What Are The General Eligibility Requirements For Florida Reemployment Assistance Benefits
- Totally or partly unemployed.
- Have lost your job through no fault of your own. You cannot quit for personal reasons or been fired for misconduct.
- Able to work, available for work, and actively seeking work.
- Minimum amount of wages earned in the first 12 months of the past 15 months from when you file your claim for benefits. This is called monetary eligibility.
- This determination does NOT take into account specific COVID-19 related reasons for not working.
- You MUST apply for general RA benefits and get a denial before you can apply for special COVID-19 benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.
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Vital unemployment programs that were put in place nationwide at the start of the pandemic end this weekend and many unemployed people in Florida fear the worst.
With the delta variant surge and the eviction moratorium lifted, for some, its the only thing keeping a roof over their head and food on the table.
Ken Okels unemployment began when the pandemic started in 2020. Okel works in the meetings industry as a motivational speaker but in a world where audiences are few and far between, hes had to rely on Pandemic Unemployment Assistance .
Its one of the federal programs that allowed people who werent eligible for state benefits to get some help, like those who are self-employed or independent contractors.
I have been unable to work in the field that Im trained for. And the unemployment has been invaluable, Okel said.
This wasnt something hed rehearsed for but hes trying his best to keep his business afloat.
I think theres a conception that people on unemployment are just sitting on the couch, I can assure you, theres been no sitting on the couch, Okel said.
He is surviving mainly on savings and unreliable unemployment benefits.
Imagine spending all your day trying to call into a phone system that hangs up on you by design. Imagine trying to log into a website where youve entered in important information, and then the site crashes, Okel said. In the meantime, all the bills have continued.
And Okel is not getting the results he hoped for.
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The people are flocking, but we dont have enough labor to open the doors full fledged to let them in. We have hotels who are leaving forty percent of their inventory what we call dark, said Dover.
At a bill signing in south Florida the Governor said the end of the additional $300-a-week unemployment payments, is to encourage people to go back to work sooner.
Weve got almost a half a million job openings in the state of Florida, said Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Unions and workers advocates argue the change isnt going to force people back into jobs, but into food lines.
Karen Woodall of the Peoples Advocacy Center says the change will leave many people with nothing.
People who have been out of work for most of 2020 and all of this year, and have used their savings if they had any. Who have borrowed money, who are behind on their rent. Who are behind on their car payment, who are struggling. Yes, it makes a huge difference, said Woodall.
The end of the extra cash follows a state edict requiring those receiving or applying for unemployment to prove they have been looking for work. The requirement was waived during the pandemic, but it goes back in force this Friday.
Workers advocates say Floridas work requirements for unemployment are so strict, fewer than 15 percent of those out of work qualify.
Efforts to increase benefits and add additional weeks failed during the legislative session.
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Am I Eligible For Additional Benefits When My Regular Ra Claim Normally Would End
The Federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation provided up to 13 weeks of benefits to a claimant who has exhausted their Reemployment Assistance benefits.
Through PEUC, Floridians were eligible for up to $275, in addition to the $600 and then $300 through Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation in weekly benefits. HOWEVER, Florida ended federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits on September 6, 2021.
After the federal benefit programs expire on September 6, 2021, claimants will have 30 days to submit an application for PUA benefits for any weeks they are entitled. After this, there are no PUA benefits.
The Department will continue to pay eligible claimants the PUA and PEUC benefits they are owed for weeks of unemployment through the week ending September 4, 2021.
The state previously withdrew participation from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation and Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation programs effective June 30, 2021.
Community Services Block Grant Program
The Community Services Block Grant Program is designed to help members of low-income households be self-sufficient. The funds are distributed by local governments and non-profit agencies called Community Action Agencies.
These funds are used in a variety of ways to combat poverty, including:
- Providing emergency health, food, housing, day care, and transportation assistance
- Housing counseling
- Nutrition programs and federal surplus food distribution
- Community gardening projects
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What Are Extended Unemployment Benefits
If you have exhausted unemployment benefits or are worried about running out of them, there may be extended benefits funded by the federal government that will provide unemployment compensation beyond the maximum number of weeks provided by your state. These benefits are in place during times of high unemployment.
Unemployment Extended Benefits Program
The federal government may provide additional benefits to people who have exhausted unemployment benefits. There are additional weeks of federally funded Extended Benefits in states with high unemployment rates.
Unemployed workers are eligible for up to 13 or 20 weeks of additional unemployment benefits, depending on state laws, and the unemployment rate.
These benefits are paid through the state unemployment departments, and eligibility would start when all other benefits are exhausted. If you’re eligible, your state unemployment office will notify you.
Eligibility requirements vary by state, so be sure to check the FAQ section of your state unemployment website for details.
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Can You Collect Unemployment After Being Fired In Florida
Collecting Unemployment After Being Fired If you are fired for a reason like not being good at the job or not having the skills to perform the job, you should be able to collect benefits. But in Florida, employees who are fired for misconduct connected with work may not qualify for unemployment benefits.
If you have questions about whether youre eligible for unemployment benefits read our COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits and Insurance FAQ and check out Floridas claimant handbook.
What To Do When Unemployment Benefits End
Additional laws and benefits have been created to extend and change some unemployment protections. For more details and an overview of the current law, read How Unemployment Benefits Are Changing in 2021.
If you’re one of the millions of Americans receiving unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you may already know that some of the COVID-specific benefits have changed in past months.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Actincreased funding for unemployment and expanded the group of eligible recipients. These relief measures addressed the sharp spike in unemployment due to the pandemic, but each change has an expiration date.
The CARES Act also outlined the temporary changes to unemployment insurance in addition to other economic reliefincluding mortgage forbearance, suspension of federal student loan payments and a one-time stimulus payment.
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Floridas Federal Unemployment Benefits End Labor Day
TALLAHASSEE The federal unemployment benefits that have helped millions of Floridians stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic run out Monday.
The states jobless agency said Wednesday that two key federal programs end Sept. 6: Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which paid up to $275 per week for gig workers and others who arent eligible for state assistance, and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, which extended the number of weeks someone would be eligible to receive state benefits.
The programs are set to expire on Labor Day for millions of Americans across the country. President Joe Biden suggested that states use unspent federal rescue plan money to extend the programs, but states dont appear to be taking him up on the offer. Officials at the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity say it cant extend the programs, pointing to conflicting guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Collectively, the two programs have injected more than $5.5 billion into Floridas economy since rolling out last year. They were considered critical lifelines for Floridians after the pandemic cast millions out of work. When the pandemic hit, Floridas benefits at a maximum of $275 per week for 12 weeks were among the five lowest in the country.
Last week, 201,412 Floridians received benefits under the programs, according to the Department of Economic Opportunity.
About half of states ended those payments early, but studies show it had little effect on the job growth.
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Recipients have been able to receive the $300 federal benefit on top of their regular state unemployment aid. The payment, which lasts nationwide until Sept. 6, was included in President Joe Bidens $1.9 trillion financial rescue package.
Eliminating the $300-a-week payment is one of several measures that states have taken to restrict or eliminate jobless aid and press more recipients to seek work.
Any time you take away benefits, it’s a difficult decision, but in this case, I think its absolutely the right decision, said Scott Shalley, the president and CEO of the Florida Retail Federation.
Shalley’s organization came out in support of the decision to cut the expanded federal benefit early. He says he has heard from retailers, big and small, about the challenges they are facing hiring staff.
Every day I hear from retailers, from the biggest of the big boxes to the small mainstream, to the smaller stores, and everyone is sharing in this same challenge and it is certainly not unique to one sector, Shalley said.
NBC 6 has heard from restaurant owners across South Florida having a hard time hiring enough people to meet demand.
I know a lot of restaurants are struggling to find kitchen staff. Thats one of the things besides the front of house, the back of house is extremely hard to find right now because of unemployment and stimulus checks coming through, said Jonathan Cohen with Royal Pub and Kitchen.
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Florida announced Monday that the state will join 22 other states ceasing participation in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program , the $300 weekly extra payment to those receiving unemployment benefits. Unlike the majority of those states, it will keep other federal unemployment benefits.
Three weeks ago, Montana began a trend among Republican-led states of announcing that they would no longer participate in some or all of the federal unemployment programs set up under the CARES Act last year to help the millions of Americans thrown out of work due to the covid-19 pandemic. Those programs have been twice extended, most recently under the American Rescue Plan which finances that economic assistance to the jobless until 6 September.
What Are Extended Benefits
Extended benefits are additional weeks of unemployment compensation that are available to workers who have exhausted regular unemployment insurance benefits during periods of high unemployment. The basic Extended Benefits program provides up to 13 additional weeks of unemployment compensation when a state is experiencing high unemployment.
In some states, there may be an additional 7 additional weeks of extended benefits during periods of extremely high unemployment.
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$300 Unemployment Checks Ending Soon For Floridians
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Tens of thousands of out-of-work Floridians will lose an additional $300 a week in unemployment benefits after Friday.
The state made the decision to end the payments, which could have lasted until September, early in response to a wave of complaints from small business owners and lawmakers who believe the checks are keeping people from working.
Florida still has a half-million residents unemployed. At the same time, businesses are struggling to fill more than 500,000 jobs.
Thirty-four percent of small business owners report that theyve increased wages in the last three months, said Bill Herrle with the National Federation of Independent Businesses.
The federation said 57 percent of its members couldnt find someone to work over the last three months.
Weve always asked this question on job openings. This is at a 40-year record, and it continues to climb, Herrle said.
More than 2.3 million Floridians were eligible for the $300/week additional pandemic payments that end on Saturday.
Yes, there is a workforce shortage, but to completely blame it on unemployed people is wrong, State Rep. Anna Eskamani said.
Eskamanis office has been ground zero for helping the states unemployed population navigate the benefits available to them.
People are getting more money, so there wasnt the urgency of getting money from me, Mark Folmar, the owner of a Tallahassee pawn shop, said.
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TAMPA, Fla. – Florida is now one of 26 states to end pandemic unemployment benefits early. Over the weekend, federal payments of $300 a week expired for Floridians.
Meanwhile, employers across Tampa Bay have had a hard time filling open positions.
Anna Maria Oyster Bar has four locations in Manatee County and owner John Horne tells us they are down at least 10 people at each restaurant.
“I’ve got one of my restaurants that I have not had an applicant for the kitchen in two months. No one’s walked in the door looking for a job for two months,” said Horne. “We’re using Indeed we’re using Facebook, we’re using all the different, Craigslist, you name it. We’re trying to get people in to come back and work.”
On June 26, Florida cut off extra $300 weekly unemployment payments through the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program. The state made the decision to optout of that additional benefit as part of its “Return to Work” initiative, a move Horne hopes will bring more workers through his doors.
“Over the last week, we have seen an uptick in applicants,” he said.
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According to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, 503,000 people remain jobless in the Sunshine State, while more than 510,000 jobs are available.
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Unemployed Question Last Minute Change Days Before Federal Benefits End
Floridas unemployed were facing two deadlines this week as the clock runs out on pandemic-related benefit programs and a new multi-authentication system by the Department of Economic Opportunity Thursday received mixed reviews from happy to very frustrated claimants.
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation programs are both set to expire Sept. 6.
Email and text messages sent to the WKMGs Make Ends Meet team saw a blitz of frustrated men and women waiting anywhere from 30 minutes to 6 hours to crack the new DEO system and sign up.
Stacy Morris, an unemployed grocery produce broker from Zellwood, reached out to Make Ends Meet early Thursday morning and after going through a few delays she was able to set up a new account just before 6 p.m.
During a zoom interview from her home, she applauded the security protocol because of all the people who have been hacked but was critical of the last-minute system changes.
I think its frustrating because you already have a claimant account why would you have to set up a whole new one?
Later in the day, she sent an email to News 6 relieved the system finally worked: I just entered my social security number and I was able to log into the DEO web page, thank you for everything.
Morris said she will be able to apply for her weeks next Thursday.
What claimants were most concerned about is collecting back benefits after the federal deadline for emergency benefits expire on Sept. 6.
What Is Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Benefits
The Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program provided unemployment benefits to those that may not otherwise be eligible under Florida’s state Reemployment Assistance program due to COVID-19. This program expired on September 6, 2021, but you can still apply for benefits for 30 days after September 6, 2021, for any weeks workers may be entitled to benefits. After this 30 days there are no more PUA benefits.
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New Report Goes Against Gop Argument That $300 Weekly Extra Dissuades Job Seeking
A preliminary study out of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco undercuts GOP arguments that the topped-up benefits are responsible for slowing the labor market recovery and contribute significantly to a labor shortage. According to the study by Nicolas Petrosky-Nadeau and Robert G. Valletta, few out-of-work Americans would turn down a job offer just to continue receiving an extra $300 a week in supplemental federal jobless aid except in the case of the lowest-paid positions.
Furthermore, when the researchers extrapolated their results from an earlier study on the effects of the extra $600 per week in unemployment benefits from last year, the $300 weekly UI supplement currently in place has been making a small but likely noticeable contribution to job-finding rates and employers’ perceptions of worker availability.”
Note All Work And Earnings
When you claim your benefits, you will have to report any work you have done in the weeks being claimed as well as the gross earnings . Even if you have not received payment from the employer yet, the earnings must still be reported over the time worked. Failure to report work and earnings is a crime and can carry severe penalties.
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