This is an incredibly helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - won my appeal in September but still haven't received any payments. Reading through everyone's experiences gives me hope and a clear action plan. For anyone else who might find this thread, here's what I'm taking away as the key steps: 1. Call and specifically ask for "Special Projects" or "Appeal Payment Processing" 2. Mention the "technical flag" that needs manual removal 3. Request an "expedited payment release" due to financial hardship 4. Use services like Claimyr if you can't get through on your own 5. Contact your state representative's office if all else fails @Zachary Hughes thank you for keeping us updated throughout your process - it's so rare to see someone follow through with updates after getting their issue resolved. This thread should be pinned as a resource for others! Going to try calling the Benefits Payment Control Unit number tomorrow morning. Wish me luck!

This thread is incredibly valuable - thank you @Zachary Hughes for documenting your entire journey and providing updates! As someone who works with unemployment cases, I want to add a few additional tips that might help others in similar situations: 1. **Document everything**: Keep a log of every call attempt with date/time, any confirmation numbers, and names of representatives you speak with 2. **Email backup**: Send yourself an email summary after each successful call - this creates a timestamp record of what was promised 3. **Check for system glitches**: Sometimes after appeals, your claim can get "stuck" between different processing queues. Ask the agent to verify which queue your claim is currently in 4. **Payment method verification**: Double-check that your direct deposit info wasn't somehow corrupted during the appeal process - this is more common than people realize The "technical flag" issue @Zachary Hughes mentioned is actually a known problem in the CONNECT system where appeals reversals don't always trigger the automatic payment release. It's frustrating that claimants have to know to ask specifically about this. For anyone still struggling: if you've tried all the suggested phone numbers and services, you can also file a complaint with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity's ombudsman office. Sometimes having an official complaint on file can expedite resolution. Great job staying persistent - your story will definitely help others navigate this broken system!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - 5 months is absolutely ridiculous! I went through something similar last year where my claim was stuck for 3 months. What finally worked for me was a combination approach: 1. I called the DEO executive escalation line at (850) 245-7105 - this bypasses the regular customer service queue 2. Filed a complaint with my local state representative AND senator (not just one) 3. Submitted a written complaint to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Director's office via certified mail The key thing that seemed to get attention was when I mentioned in all my communications that I was documenting everything for potential legal action due to the unreasonable delay. Within 2 weeks of doing all three things, my claim suddenly moved forward. Also, don't just rely on the chat feature - it's basically useless. The responses are supposed to show up in your CONNECT inbox under "Correspondence" but most people report never getting replies anyway. Keep claiming your weeks no matter what! When this gets resolved (and it will), you'll get all the back pay you're owed. Hang in there!

I feel for you - this system is absolutely broken and 5 months is unacceptable. I've been helping people navigate DEO issues for years and here's what I'd recommend trying immediately: 1. Call the DEO Reemployment Assistance Program at (833) 352-7759 at exactly 7:30 AM when they open - don't wait until 8 AM 2. If you can't get through by phone, try the online virtual queue system at floridajobs.org - sometimes this works better than calling 3. Contact your state legislature representatives - both House and Senate. Their constituent services can often get DEO to respond within days 4. File a complaint with the Florida Department of Management Services Ombudsman Program For the chat responses - they're supposed to appear in your CONNECT inbox under "Correspondence" but honestly, most people never get replies. The chat feature is basically abandoned. One thing that's helped others: when you do reach someone, ask them to check for "system flags" or "automation holds" on your account. Sometimes claims get stuck in automated loops that only a specialist can clear manually. Document everything - dates, times, confirmation numbers, who you spoke with. If this drags on much longer, you may want to consider consulting with an unemployment attorney. Some work on contingency for cases involving unreasonable delays. Keep claiming your weeks and don't give up! You will eventually get your back pay.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - been waiting 3 months for payments that show as "processed" but never arrived. One thing that helped me was creating a detailed timeline document with screenshots of my CONNECT account showing the payment dates and amounts, then screenshots of my Way2Go card statement showing no corresponding deposits. When you do get through to DEO (whether by phone, email, or CareerSource), having this visual evidence ready makes it much easier for them to see exactly what's wrong. I also recommend taking screenshots every few days to track if anything changes in your account status. The payment tracer request that Zara mentioned is definitely your best bet - it forces them to track where exactly your money got stuck in their system. Good luck and don't give up! You're entitled to that money.

I went through almost the exact same nightmare last year! Had 15 weeks stuck in "payable" status for months while I was drowning in bills. What finally worked for me was filing a formal complaint with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity's Inspector General office. You can do this online at their website under "Report Fraud, Waste or Abuse" - even though this isn't fraud, they classify payment processing failures under this category. When I filed the complaint, I included my claimant ID, the specific weeks that were stuck, screenshots of the payable status, and proof that my payment method was correctly set up. Within 10 business days, I got a call from a DEO supervisor who manually released all my stuck payments. Apparently there was some kind of "batch processing error" that affected hundreds of accounts but wasn't being automatically flagged for review. The Inspector General route bypasses the regular customer service nightmare and gets your case to people who actually have the authority to fix system-level issues. It's worth trying alongside the other suggestions people have given you. Don't let them steal months of your life over their broken system!

So glad you got it resolved! This gives me hope for my own situation. I've been dealing with a similar issue where my payment shows as "issued" but never hit my account. Been 2 weeks now. Definitely going to try that early morning calling strategy and maybe look into the Claimyr service if I keep getting nowhere. Thanks for updating us with the resolution - it's helpful to know these system glitches can actually be fixed once you get to the right person!

This thread has been so helpful! I'm dealing with a similar phantom payment situation right now - shows "issued" on January 22nd but nothing in my account after 9 days. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like this is unfortunately pretty common with DEO's system. I'm going to try the 7:30am calling strategy tomorrow morning and also send an email to that FIRRE address someone mentioned. It's reassuring to know that @Reginald got his resolved even though it took weeks - gives me hope that persistence will eventually pay off. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!

I'm really sorry you're going through this tough situation. As others have mentioned, Florida's unemployment system is pretty strict about the "able and available to work" requirement. One thing I'd add - if you haven't already, make sure to document everything about your short-term disability denial. Sometimes these denials are based on missing paperwork or technicalities that can be corrected on appeal. Also, when you do have your surgery and are cleared to return to work, you might be able to reapply for unemployment at that point if your job isn't available. The timing is tricky, but it's worth understanding all your options. Hang in there!

I went through something very similar when I had to have gallbladder surgery last year. The whole system feels really unfair when you're dealing with a medical issue that's completely out of your control, but unfortunately Florida's unemployment rules are pretty black and white about this. One thing that helped me was calling my employer's HR department and asking if they had any employee assistance programs or emergency hardship funds - some larger companies have these but don't always advertise them well. Also, if you're part of a union, they sometimes have relief funds for members in situations like yours. Another option to look into is applying for emergency assistance through your county's social services department. They often have one-time help programs for people facing temporary financial hardship due to medical issues. The amounts aren't huge, but every bit helps when you're trying to keep the lights on. Best of luck with your surgery and recovery! Don't give up on appealing that short-term disability denial either - sometimes persistence pays off.