JACKSONVILLE, Fla — This Florida unemployment system is so bad, you just need to laugh at it, one Florida woman said.
A lot of calls to the Department of Economic Opportunity go unanswered, many people aren’t receiving benefits and if they are, it’s not a lot of money.
That is all true for actress Alea Figueroa, who was so fed up with it, she just wanted to make some people laugh.
“It took 12 weeks from when I applied to receive benefits, and that is a long time,” Figueroa said. “After a crying session, I was listening to Disney songs, and 'Part of Your World' came on, I really understood what she was going through.”
Ariel from 'The Little Mermaid' was her inspiration. Figueroa said, just like Ariel, she felt like no one was listening to her.
Her inspiration sparked to make a parody video of the song about her struggles applying for unemployment in Florida.
“Look at this site, crashes each time. How many times must this mermaid apply?” Figueroa sang in the video.
“It was so frustrating how difficult it was,” Figueroa said. “It seems like it was one obstacle after another, after another.”
Figueroa was feeling the stress so many others have felt.
Figueroa said she had a decent savings account because as an actress, she doesn’t have a steady job. She was used to jumping from commercial to commercial. Though, she’s been successful with that lifestyle, starring in commercials for Publix, law firms and alongside celebrities.
But in March, her success didn’t matter as her entire industry shut down.
She was forced to apply for unemployment, and the longer she had to wait for benefits, the more her savings dropped.
Figueroa’s video covers everything from the CONNECT website crashing, no one picking up the phones and even the toilet paper shortage.
“Our way of coping is through laughter,” Figueroa said.
It put a smile on so many people’s faces in the same struggle and she said that made it all worth it.
“This is a tough time,” Figueroa said. “It’s a challenge but there is light at the end of the tunnel.”