JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Some officials say the HEALS Act could, once again, wreak havoc for unemployed Floridians struggling to receive unemployment payments.
The Department of Economic Opportunity’s system failed in March trying to accommodate the extreme number of claimants and a change in benefits dispersed. Although many Floridians have yet to receive all, or any, of their benefits owed to them, the system has at least improved from where it was nearly five months ago.
Under the HEALS Act, $200 FPUC payments would be dispersed weekly.
In October, those payments would be replaced with payments that would add money onto regular benefits that would total 70% of a claimants previous income.
That would mean two DEO system updates would happen just weeks apart.
“A formula that is based on your wages isn’t only going to be dramatically different than what we have today, but it’s potentially not even going to work,” said state representative Anna Eskamani. “Changing the system for federal dollars is going to be one DEO is not ready for and will potentially lead to more delays.”
When asked DEO if it is preparing for a system change, a spokeswoman replied in an email, “The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is actively monitoring the discussions being made by Congress to possibly extend Federal unemployment benefits and will work diligently with the U.S. Department of Labor to serve Floridians. The Department is committed to ensuring all eligible Floridians are paid as quickly as possible and will pay all the benefits owed to claimants.”
Not only is Eskamani worried about the system failing but the proposed decline in benefits for unemployed Floridians.
Artists John Grammer and Joyce State are finally getting caught up on bills about five months after the art industry crashed. They said they didn’t receive their benefits until about June when they applied in March.
To this day, their art shows have been canceled and galleries are closed, making them rely on unemployment benefits until the state opens back up.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do, because we don’t have a chance to go out and sell,” State said.
“This is a very delicate balancing act. We’re just barely staying solvent,” Grammer added.