JACKSONVILLE, Fla — More than a month after businesses across the state shut their doors to comply with Florida's "safer-at-home" order, the state's unemployment claims system remains overwhelmed, leaving newly unemployed workers stranded.
On Tuesday, First Coast News began asking viewers to send us their experiences filing for and attempting to receive unemployment benefits.
About 48 hours later, more than 100 pages of emailed responses have been recorded. From an ever-lasting issue of applications remaining in "pending" status to the system asking applicants to fill out requirements that should be waived, the amount of people asking for help has been overwhelming.
Phone calls and emails to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FDEO) go unanswered, with some viewers reporting that they tried to call the helpline hundreds of times a day and others who finally get through saying they were hung up on.
FDEO has not responded to a slew of questions First Coast News has asked, saying the inquiry is being processed without providing any specific comment.
Below are some of the responses we have received from people statewide experiencing these issues. Email addresses and some personal information have been redacted, and responses have been cut down for spacing.
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"I applied for unemployment on Mar 29 and my application is still "under Review" and on the site it says that I'm supposed to requesting benefit payments starting yesterday for the next 2 week benefit payment, HOWEVER, I cannot request benefit payments since my application is still under review and there is no weekly benefit amount the monetary status shows "pending". It also says any available benefits will expire on Apr 23! How can that be when the DEO has not processed my application yet?? I'm a single mom with an 8yr old boy that doesn't have the luxury to wait until DEO decides they will do something about this! How am I supposed to pay bills and buy food? I have never applied for unemployment before and I KNOW I'm entitled to it due to COVID19. We all want CLEAR answers (NOT answers like "be patient", "we are working on it", "go to our website", "we are backlogged" and other such worthless responses). I started calling the DEO at 7.30am sharp this morning only to get a busy signal. I redialed 20 times only to be told that "all lines are busy and we cannot offer a call back option at this time" then it disconnects!!!!!!!" - Tina W.
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"My unemployment claim has finally been updated on the website, but payments are being held. And about payments, it’s the standard amount, not the increased amount of $600. What happened to that? Why hasn’t the unemployment department boosted the weekly benefit amount to match what has been promised through the CARES Act and by our own governor? And if my claim has been approved, when will they release payments? This has been going on for weeks and I’m way behind on my bills and April’s rent." - Kelley A.
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"What can FCN do to help us with regards to Connect Myflorida, we have not got through the phone lines, either busy or just kept ringing or the call just drop. Their website kept kicking us out, myconnect florida, states that my Husband has March 15-20 and and then the following week, yet when we click the link to file the claim, it’s either it kicks us out from the website or it asked a lot of redundant questions! This is infuriating and disappointing... We have not seen not even a dime from the Government! We are hardworking people, yet when we need the Government help, it takes forever for the help to come!" - Jhen M.
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"Regarding the unemployment article that was published last night by David Jones...... I am in the exact same situation as the person in the article. Was able to submit my claim on March 15th, but was unable to request benefit payment within the required timeframe due to the website not working. My timeframe has now expired and I have to wait another 2 weeks to "request" again. As you know, this whole experience is a giant mess, and I am worried that I will fall through the cracks and not get my claim processed. Is there anything that we can do? Perhaps a state representative or someone that's not in the DEO that can address this? I know I'm one of thousands and that this is not news to anyone, I'm just so frustrated." - Rebecca
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"My wife and I were rendered unemployed from our jobs upon Governor Ron DeSantis order to stop dine in restaurant service on March 20th. This comes after reducing our capacity earlier in the week to 50%. Our last shift at each of our restaurants was Saturday the 14th of March.
The week following that Saturday up until our layoff date our shifts were drastically cut down to nothing. My wife and I applied for unemployment the week after on March 22nd. We’ve never been laid off before and had no clue the process. Had we known, we would have applied instantly on the 20th. As of now both our applications are pending still.
We were able to login to submit our documentation after the weeks we were claiming had passed, proving our unemployment still, but a week and a half later have not received a payment nor an update.
Once we submitted our weeks we found out some other rather upsetting news. Due to Florida law, the first week we filed for is a ‘waiting week’ and therefore will not be paid. Our delay on filing immediately was absolutely due to lack of information to us available in the community about the process. Anyone I had spoken to was under the idea you can apply and it would be retroactive. It is not.
Because of this we won’t be eligible for retro pay for the week we lost all of our shifts, or at the very least turning that week into our ‘waiting week’. The reason for our loss of jobs was the shift in our governments response to the Covid-19 pandemic. One point we were employed with our regular schedule, the next reduced shifts, and finally to no shifts. One week goes by and a big change happens for the state but with no change in the unemployment system to protect us immediately. As a worker we’ve given into the system for a long time. This is both of our first experiences having to submit claim and it is a broken system. To your stories point there is no one to speak to about our case or anyone’s case. The system is setup only one way, the wrong way.
I have received no monetary income at all for a month now. We are still waiting to here something or see action in our bank accounts, as we both signed up for direct deposit. At the very least, an email would be great to hear that our application was actually being processed instead of just pending.
We just want answers and relief. The governor has the authority to do something, he should, and he isn’t. The system should have worked already for us, but hasn’t. I’m not sure what the future holds." - Bryan P.
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"I just wanted to get in touch with you about my unemployment issue. It took me three days to complete the application online because it kicked me off very often. It still does it even when I go to check on my status which is still pending from 3/22. I was in between jobs at the time too and off work for ten days before starting a new job. I’ve got a two year old boy and I’ve had hardly any money coming in. No stimulus check. No unemployment checks. I’m really hurting for anything at this point. I’m at my breaking point. I don’t know how we are supposed to live like this." - Dylan M.
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"Where do I start? I filed and received a claimant number in 14 March. I am still pending in the system. This week is my fifth week trying to get payment or status from the system. I’ve emailed Desantis, Scott, Rubio and also my Florida Senator and rep. I have numerous comments on DEO posts on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Still....pending.
I did get a phone call on Monday from DEO. They told me the link between the website and the SSA to verify your SSN and wages doesn’t work and hasn’t worked. So, anyone that has claimed unemployment in the past and then is reclaiming now will be able to be paid. But, if you have never claimed unemployment in the past and this is your first time doing so, you will be pending. They could not tell me when this would be fixed.
So, here I sit. Five weeks trying to get resolution on unemployment benefits." - Tracy
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"My name is Austin. I have been a bartender for nearly -- years, and been in service industry for -- years. This is my first time ever dealing with the Florida Unemployment system and let me tell you it has been a rough and frustrating journey. The restaurant I work for decided to close its doors and furlough the staff, on March 17th. The lack of business was just to much of a burden for them to keep the doors open. That night was when I filed for unemployment.
Finally, I got to my claimant home page in Connect. It said I needed to wait up to 72 hours for my claim to be processed. Sweet we are getting somewhere. Oh no, then I was prompted via, “IMPORTANT ITEMS THAT NEED YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION”, that I need to complete the full work registration through Employ Florida website. The Connect login page states, in red, that they suspended this part of the process. But my claimant homepage stated if I didn’t complete it, my case wouldn’t get activated. So, I went to the Employ Florida website, created an account, and filled out their 2 wizard requirements. Background/previous work and build a resume. This process took another 2-3 hours of basically filling out all the stuff I just filled out through Connect DEO. Plus, building a resume through their online wizard. I have a resume, and I am not looking for a job, I have a job, I just can’t go to work because of government mandates. Anyways, that gets finished and being tired of filling out form after form, I take a break.
2 days later I log back into Connect and my claim is active and my messages now state; I can log back in, in 2 weeks, to claim my benefits, and your application has been received and being processed. Meanwhile, my Connect claimant homepage has a bunch of 0$ amounts across it and a 58$ earnings disregard. Unsure what that means, I patiently wait my 2 weeks to claim my benefits. Not realizing at the time, I wasn’t allotted any money, and I was still pending. In hind sight, I probably could have called and reached someone then, but who knew.
2 weeks pass, now its April 2nd, and I can claim for my benefits. I click claim and instantly get prompted to fill out job search requirements. Huh, I thought that was suspended? So, I go through all the check boxes, marking NO, feeling like I did something wrong and get to the end. I click submit, and it just sends me back to my claimant home page. What just happened? Did the webpage timeout? What is going on? Now I can only claim for my 2nd week, ok lets try again. This time, I fill out the boxes with Covid19 responses, click submit, and it sends me back to my homepage again. Uhhh, what is going on? At this point I am confused and frustrated, so I try calling the hotline. I have been trying to reach a human on the hotline ever since. Hundreds of phone calls, maybe thousands, at this point.
My account remains Pending to this day. 2 days ago I could claim benefits again for the 2nd time, and the exact same thing happened, just like before. After the first failure attempts, early April, is when I turned to Twitter to hopefully get some answers. And come to find out, I wasn’t the only one stuck in the Pending Florida unemployment trap. I joined thousands of people searching for answers. I have been actively looking for answers through social media ever since.
I’m sure you can only imagine the struggles of living day to day, in a household that has had 0 income for over a month. The little bit of savings we did have went to rent, grocery and a few bills. The stimulus checks should get us through May, hopefully, with very very tight budgeting. But bills are already becoming late and compounding. Even if we can return to work in late May, early June, I am unsure people will be heading out to dine. The uncertainty weighs heavy." - Austin
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"I’ve had my claim into unemployment for 3 weeks also on pending as your article described. Included is my hundreds of call attempts, and what happens when you access either website. My benefits were supposed to be claimed this passed Monday, but I can’t claim them with my application pending, on top of that my entire application didn’t go through properly with my work history. So I’ve been desperately calling to speak with someone on both of the phone lines they provide. I’ve never once spoken to a real person, I’ve only got the message “all of our phone lines are busy and we are unable to offer our callback option at this time” they then tell you to use the website and hang up on you. Even if my application is seen, because the website glitched my entire application will be denied because of their incompetence. Then I’ll have to go through and reapply and wait again. Some of us don’t have time to wait, we need our bills paid before the courtesy from our bill companies and landlords is no longer legally obligated. I’m begging if there’s anything you can do please help me to get in contact with them.
Please please help, I’m desperate and down to my last bag of dog food" - Gary
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"I was furloughed due to covid 19 and filed a claim online two and a half weeks ago. I have called the numbers listed in the reemployment website multiple times after emailing my social security card and drivers license. The Identity phone number says they can’t help and to call another number. That number reaches a call center and they say they cannot help, I am not sure why they are answering the phones if they can not answer any questions?
I have been trying all day to enter weeks for the first time and the server has been down all day even using internet explorer and then is offline 8 pm to 7 am.
I have never collected unemployment a day in my life after working over forty years as a w2 employee and have not seen anyone post that they have received any funds.
This is very frustrating to say the least." - Bradford
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"My husband, myself and our -- year old child successfully submitted claims...registering took 16 hours over 3 days. To put in claimed weeks, another 8 hours. I was on hold one day for 7 hours, then the message stopped and dial tone. I have called over 300 times in the last 3 weeks. No way to leave a message or callback number. All 3 of us are pending. We need money. Truly dont know how long we can hang on.i have sent countless emails, spoke to someone at the pin reset number and I was crying and she said, I cant help you, try the 800 number. It is a dehumanizing experience to be needy and vulnerable. Desantis should be ashamed. If only I could speak to anyone to get us out of pending and get some money. Thank you for trying to help us." - Marci S.
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"I just read your article and I complete feel Stacy’s pain. I work part time at -- and our hours have been slashed completely allowing for only store leadership and management to work. But I am a student who isn’t local to the area and have rent to pay for my off campus housing as well as a few bills, etc. I was barely making it as is and even though my parents help me, they can only do so much at a time like this.
I applied for unemployment about a month ago and have been checking my application status on line to find out that it is still “pending” and have been waking up at 7 am every morning to be one of the first ones on the phone. But getting through has proven to be more than a challenge at this point. The office is set to open at 7:30 am and at exactly 7:30 am the automated system proceeds to say the “system cannot handle your call.” It’s overwhelming and heartbreaking and there’s no guarantee that my filing for the past three weeks with be granted going forward." - Aiysha
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"I was laid off on March 15, it’s been a month now and I haven’t been able to get ahold of a single person over the phone. I call right when then opens all the way to when they close. My application is still pending with no end in sight. I’ve sent emails and Facebook messages to the DEO pleading for help. I tried to explain to them I have a newborn baby and a 6year old I need to provide for and can not do so without any income. If I could get a job I would but I have no one to watch my kids now that schools are closed and day care aren’t taking new babies at this time plus I would have no money to pay them right away.
So I’m a single parent of two young kids pleading for the DEO to help me get my unemployment through, but no one answers any of the messages I’ve sent.
I hope you are able to get through to these people to try and help us out." - Amanda
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These emails are just a small fraction of the stories First Coast News has received from people around the state trying to go through the unemployment system.
If you want to add your voice to the list, email David Jones at DJones@firstcoastnews.com. I will do my best to respond to everyone individually, but it will take time.
First Coast News will continue to press FDEO to make your voices heard.