TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) issued weekly Reemployment Assistance updates. Daily updates can be found on the Reemployment Assistance (RA) Claims Dashboard.
PAYMENT PROGRESS
· As of December 28, DEO has paid 2,159,413 claimants more than $19.7 billion ($19,725,849,690). Nearly 4.7 million (4,697,664) unique claims have been processed, representing 99.3 percent of unique claims submitted.
· 98.6 percent of all eligible benefits requested prior to December 11, 2020, for state Reemployment Assistance, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) have been paid to claimants. Additionally, 99.8 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 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.
UPDATES:
· CARES Act Extension: On Dec. 27, 2020, a federal COVID-19 relief package, that extends and provides additional federal unemployment benefits, was signed into law.
· While the Department has been working diligently on implementing these additional benefits, it must first receive guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) before changes can be fully implemented and payments can be issued, as was the case when the CARES Act was initially enacted.
· The Department has been in frequent communication with USDOL and will provide more information when it becomes available.
· The extension will provide eligible claimants with additional weeks of benefits as well as $300 in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefits for each week a claimant receives state or Federal Reemployment Assistance benefits through March 13, 2021.
· Once proper guidance is received from USDOL and the programs are fully implemented, claimants will receive benefits for all weeks they are owed.
· The Department’s number one priority continues to be ensuring that all eligible Floridians are paid as quickly as possible. For more information about the CARES Act program extensions, view this document.
· Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC): MEUC will provide an additional $100 per week to eligible individuals in addition to the benefit amounts for which they otherwise would be eligible from traditional employment under state law. MEUC will be available to eligible claimants through March 13, 2021.
· Claimants eligible for certain underlying benefit programs may be eligible for these additional benefits if they have received at least $5,000 net income from work in self-employment for the most recent tax year and must provide documentation to substantiate the employment and income.
· The Department is awaiting guidance from USDOL to provide more information on the eligibility and specific documentary requirements, which is needed before the program can be implemented and payments issued.
· Quarter Change: On a quarterly basis, pursuant to Federal guidance, DEO must determine whether or not individuals who are currently receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) are instead eligible for state Reemployment Assistance benefits.
· Claimants who are currently receiving PUA or PEUC may need to take specific actions on their claim when they log-in to CONNECT and request benefit payments after January 1, 2021, when the new quarter comes into effect.
· In the coming days, those claimants will receive an additional notification with specific instructions regarding their claim. Below is step-by-step instructions on what these claimants will need to do to ensure there is no break in receiving benefits.
· Click here for the Quarter Change PUA Step-by-Step Guide
· Click here for the Quarter Change PUA Questionnaire Video
· Click here for the Quarter Change PEUC Step-by-Step Guide
· Click here for the Quarter Change PEUC Questionnaire Video
· Click here for the Quarter Change Fact Sheet
· The Department encourages all individuals to log-in to CONNECT and ensure their contact information is accurate and up-to-date.
· Waivers: Governor Ron DeSantis has directed DEO to continue waiving the work search and work registration requirements through January 2, 2021.
· Claimant Communication: In the coming weeks, 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, these are official notifications from the Department.
· CONNECT Hours: 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. This includes New Years Eve and New Years Day.
· On Saturday, January 2, through Sunday, January 3, CONNECT will be available 8:00 a.m. – 4:59 p.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.org and select «File a Claim.»
· Customer Service Centers: Reemployment Assistance Customer Service Centers are available this week Monday – Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. for all account inquiries and questions. On Thursday, December 31, through Sunday, January 3, staff resources will be dedicated to processing claims and payments. The Reemployment Assistance Customer Service Center will reopen Monday, January 4, at 7:30 a.m.
· Job Opportunities: The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is hiring across the state. To view a list of vacant opportunities, visit 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.