‘Technology issues’ may have caused missed unemployment bills, state says

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity stated Thursday that 97 % of unemployment claimants have been paid, however that doesn’t imply they’ve been paid in complete.

For weeks, you’ve been asking WINK News reporter Sara Girard, “where is my money?”

Girard created a Facebook ballot, and out of just about 1,500 folks in Southwest Florida who replied, greater than 80 % stated they’re lacking 3 or extra bills from the DEO.

Depending on who you ask, that cash method the adaptation between having a house or a automobile or meals at the desk.

Eileen Young, Apryl Davies, Victor Rivera and Mark Benfield don’t know every different, however their tales are all too acquainted.

“On March 22, I applied for my unemployment, and it sat and it sat and it sat,” Young stated.

Davies stated, “In the last week I’ve talked to three different people, and everyone has no idea what’s going on.”

“I don’t know how much longer I can hold out without getting this money when I need it,” Rivera stated.

And Benfield: “We’re all in a different boat it seems like, but we’re all in the same ocean.”

Each of them unemployed, eligible for advantages and lacking the 1000’s of greenbacks they want. Davies stated she’s lacking seven or 8 bills.

Navigating the device when it’s operating is difficult sufficient. When it isn’t operating, it seems like a sinking send.

The DEO admitted this week that two “technology concerns” may be why folks haven’t observed their $600 CARES Act advantages (sometimes called Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation or FPUC) in additional than 3 weeks.

Statement from DEO:

“It is necessary for claimants to log into their CONNECT account to say their weeks. Benefits are paid after weeks are claimed. We have spotted most often, people who don’t seem to be getting paid have no longer claimed their weeks, or they claimed their weeks past due, which can result in a extend in cost. The division can not pay a person if they don’t declare their weeks, as a result of we have no idea in the event that they have returned again to paintings. Here is a step by step information to percentage together with your audience.

“After reviewing a number of claimant IDs, the Department has recognized two era issues that may have averted a person from receiving their Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation cost over the previous few weeks.

Individuals who asked that their claims be backdated weren’t incorporated in fresh cost information for the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation bills. We are operating diligently to verify those claimants are made complete as briefly as imaginable. At this time, claimants don’t want to do the rest however must proceed to request advantages so long as they’re unemployed or partly unemployed. The division anticipates having the problem resolved briefly and having the ability to supply those bills to eligible claimants.
Additionally, the dept has recognized that some claimants weren’t paid their Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation cost for his or her ready week. The division has recognized those folks and must have them paid their $600 federal cost inside five industry days.”

“I’ve yet to receive anything from the government past May 12,” stated Benfield, who has been staying at a Naples lodge he used to paintings at as a handyman.

He has till Saturday to search out elsewhere to reside.

“It’s very hard to find a job that pays enough to even give you a livable wage to where you can have a place to stay,” Benfield stated.

Young in North Fort Myers and Davies in Punta Gorda are puppy sitters – and each are burning thru their financial savings.

“It was really really tough, those weeks,” Young stated.

“If we don’t get the money, where is the money going?” requested Davies.

Rivera, who looks after his mother in Lehigh Acres, lived paycheck to paycheck whilst operating a warehouse task. Now, expenses are piling up.

“This has hurt me and my family. This has put us through tremendous undue hardship. I mean we have no savings,” he stated.

These 4 folks, and lots of others, are all nearly misplaced in the similar treacherous waters of Florida’s unemployment device.

“It seems like we’re all forgotten,” Rivera stated.

In lower than a month, WINK News has despatched greater than 10,000 of your names and issues to the DEO and the governor’s place of business – at their invitation.

While the state has helped a few of you, many extra are nonetheless ready.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday directed the DEO to proceed waiving the paintings seek and paintings registration necessities for claimants thru July four. Additionally, the ready week requirement will proceed to be waived thru Aug. 1.

For ongoing updates and data on unemployment, apply WINK News Investigative Reporter Sara Girard on Twitter and Facebook.

She additionally updates the WINK News FAQ: Unemployment Resources web page as knowledge is won.