A new “mobile friendly” website went online Wednesday to accommodate incalculable numbers of people who have been unable to break through on the agency’s failed CONNECT system. People who have been unable to connect should now use www.FloridaJobs.org/RAApplication, the agency said.
The old school paper application, submitted by mail, was pressed into action this week to circumvent the computer problems.
Since the third week of March, out-of-work Floridians have overwhelmed the unemployment system as hotels, bars, restaurants, stores and other businesses shut down to comply with the government’s stay-at-home orders.
Ken Lawson, executive director of the state’s Department of Economic Opportunity, which oversees the unemployment system, wound up apologizing to lawmakers for the claims debacle. The department is "working around the clock to make the process for applying for Reemployment Assistance as easy as possible for Floridians,” he said.
Here’s what you need to know
Who is eligible? Any state resident thrown out of work due to COVID-19 can apply. Since the week of March 20, an estimated 470,000 people have filed claims with the state, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.How much money do you get? Under the new federal CARES Act, jobless workers are entitled to $600 a week in federal money through the end of July. That would be paid on top of the maximum $275 a week Florida pays through the 12 weeks it offers benefits.
When should you apply? Immediately after you lose your job. “You might lose out on some of the federal benefits depending on the time in which you apply for unemployment,” said Michael Pike, a labor and employment lawyer with Pike & Lustig in West Palm Beach.
What if you delay? “Even if it takes you a longer period of time to apply, you’re still eligible for the 12 weeks’ state unemployment as long a you are unemployed,” Pike said. “Whether or not you apply today or two weeks from now, you are still eligible for 12 weeks of unemployment benefits.”
What information do you need? Include among other items personal information such as Social Security number, driver’s license number, employment information for the last 18 months for each employer, reason for job loss, the first and last day of work and pre-tax gross earnings over the last 18 months;
Where should you apply? Apply online using the new website or download a paper application and mail a completed version to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, P.O. Box 5350, Tallahassee 32314-5350. Blank copies are available at CareerSource placement offices around the state. Either the U.S. Postal Service or FedEx will deliver them to Tallahassee.
How do you know if your claim went through? Obtain confirmation that the application was filed. If mailed your application, an agency representative should call. In writing, the agency says it will tell the applicant either electronically or by mail that they are eligible and what the weekly payout will be.
A warning about applications
Marc Weinstein, a Florida International University professor who is academic director of the school’s human resources management program, doubts the paper application route will provide the expedited processing that applicants need.“I cannot imagine how the paper system is going to facilitate speedy reimbursement,” he said. “We are dealing with such a large magnitude of application increases.”
What else is the state doing?
Among other cures for the ailing system, the DEO has hired a private call center company and redeployed hundreds of state workers from other agencies to help the department.
On Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said he supports retroactive payments to people who were delayed in filing claims to the first day they tried to submit an application. But he offered no details about how that approach would be implemented.
©2020 the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
