Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Provides Reemployment Assistance Update – September 15

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) today issued reemployment assistance updates on the Reemployment Assistance (RA) Claims Dashboard. As of September 14, DEO has paid 1,970,583 claimants a total of nearly $16.3 billion ($16,266,925,235). More than 3.7 million (3,726,442) unique claims have been processed, representing 99% of unique claims submitted.

UPDATES:

• The Department has submitted and has been approved to provide a fourth week of Federal Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program benefits for eligible Floridians. Eligible Floridians should expect to receive this additional benefit sometime this week. Eligible Floridians includes claimants receiving state Reemployment Assistance, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. The fourth week will be the last week of LWA benefits provided.
• The original LWA application was for three weeks and those payments have beenprovided to eligible Floridians for weeks ending August 1, August 8 and August 15, 2020.  For more information about the LWA program, click here.
• DEO highly recommends that Reemployment Assistance claimants select direct deposit as their means of receiving benefits to ensure payments are received as quickly as possible. This video and guide may be helpful.

•  99.7 percent of all eligible benefits requested prior to August 28, 2020 for state Reemployment Assistance, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) have been paid to claimants. Additionally, 99.9 percent of all eligible benefits requested by claimants prior to August 28, 2020 have also received their corresponding Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) benefits for that week.
• If a claimant has not received benefits or all of the benefits they believe they are entitled to, they should:
• Check that they have requested benefits;
• Check that the weeks they are requesting are eligible weeks; and
• Check that their account information in CONNECT is up-to-date and accurate.
• If a claimant needs additional assistance, they should call the Reemployment Assistance Customer Service Center at 1-833-FL-APPLY.
• The Department continues to work to modify claim effective dates as appropriate. The requests for these benefits are not included in this data.
• The Department would like to remind claimants that it is important to continue requesting benefits to receive payment. This video and guide may be helpful.

• The Federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, offered through the federal CARES Act and administered by DEO, provides up to 13 weeks of benefits to claimants who exhausted their Reemployment Assistance benefits. Floridians will need to apply for PEUC benefits once the balance of their current claim is exhausted. Floridians who have already exhausted their benefits or have Reemployment Assistance claims that expired after July 1, 2019, will also be able to apply.

• The Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program provides unemployment benefits to those that may not otherwise be eligible under Florida’s state Reemployment Assistance program, including independent contractors and individuals who are self-employed. Individuals who have been impacted by COVID-19 and believe they may be eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, can visit www.FloridaJobs.org and select “File a Claim” to apply and be considered for PUA.

• Governor Ron DeSantis has directed DEO to continue waiving the work search and work registration requirements for claimants for an additional 90 days. These requirements will continue to be waived through December 5, 2020.
• Additionally, the waiting week requirement will continue to be waived through December 5, 2020.
• DEO will be conducting nightly maintenance to the CONNECT system to process claims and payments. CONNECT will be available from 8 a.m. to 7:59 p.m. daily. This schedule does not affect individuals who wish to file a new claim. Individuals can file a new claim 24 hours a day, seven days per week at www.FloridaJobs.org and select “File a Claim.”
• This schedule does not affect individuals who wish to file a new claim. Individuals can file a new claim 24 hours a day, seven days per week at www.FloridaJobs.organd select “File a Claim.”

• DEO has a mobile-friendly online application for individuals filing a new Reemployment Assistance claim available here. For a step by step guide on how to apply read more here. For the Reemployment Assistance Resource Guide which includes frequently asked questions, please click here. For additional information about Reemployment Assistance benefits visit www.FloridaJobs.org/COVID-19.

About DEO
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity combines the state’s economic, workforce and community development efforts, expediting economic development projects to fuel job creation in competitive communities and promote economic resiliency. For more information, including valuable resources for employers and job seekers, please visit www.FloridaJobs.org.