JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Bills are stacking up for people who have been waiting for their unemployment benefits.
Floridians are reporting not being able to claim their last weeks of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which has left them unable to pay bills or buy groceries.
We want to warn you, in this story people talk about self-harm.
Our unemployment expert Vanessa Brito says it is the worst she’s seen it since the beginning of the pandemic. Our Facebook group Navigating Florida’s Unemployment Maze has been a useful tool and an outlet for many, but recently there have been extremely concerning posts showing the emotional toll of getting caught in the unemployment maze.
The Facebook page has more than 7,000 members across Florida who post their struggles hoping someone in the group has answers. Brito is often the woman with the answers.
“First thing I see is that message and I feel guilty," Brito said. "Was I sleeping?”
She's talking about a message from a woman on the page in which she threatened self-harm.
Story continues below.
A woman posted last week saying in part "I have appreciated all of your advice and have tried every suggestion and then some, but it just isn't going to happen. With PUA ending now, I'm sure it's even less likely. I have nothing, no income, no job offers, no hope. I welcome the starvation that will eventually kill me I'm sure….This life isn't for me.”
“It’s hard," Brito says bluntly. "How do you tell somebody who is so desperate and feels like they’re drowning, hey just try to keep your head up above water a little longer?"
More than 100 comments poured in.
Brito tried to reach the woman all day and eventually confirming she was okay, but troubling posts like this have become regular.
People post photos of their near empty fridge or their need for food or reaching out directly to Brito for help keeping their lights on.
“The worst part about it all is that the issues that we are confronting are not something that can be fixed overnight," she said.
Over the weekend, Brito asked the Facebook group to help her help several families. People came together to pay what was needed to keep one woman's power on, and to feed two families.
All the while, the cause remains. People are having consistent issues claiming their unemployment benefits and staying stuck in the maze.