Top three unemployment system issues plaguing jobless in SWFL, explained winknews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from winknews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Team of unemployment advocates heading to DEO headquarters
“After talking to DEO so many times over the last month and getting no clear solutions has really pushed me to be there physically.” Author: Josslyn Howard Updated: 9:07 PM EST February 15, 2021
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. One Florida woman is forming an “unemployment army” to advocate for suffering Floridians with unemployment claim issues.
Unemployment expert Vanessa Brito is towing about 200 unemployed Floridians with her all the way to Tallahassee through a picture protest.
“After talking to DEO so many times over the last month and getting no clear solutions has really pushed me to be there physically,” Brito said. “I’m going to be taking the photographs of claimants DEO owes money to and plaster them all over their lawn.”
Unemployed Floridians reporting benefit payments suddenly cut after PUA program extension
Once some claims were replenished after the PUA program extension was implemented, many have been bumped down to $125 weekly payments. Author: Josslyn Howard Updated: 11:37 PM EST January 21, 2021
Some unemployed Floridians on the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program are reporting they are back to receiving benefits, but they are receiving the wrong amount.
“I was frustrated,” said Amber Wynn. “It just seems like it’s one thing after another.”
Before benefits temporarily expired on Dec. 26, Wynn was receiving $244 per week in benefits.
Once her claim was replenished after the PUA program extension was implemented, she’s been bumped down to $125.
Unemployment overpayments turned over to collections, despite payments sent to the state
Mark Lennihan/AP
Posted at 9:53 PM, Jan 20, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-20 21:53:57-05
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) â Overpayments from Florida s unemployment office are being turned over to a collection agency, strapping already struggling Floridians with extras fees and fear of knocks to their credit.
I-Team Investigator Kylie McGivern revealed the problem of people returning money to the state, only to then be hit with a collection letter, back in November.
Since that time, more people have contacted the I-Team saying they, too, have received a letter from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity s (DEO) collection agency, demanding payment and tacking on fees to a debt they ve already paid to the state or are working to pay off.
Unemployment website reopens after 3-day shutdown to implement federal programs
DEO said the website was closed while it “works to continue efforts to implement the CARES Act programs and process payments. Author: Josslyn Howard Updated: 9:02 PM EST January 19, 2021
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The CONNECT website reopened Tuesday after being shut down for maintenance and implementing the extensions of the CARES Act programs.
The Department of Economic Opportunity said the website was closed while the department, “works to continue efforts to implement the CARES Act programs, process payments and send necessary correspondence to claimants including tax documentation.”
This brought a lot of hope to unemployed Floridians who have been dealing with glitches throughout the month while waiting for CARES Act program extensions to be implemented.