Florida News Straight From the Source
Secretary of State Ken Detzner reminds voters that the deadline for registering to vote in Florida’s Primary Election is this Monday, July 30. [Read more…] about Secretary Detzner Reminds Voters of July 30 Voter Registration Deadline for Florida’s Primary Election
Attorney General Pam Bondi today announced that Floridians deceived into sending payments to scammers using Western Union’s wire transfer service may now apply for compensation from a $586 million national settlement fund. This fund is related to a multistate settlement reached by Attorney General Pam Bondi, 49 other states and the District of Columbia with Western Union in January this year.
Consumers who fell victim to a fraud-induced transfer using Western Union between Jan. 1, 2004 and Jan. 19, 2017, may be eligible to receive compensation. More than 500,000 potential victims nationwide have been identified.
Eligible Floridians who reported falling victim to a scam that involved a money transfer through Western Union will receive a claim form in the mail from the settlement administrator in the next two weeks. The form will contain instructions explaining how consumers may file claims to receive compensation. The Department of Justice’s Victim Asset Recovery Program is administering the fund through a third-party claims administrator.
If a consumer does not receive a claim form in the mail, but believes they are eligible for a claim, the consumer should visit WesternUnionRemission.com or call 1-844-319-2124 for more information. All completed claims forms must be mailed back to the settlement administrator by Feb. 12, 2018.
To view the assurance of voluntary compliance, click here. For more information about the multistate settlement, click here.
The deadline to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) has been extended to Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017. DUA is available to Florida businesses and residents whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of Hurricane Irma. Applications filed after the Nov. 14, 2017, deadline will be considered untimely and DUA benefits may be denied unless applicants provide good cause.
DUA is available to those who:
Applicants must submit their Social Security number, check stubs and documentation to support the claim that they were working or self-employed when the disaster occurred. In some cases, additional documentation may be required. To receive DUA benefits, all required documentation must be submitted within 21 days from the date the DUA application is filed.
DUA is available from weeks of unemployment beginning Sept. 10, 2017, until March 17, 2018, as long as the individual’s unemployment continues to be a direct result of the disaster. To file a DUA claim go to www.floridajobs.org or call 1-800-204-2418.
Tomorrow, January 31 is the deadline for the Affordable Care Act’s fourth and current health insurance open enrollment period.
The Epilepsy Foundation of Florida (EFOF), a state licensed and federally certified provider of in-person assistance for those wishing to shop for coverage on the Health Insurance Marketplace, is continuing to offer free help to consumers with enrollment.
EFOF has been an assistance provider in every Affordable Care Act enrollment period, and has educated and assisted more than 250,000 Floridians at thousands of events in 35 counties. More than 15,000 consumers have received in-person enrollment assistance, including more than 7,500 consumers speaking languages other than English.
Navigators are available at the below locations to speak with media, about the impact of the Affordable Care Act and the importance of getting covered. Media: for exact dates, times, and to arrange interviews with Navigators or consumers, please contact Franco Ripple at 352-219-6029 or [email protected].
Consumers can schedule no-cost appointments for enrollment assistance by visiting www.efof.org or calling 1-877-553-7453.
Alachua County
Navigator: Jeannette Hamersmith
Location: Epilepsy Foundation of Florida (Gainesville office), address
Broward County
Navigator: Ron Sarraf-Berrios
Location: Epilepsy Foundation of Florida (Broward office), 512 NE 3rd Avenue, third floor, Fort Lauderdale
Escambia County
Navigator: Cecily Chundrlek
Location: Epilepsy Resource Center, 2401 Executive Plaza Road, Suite 3A, Pensacola
Miami Dade County
Navigator: Islara Souto
Location: Epilepsy Foundation of Florida (Miami office), 1200 NW 78th Avenue, Suite 400, Miami
Navigator: Blanca Mesa
Location: Frankie Shannon Rolle Resource Center, 3750 South Dixie Highway, Miami
Palm Beach County
Navigator: Mike Rizzo
Location: Epilepsy Foundation of Florida (Palm Beach office), 3222 Commerce Place, Suite B, West Palm Beach
