congratulations!! the payments should show up in a few days. make sure you keep claiming weeks

Congratulations on getting approved! Your experience really shows how unpredictable the CONNECT system can be. The fact that the adjudication message disappeared and then the determination letter appeared the next day is actually pretty typical timing from what I've seen. For others still waiting - this is a great example of why it's worth checking your CONNECT inbox daily even if you don't get email notifications. The payments should start processing within the next few business days now that you have that approval letter. Keep us posted on when the money hits your account!

@OP regarding your question about part-time work - yes, that could potentially help you qualify for a new claim when your benefit year ends. To qualify for a new claim, you need to have earned wages in at least 2 quarters of your base period (which will be the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you apply). You also need to have earned at least $3,800 total during your base period. Keep all your pay stubs and employment information - you'll need it when filing a new claim. And for what it's worth, while Florida's system is frustrating, the DEO website has improved a bit since 2020-2021. The information is there, just not always easy to find. Always check both the main CONNECT dashboard AND your inbox for important updates about your claim status and remaining benefits.

Just wanted to add one more tip that helped me - if you're worried about missing important notifications from DEO, make sure to check your spam/junk email folder regularly. I almost missed my benefit exhaustion notice because it went to spam! Also, the CONNECT mobile app sometimes shows notifications that don't appear on the desktop version, so it's worth checking both. And definitely keep screenshots of your monetary status page showing your remaining benefits - I've heard of people having issues where the numbers changed unexpectedly and having documentation helped when they had to call DEO to sort it out.

I bet the problem is your last employer info. My brother had the same issue and it turned out he needed to use the LEGAL company name (like "Walmart Stores East, LP" instead of just "Walmart"). Try looking at your W-2 or paystub for the exact legal name of your last employer. The system tries to match it with their records.

Glad you got it sorted out! For anyone else dealing with similar issues, I've found that the CONNECT system is super picky about data formatting. A few other things that helped me when I had submission problems: make sure there are NO spaces before or after any text you enter (especially email addresses), use only standard keyboard characters (no copy/pasted text that might have hidden formatting), and if you have multiple jobs with the same employer, list them as separate entries with slightly different date ranges rather than trying to combine them. The system seems to handle simple, clean data much better than anything complex. Hope this saves someone else the headache!

One additional note - after the first payment goes through following your bank change, make sure your next claimed weeks don't have any issues. Sometimes there can be a cascade effect where the first delay triggers additional verification requirements. If you don't receive your payment by next Tuesday (which would be 7 business days), then you should definitely contact DEO directly to ensure there isn't something else going on with your claim.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago when I switched from my credit union to TD Bank. The waiting period is nerve-wracking, especially when you have bills coming due! In my case, it took exactly 6 business days for the payment to show up in my new account. One thing that helped me during the wait was setting up account alerts on my new Chase account so I'd get notified immediately when the deposit hit. Also, if you haven't already, take a screenshot of your CONNECT account showing the "processed" status and your updated bank info - just in case you need it later if something goes wrong. The good news is that once this first payment clears, future payments should go back to the normal 1-2 day processing time. Hang in there - you're probably just a day or two away from seeing that deposit!

I'm dealing with this exact same "Benefit Charging" nightmare right now! Been waiting 3 weeks already and getting the same runaround from different agents every time I call. One told me 10 business days, another said 30 calendar days, and the last one couldn't even find my case notes. It's like they're all reading from different scripts! The most frustrating part is how they act like WE'RE the problem when their own system is broken. I've been paying into unemployment insurance for over 8 years through my employers - this isn't charity, it's insurance I'm entitled to use! Thanks for sharing the September timeline info though, at least now I have something concrete to reference when I call back. Going to start documenting everything like others suggested here.

This is infuriating but sadly not surprising. I'm going through the exact same "Benefit Charging" nightmare right now - been stuck for 5 weeks and counting. Every agent gives me a different story about timelines, and I swear they're just making up dates to get us off the phone. What really gets me is how they lecture us about having "backup plans" when unemployment insurance IS the backup plan we've all been paying into! I've been contributing to this system for 10+ years through payroll deductions, and now when I actually need it, they act like I'm asking for a handout. The part about your agent mumbling when you asked about HIS backup plan is priceless though 😂 These people have secure government jobs telling unemployed folks to "plan better" - the irony is unreal. I'm definitely marking down that September 18th date and will be calling the minute it passes. Thanks for sharing the timeline info - at least now I have something concrete to reference instead of their usual "a few more weeks" nonsense.