Some unemployed Floridians required to resubmit documentation or lose benefits

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Unemployed Floridians utilizing the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program will need to resubmit documentation proving their prior employment, or they will lose their benefits, the Department of Economic Opportunity said.

The Department has not yet announced when and how the documents should be submitted.

This is a new requirement by the federal government after the last relief package was passed and extended unemployment programs PUA and PEUC.

“This was put in place by the federal government really to kind of weed out some of the fraud we have seen with PUA,” said unemployment expert Vanessa Brito.

DEO is responsible for collecting and processing that information to report back to the Department of Labor.

This is worrisome news to some people who have had trouble sending their information to DEO in the past.

“I uploaded it to my forms in CONNECT, I emailed them, I faxed them, I sent in all of my information,” said Lisa Tricomi, who has spent months trying to send the documentation to change her benefit payment amount.

Tricomi wishes they’d use that documentation instead of asking for her to send it again.

“They have all of my information, nothing has changed,” Tricomi said.

“I’m extremely worried,” Brito said. “We’ve had issues with CONNECT that still haven’t been resolved almost a year later.”

Brito recommends having your documentation ready for when we find out when and how to submit the documents.

Acceptable documentation for proof of employment includes:

1. Paycheck stubs
2. Earnings and leave statements showing the employer’s name and address
3. W-2 tax forms

Acceptable documentation for proof of self-employment includes:

1. State or Federal employer identification numbers
2. Business licenses;
3. Tax returns;
4. Business receipts; or
5. Signed affidavits from persons verifying your self-employment.

“All claimants receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance will need to submit the required documentation for proof of employment or self-employment," DEO said in an email. “Failure to provide the required documentation will result in a disqualifying determination and/or overpayment being made based on the available information.”

This is why Brito said it is imperative both claimants and DEO get this right.

“That will add another issue to your claim and not only will you stop getting payments, but you’ll now be in collections,” Brito explained.