. The most frustrating part is how the DEO website makes it seem like you'll get benefits right away, but then you find out about these waiting periods through trial and error. At least we have this community to help each other figure out the real process! Keep hanging in there everyone - we'll get through this bureaucratic nightmare together.

I went through this exact same situation last year with a 12-week severance package! The waiting period is definitely frustrating, but here's what I learned: DEO treats your lump sum severance as if you're receiving weekly paychecks for the duration it's meant to cover. So yes, you'll likely need to wait the full 13 weeks before benefits start. The key things to remember: 1) Keep claiming your weeks religiously - even though you won't get paid for those weeks, you MUST claim them to maintain eligibility, 2) Use this time to stay on top of your work search requirements (5 activities per week), and 3) The adjudication process is reviewing your severance documentation to calculate exactly when your benefits can begin. I know it's incredibly stressful not knowing when money will start coming in, but once that 13-week period ends, your benefits should kick in automatically if you've been claiming consistently. The system is definitely not user-friendly, but you're doing everything right by staying proactive about it. Hang in there - February will come faster than you think!

This entire thread has been a lifesaver! I've been stuck in adjudication purgatory for almost a month and was starting to lose hope. Reading through everyone's experiences and seeing the actual success stories from @Liam Brown, @Butch Sledgehammer, and @Marcelle Drum has completely changed my approach. I've been doing the classic mistake of just repeatedly calling the general helpline hoping for different results. The systematic documentation strategy that everyone's describing makes so much sense - creating a paper trail that shows the inconsistencies and proves you've been working within their system. I'm planning to combine several approaches mentioned here: 1. Detailed email to [email protected] with a comprehensive spreadsheet of all my interactions 2. Submit complaint through Customer Feedback portal simultaneously 3. Have the ombudsman email as backup ([email protected]) 4. Contact state rep if needed The fact that multiple people got actual results with this organized approach gives me real hope. It's absolutely insane that we have to become forensic investigators of our own cases, but if that's what breaks through this broken system, then that's what we'll do. Starting my documentation tonight and will definitely update with results. Thank you all for sharing real solutions - this community is what's getting us through this nightmare! 💪

I've been lurking in this thread for a while because I'm dealing with the same adjudication nightmare - going on 5+ weeks now with no resolution. Reading everyone's experiences has been both frustrating and incredibly helpful. The systematic documentation approach that @Liam Brown, @Butch Sledgehammer, and others have shared is exactly what I needed to see. I've been making the same mistake as many others - just calling randomly and hoping for different results each time. The spreadsheet idea with detailed timelines showing all the conflicting information is brilliant. Based on all the success stories here, I'm going to try the comprehensive approach: detailed email to [email protected] with my interaction timeline, simultaneous Customer Feedback complaint, and keep the ombudsman office ([email protected]) as backup. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to become case investigators just to access our own benefits, but this community sharing real solutions gives me hope. The pattern is clear - organized persistence with proper documentation gets results where random phone calls don't. Starting my spreadsheet tonight and will definitely update with results. Thank you all for turning this broken system into something we can actually navigate! This thread should be pinned as a resource for anyone dealing with DEO adjudication issues.

I just went through this exact same situation two weeks ago and it was absolutely maddening! Here's what finally worked for me after trying everything: Call Way2Go at 1-833-888-2780 at exactly 7:00 AM (set your alarm for 6:58) and immediately ask to speak to a supervisor about "emergency expedited delivery due to financial hardship." Don't waste time with regular reps - they often can't authorize expedites. The supervisor was able to overnight my card for $25 which came out of my loaded benefits. I had it the next morning! Also, before you call, log into CONNECT and screenshot your payment confirmation showing the funds were deposited - sometimes they try to claim payments haven't processed yet. And triple-check that your mailing address in CONNECT exactly matches what Way2Go has on file - even apartment numbers being slightly different can cause huge delays. I know how stressful it is having your money sitting there while bills pile up, but don't give up! The system is broken but you CAN get through it faster with the right approach. You've got this!

I'm dealing with this exact same nightmare right now! Just got my benefits approved and paid out yesterday but still no Way2Go card in sight. Reading through everyone's advice here has been incredibly helpful - way more useful than anything I could find on the official DEO website. I'm definitely going to try the 7am supervisor strategy that multiple people mentioned, plus contact my local CareerSource office as backup. The stress of having approved benefits just sitting there inaccessible while rent is overdue is absolutely crushing. It's insane that in 2025 we still have to become experts at navigating phone trees and bureaucratic loopholes just to access our own money. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and specific tips - this community support means everything when the actual system fails us completely. Going to set my alarm for 6:58am and attack this first thing tomorrow morning!

I'm currently stuck in week 3 of the "employer response pending" nightmare myself, and this thread has been absolutely invaluable! After reading all these success stories, I'm convinced the issue is that regular customer service agents simply don't have the system access to resolve what appear to be technical matching problems. Based on everyone's experiences, I'm planning to try a targeted approach tomorrow: 1. Use Claimyr first thing in the morning (around 7:30am) to bypass the phone queue hell 2. Ask specifically to speak with someone in the adjudication department about an employer response matching issue - NOT regular customer service 3. Be very clear that my employer confirmed they submitted their response weeks ago but it's not being properly matched to my claim The fact that @Zane Gray got his issue fixed instantly once he reached the right person gives me hope that many of us are just stuck in a technical processing limbo that can be resolved quickly with the right access. Also planning to send that detailed email to my state representative as backup - including exact dates, reference numbers, and emphasizing the financial hardship like @Hazel Garcia suggested. Thank you all for sharing actual actionable strategies instead of just the usual "keep calling" advice. This thread has been more helpful than weeks of dealing with DEO directly. Will definitely update with results!

I'm currently in week 2 of the "employer response pending" status and this thread has been incredibly helpful! After reading all these success stories, I'm realizing that my approach of just calling the main number repeatedly has been completely wrong. It's clear that regular customer service agents simply don't have the system access to fix what seem to be technical matching issues between employer responses and our claims. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service tomorrow morning - the fact that @Zane Gray got connected to adjudication in 20 minutes and had his issue resolved immediately is exactly what I need. I love how specific everyone is being about asking for "adjudication" rather than general customer service, since that seems to be the key difference. Also planning to email my state representative today with all the details @Hazel Garcia mentioned - exact dates, reference numbers, timeline of failed attempts. The 48-hour response time she got from the DEO liaison is incredible and shows how effective that legislative route can be. It's both encouraging and frustrating to see how many of these are just data processing glitches that can be fixed in minutes once you reach someone with proper system access. Thank you all for sharing real actionable strategies - this thread has been more useful than weeks of calling DEO directly!