Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Provides Weekly Reemployment Assistance Update – March 10

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) today issued its weekly Reemployment Assistance updates. Daily updates can be found on the Reemployment Assistance (RA) Claims Dashboard.

PAYMENT PROGRESS:

• As of March 8, DEO has paid 2,299,802 claimants over $23.7 billion ($23,706,602,966). Over 5.2 million (5,234,847) unique claims have been processed, representing 98.8 percent of unique claims submitted.
• 97.9 percent of all eligible benefits requested prior to February 19, 2021, 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 for weeks of unemployment prior to July 25, 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 would like to remind claimants that it is important to continue requesting benefits to receive payment. This video and guide may be helpful.

UPDATES:

Waivers

• Governor Ron DeSantis has directed DEO to continue waiving the waiting week requirements, work search, and work registration requirements through April 24, 2021.

• The Department published an independent study of the Reemployment Assistance system which provides recommendations to improve the delivery of benefits to eligible claimants and proposes a roadmap for the implementation of an integrated modular cloud-based system.
• In addition, the Department has proposed creating the Office of Economic Accountability and Transparency and the Reemployment Assistance Modernization Strategic Planning Office to drive continuous modernization efforts. For more information about the Roadmap and proposed Legislation click here.
• DEO launched an online fraud form providing Floridians the opportunity to report instances of Reemployment Assistance fraud or identity theft. If someone is aware of any instance of Reemployment Assistance fraud or believes they are a victim of Reemployment Assistance identity theft, please click here and select the “Online Fraud Form” to provide the Department with additional information about fraudulent claims.
• In 2020, the Department partnered with ID.me, a trusted technology partner, assisting claimants who were locked out of their accounts. The Department has recently expanded that partnership to help keep Floridians’ identities secure from fraudulent activity and bolster current fraud prevention measures.
• Any new claimant filing for Reemployment Assistance will need to verify their identity through ID.me. For more information about ID.me visit the claimant resource page, here.
• Any new state Reemployment Assistance claims filed January 1, 2021, and forward are eligible for up to 19 weeks of benefits instead of 12 weeks of benefits.

• The Department completed electronically processing 1099-G Tax Forms for all claimants on January 17, 2021. All claimants should have access to their 1099-G Tax Form in their CONNECT account. Claimants who opted to receive communication from the Department through U.S. Mail should have received their 1099-G tax form no later than January 31, 2021.
• When viewing your 1099-G Tax Form in CONNECT, be sure to enable pop-ups on your web browser. Pop-up blockers restrict you from viewing your 1099-G Tax Forms and other important documents from the Department.
• If a claimant did not receive their 1099-G tax form, they received a 1099-G Tax Form by mistake, their 1099-G Tax Form is incorrect, or they cannot access their 1099-G Tax Form, visit 1099grequest.myflorida.com.
• The Department has created Frequently Asked Questions to provide more information about the 1099-G Tax Form.

• Claimants can now communicate online with a live Reemployment Assistance Customer Service Representative for assistance with their Reemployment Assistance claim. Claimants can visit the claimant homepage and select the chat icon to begin talking with a Representative.
• The Department has shifted priorities for 200 Customer Service Representatives to assist claimants by utilizing the new online chat feature. Claimants may experience some wait time, but a representative will assist as soon as they become available.
• Reemployment Assistance Customer Service Centers are available this week Monday – Friday from 7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. for all account inquiries and questions. On Saturday, March 13, through Sunday, March 14, staff resources will be dedicated to processing claims and payments. The Reemployment Assistance Customer Service Center will reopen Monday, March 15, at 7:30 a.m.

• Due to recent federal requirements, claimants receiving PUA benefits are now required to upload employment documentation to CONNECT. Please see the Department’s fact sheet for more information and directions for uploading your proof of employment documentation.
• Since the beginning of January 2021, the Department has added additional weeks of benefits, as authorized by the Continued Assistance Act, for eligible claimants. This includes PUA, PEUC, and FPUC benefit payments.
• Claimants that remain unemployed should continue requesting benefit payments to continue receiving benefits. Claimants who will soon exhaust their state Reemployment Assistance benefits and remain unemployed should continue to request any Reemployment Assistance benefit weeks available in CONNECT. Not requesting benefit payments when weeks are available will delay payments on their claim
• Claimants who are on PEUC or PUA can view this step-by-step guide to learn how to request weekly benefits.

• The Department is currently processing Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) payments which were extended and modified by the Continued Assistance Act.
• Beginning the week ending January 2, 2021, claimants who are eligible for at least $1 of their original unemployment benefit amount, will be eligible to receive an additional $300 FPUC payment supplementing their weekly benefit amount. No additional action is required to receive the FPUC payment, but claimants should continue to request their weekly benefits to receive any benefit payments.
• The FPUC program expires on March 14, 2021. This means the last payable week for FPUC is the week ending March 13, 2021.

• Claimants are asked to continue checking their CONNECT account for additional changes and updates.
• The Department will be sending important emails to claimants, including actions that may need to be taken on their CONNECT account. The Department sends emails from Do-Not-Reply email addresses, which are official notifications from the Department.

• 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, Monday – Friday.
• Beginning Saturday, March 13, through Sunday, March 14, CONNECT will be unavailable to claimants while the Department works to continue efforts to implement the Continued Assistance Act, process payments, and send necessary correspondence to claimants. CONNECT will be available Monday, March 15, at 8:00 a.m.
• 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.”

• The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is hiring across the state. To view a list of vacant opportunities, visit here.

• The Department has developed additional guides for employers to better understand how to navigate the CONNECT system. To view these guides, click here.

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.