JACKSONVILLE, Fla — The Department of Economic Opportunity said Director Dane Eagle will be asking lawmakers for $5 million to hire more than 100 employees who can assist with unemployment claims.
“In the Department’s Legislative Budget Request, the Department has requested $5 million to hire an estimated 108 Other Personal Service (OPS) positions, which is non-salaried staff, to help with the increase in Reemployment Assistance claims in 2020,” said DEO spokesperson Paige Landrum. “The additional staff will help meet the current needs of the program and our customers.”
Floridians shouldn’t expect the extra staff anytime soon. Since Florida’s legislature isn’t in session until March, extra help may not be seen for months if the funding would be approved.
Cintia Guardia said DEO’s practices need to change before it’s too late.
“I have phone calls 10 times a day from debt collectors,” Guardia said. “It’s humiliating to go through that.”
Guardia said she is receiving less money than she is owed due to a glitch in her claim. She has been reaching out to DEO for months begging for someone to fix her claim and as she waits, the bills are stacking up.
Back in September, Eagle told First Coast News DEO was overworked and understaffed. He said as the new director, he was looking to revamp the reemployment assistance department.
“Our number one goal, our number one mission at the agency right now is to make sure all eligible claimants receive the amount that is owed to them,” Eagle said in September.
Just because claim issues are complex, doesn’t mean they are uncommon.
First Coast News’ Navigating Florida’s Unemployment Maze Facebook group is filled with hundreds of claimants with problematic claims, many of which have similar issues but can’t get in contact with DEO to have them fixed.
Many agree that more staff members are needed to handle complex claims like Guardia’s, but unemployed Floridians like Debbie Castillo said they can’t wait until March for improvements to be made.
“It just throws you into a panic,” Castillo said. “You hope you see a sign of improvement, but I haven’t seen it.”
“By the time he adjusts, we are late on everything,” Guardia said. “The cars, the electricity, the stress, the depression.”