JACKSONVILLE, Fla — A laundry list of questions submitted to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity remains unanswered after some Floridians woke up Monday to see their unemployment claims were ruled "ineligible" after weeks of waiting.
The ongoing issues experienced by filers statewide, including a seemingly never-ending "pending" status and the limbo that exists for independent contractors and gig workers, continue nearly a month-and-a-half since the start of the state's massive surge in claims.
But let's start with the problem that first presented itself on a wide scale after the CONNECT system spent a weekend down for claims processing.
"Well I was listed as 'ineligible' for unemployment this morning and it is impossible to reach anyone by phone," one man wrote in an e-mail. "I am about ready to give up."
The filers who reached out to us about their ineligibility said they should have qualified for state unemployment benefits based on their work history.
Some CONNECT users on social media said that when they were able to reach an agent with FDEO to ask about the "ineligible" status they were told it was due to a glitch and would be fixed.
First Coast News has asked FDEO to clarify what has caused the "ineligible" status and whether a glitch was involved. A spokesperson has not provided a comment.
The most recent data from FDEO shows that of the nearly 652,300 claims processed since March 15, about 60 percent have been determined to be "eligible" and the rest, more than 263,000 claims, have been marked "ineligible."
While some sizeable level of ineligibility is to be expected due to the fact that gig workers and independent contractors must be denied state benefits before being considered for federal, it remains unclear what portion of the 40 percent deemed "ineligible" are in that category.
In a press conference lasting over two hours Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed the unemployment issues but did not provide any further clarity. He said the state's priority is to get people paid and further cast blame on the system he recently called a "jalopy" and miscommunications from FDEO.
The governor touted the state's progress in claims processing over the weekend, with FDEO's official numbers showing 79 percent of the total unique claims processed since March 15.
"I get a lot of people are antsy, they want the money," he said. "At the end of the day people want to see that checks cut and that's what was done."
Out of more than 1.8 million total claims since March 15, over 824,000 have been determined to be unique, meaning there are no duplicates. Nearly 387,000 claims have been paid, which is about 21.5 percent of the total claims and about 47 percent of the unique claims.
Meanwhile, problems with the CONNECT system itself continue after the system was closed off starting Thursday night and lasting through the weekend.
Throughout much of the day Monday, some users reported not being able to get into the site, even though FDEO said it would be open at 8 a.m. The state has maintained that the site's closure is necessary for the processing of claims.
"We're experiencing some technical difficulties," an FDEO agent told a First Coast News viewer Monday morning. "We haven't been given access to look at the different accounts."
Another ongoing issue is the lack of clarity on how independent contractors and gig workers will apply for federal benefits through the CARES Act, a program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (or PUA).
Many users sent in screenshots showing that a tab had been added to CONNECT that appeared to be designated for this category of workers. But it remains unknown how the separate portal will work.
In FDEO's resource guide, the department states the following regarding the process for gig workers:
"Gig workers will apply just like any other individual would apply for Reemployment Assistance benefits. They will fill out the regular Reemployment Assistance application to determine if they’re eligible for regular Reemployment Assistance benefits, and if they’re not, they will be directed to fill out a Pandemic Unemployment Assistance application."
First Coast News has several more inquiries with FDEO that remain unanswered, including a more thorough explanation of what CONNECT users should do when prompted to claim weeks.
Previously, a spokesperson for FDEO and the department's website have both made it clear that applicants do not need to go back in the system to fill out work search requirement or to re-certify claims. But many users are still prompted to do so in order to continue through the system.
Other unanswered questions focus on the status of the call center and how many calls the department is actually able to answer, and the actions one can take if their claim remains on "pending" and they don't know why.