JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Just how many people owed unemployment claims have been paid?
Today, Governor Ron DeSantis said 97% of applicants who meet guidelines have been paid.
That’s down slightly from Friday, when he told On Your Side reporter David Jones that "99.9%" of legitimate claims have been paid.
First Coast News been reporting for the past six weeks about the Unemployment Maze that has people on the First Coast trapped, and struggling to get their claims processed. We’ve received literally hundreds of emails and calls from frustrated and sometimes desperate people.
Early on, the DeSantis blamed what he has dubbed a “clunker” of an unemployment benefits system which he said was “designed to fail.”
But in recent days, he’s suggested that people who haven’t received claims either aren’t entitled to them or haven’t properly applied.
That led to a testy exchange with an Orlando television reporter. When asked about the complaints he’s received, the governor replied, “Did you vet any of them?”
“We have provided names,” the reporter began.
“Did you vet though, do you know, did they submit a valid Social Security?” DeSantis asked.
Reporters typically don’t collect Social Security numbers from people they are reporting on. However, First Coast News has begun colleting names and unemployment claims numbers to submit to the Department of Economic Opportunity to try to get answers for individuals. We provided DeSantis many of those over the weekend. (You can send your information to news@firstcoastnews.com)
Statewide, journalists have been doing something similar via a Google document. On Monday, the governor was given the current list with more than 5,000 names on it.
On Monday, DeSantis said, “More than $2 billion has now been paid out and of all the unique complete and eligible applicants, 97 percent have now been paid.” He added that many rejected applicants were from “other countries, other states” or failed to enter a Social Security number.
Some suggestions if you are continuing to have trouble with the Unemployment Maze.
Reach out to the Governor via Twitter @GovRonDeSantis or email GovernorRon.Desantis@eog.myflorida.com
Contact your lawmakers and let them know your concerns:
Add your name to this statewide registry of people with unemployment claims issues: