Florida Democrats Urge Changing Eligibility Date

From the Florida Phoenix: By Lloyd Dunkelberger - April 8, 2020

With jobless workers frustrated by a malfunctioning benefits system, Florida Senate Democrats want Gov. Ron DeSantis to use his emergency powers to start unemployment benefits for eligible workers at the time they lost their job.

Under the current system, benefits do not begin until a worker can successfully submit an application to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

But the antiquated system has been overwhelmed by the volume of workers who have lost their jobs because of the COVID-19 outbreak. And it has left tens of thousands of workers unable to submit an unemployment application either through the online system or by phone.

The logjam was so bad that the state resorted to providing a paper application that workers can fill out and mail in.

Although the agency is upgrading its online system and has expanded its workforce, the 17-member Florida Senate Democratic caucus sent DeSantis a letter on Monday demanding “immediate executive action on behalf of all Floridians attempting to apply for unemployment benefits due to the escalating COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Recognizing that the application system for reemployment assistance was not only out of service for much of the start of this pandemic, but continues to undergo repair, we ask for immediate action to help expedite Floridians’ access to the unemployment benefits they have earned,” the letter said.

“Many of those suddenly thrust out of work have not been able to complete their application by phone or online at this time, barring them from needed benefits both from the state, and those emergency benefits recently passed by Congress under the CARES Act,” the letter said.

“We ask that you take all necessary steps to ensure that for those who have already or will lose their jobs because of the COVID-19 public health emergency, be entitled to [unemployment] benefits retroactive to the date of job loss regardless of the date an application is received by DEO,” the letter said.

If successful, jobless workers can receive up to $275 a week for 12 weeks. Under the CARES Act, the federal government will add an additional $600 in weekly support and extend the benefits for an additional 13 weeks.

In a press conference on Monday, DeSantis said changing the eligibility date for the benefits should be considered if the workers were not able to submit their applications through “no fault of their own.”

“I think that it is something that should be taken into consideration,” he said.

DeSantis has already used his emergency powers to eliminate a one-week waiting period for workers receiving unemployment benefits. And the state has also dropped a requirement that workers document their search for a new job, including contacting at least five potential employers for each week that they are unemployed.

This story was originally published by the Florida Phoenix. For more stories from the Florida Phoenix, visit FloridaPhoenix.com.