Janet Cruz calls for ‘waiting week’ waiver on unemployment claims before March 29

Sen. Janet Cruz is calling on Department of Management Services head Jonathan Satter to issue clarification to unemployed Floridians about retroactive unemployment compensation claims.

In a letter, Cruz explains a series of confusing statements and possible contradictions, leaving jobless residents unsure about what benefits are available to them and when.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said in an April 8 press conference that those who applied one day, but weren’t able to complete their applications until a later date, should have their original attempt counted as “the day they applied.”

DeSantis later confirmed the state would honor qualifying unemployment applications retroactively to March 9.

However, that’s different from information provided on the Department of Economic Opportunity website that indicates unemployed Floridians who lost jobs because of COVID-19 could only have their “waiting week” waived for claims filed on or after March 29.

While those who lost jobs March 9-29 can still qualify for unemployment compensation during that time, they would not, under the state’s online guidance, be able to waive the first week of joblessness to receive compensation while those who lost jobs March 29 and beyond would.

“The statements that the system began having problems on March 9th, but that anyone applying before March 29th is not eligible for the same retroactive benefits as those applying after, should be clarified for Floridians,” Cruz wrote.

“Retroactivity should be honored to the date of March 9th for all those made unemployed due to COVID-19. If there are impediments to fulfilling that, they should be rectified,” she continued.

Florida’s unemployment system requires a one-week waiting period before benefits can be paid out, the idea being that some people might find a new job within that week.

However, that rule predates coronavirus and current economic conditions present additional challenges with reemployment.

“The communications provided by DEO are crucial during this time. Floridians are desperate for information,” Cruz wrote. “They need to inform creditors of when they will be able to pay their bills. They are depending on the statements provided by Governor DeSantis and yourself. I hope this apparent oversight will be addressed most expeditiously.”

While improvements have been made, Florida’s CONNECT website for unemployment claims continues to experience technical challenges under the weight of hundreds of thousands of new claims.

DeSantis agreed to retroactivity to account for Floridians who, in some cases, have been trying for weeks to navigate the flawed $77 million website or to reach customer service representatives at bogged down call centers.

However, there have been questions about how the retroactivity will work with DeSantis’ talking points not always aligning with official correspondence on state infrastructure.

Cruz is calling on Satter, named to oversee the system after DEO head Ken Lawson failed to do so, to remedy the disconnect.