Lost your job? Here’s how to apply for benefits

Posted on April 1, 2020

Local residents seeking Reemployment Assistance benefits, formerly known as unemployment compensation, are likely to find themselves facing a system overwhelmed with requests due to massive job losses in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“We are asking Floridians to be patient as we take action to increase our ability to serve those whose employment has been negatively impacted by the mitigation efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) is taking immediate action to increase our ability to serve the people of Florida during this unprecedented time,” said Director of Communications & External Affairs Tiffany Vause.

Those actions include:

• Expanding the hours for the Reemployment Assistance Call Center (800-204-2418), which is now available Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Increasing staff working on the Reemployment Assistance program by re-tasking 35 current DEO employees to assist with Reemployment Assistance, and hiring more than 100 individuals statewide to help answer calls and process applications so that individuals can receive benefits as soon as possible.

• Working with DEO’s current vendor to expand capacity.

• Adding server capacity to the online application for Reemployment Assistance as well as working with external interface partners to increase capacity.

Also, to make filing for assistance easier, Governor Ron DeSantis has waived the work search and online work registration requirements for Reemployment

 Assistance while the state mitigates the spread of COVID-19.

Individuals filing for Reemployment Assistance will not be required to register in Employ Florida or submit information on a biweekly basis regarding the employers that they contacted each week.

“While we add people to the team, the quickest way to file for Reemployment Assistance is to apply online at FloridaJobs.org and click on Reemployment Assistance,” Vause said.

“With this unprecedented event in our state, we are asking everyone to have continued patience. If you have trouble filing your claim, please try again later. With the increased volume in users, our system is moving slower. Floridians filing for Reemployment Assistance have until Saturday at midnight to file for the week,” she said.

Individuals who may be eligible for Reemployment Assistance may include:

• Those who are quarantined by a medical professional or a government agency,

• Those who are laid off or sent home without pay for an extended period by their employer due to COVID-19 concerns, or

• Those who are caring for an immediate family member who is diagnosed with COVID-19.

Individuals whose employment has been impacted, but are still receiving wages through paid leave, are not eligible to receive Reemployment Assistance.

At this time, individuals who apply for Reemployment Assistance whose employment was negatively impacted as a result of COVID-19 will follow the same application, review and payment process as all applicants for Reemployment Assistance in Florida.

Residents can apply for a job with DOE online at: https://jobs.myflorida.com/go/Department-of-Economic-Opportunity/2817100/.

“To date, we have received more than 325 applications and have more than 70 interviews scheduled this week,” Vause said.

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