Florida has been making it extra difficult for people to receive unemployment insurance benefits. The state has created a series or procedural changes that appear to be designed specifically to prevent eligible people from receiving unemployment benefits. A complaint about this has been filed to the United States Department of Labor.
No one wants to be unemployed. It is incredibly stressful to not have any idea how you are going to pay your bills and keep your family fed. Unemployment Insurance benefits are supposed to provide financial assistance to qualified people who have lost their jobs due to no fault of their own. Going through the process to apply for unemployment benefits is difficult. Recently, several states cut down the number of weeks that a person can receive benefits.
The state of Florida has put several procedural obstacles in place that appear to be specifically designed to prevent qualified people from receiving unemployment benefits. Valory Greenfield, who is a staff attorney at Florida Legal Services, said:
“Florida’s revised procedures make it just about as difficult as possible for unemployed workers to access unemployment insurance now.”
I live in California. When I needed to apply for unemployment insurance benefits, the initial process was fairly simple. I went online to apply. Someone from the unemployment department called me on the telephone, and asked me a bunch of questions about how, exactly, I lost my job. I had to fax a copy of the letter I received from my previous employer that stated when my last day of work was. Around a month later, I started receiving benefit payments.
Florida has a different system. People who want to apply for unemployment benefits in Florida have to take a 45-question exam. It is an online exam that tests reading, math, and research skills. The state also eliminated the option for people to apply by telephone. Florida also requires applicants to go through an assessment of their worker skills, and to fill out required work-search documentation (which they must submit electronically).
A complaint against the state of Florida has been filed with the United States Department of Labor. The complaint asks the DOL to investigate these changes. It is believed that Florida’s procedures are in violation of federal law. States receive grants to administer unemployment insurance benefits, and states are required to facilitate the prompt payment of benefits to workers who are eligible. It remains to be seen what the DOL decide to do about this situation.
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