JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Some unemployed Floridians woke up to an email from the Department of Economic Opportunity Monday morning stating they have received too much money and need to pay it back.
“I woke up Monday morning to an overpayment,” said Gia Cuccaro. “Mine happens to be over $4,000.”
Cuccaro wasn’t actually overpaid. Her CONNECT account now shows she wasn’t eligible for 13 weeks worth of benefits she received. Her account then stated that if it wasn’t paid back, she couldn’t receive future benefits.
“It’s tragic because the low amount that we get, now we’re not getting any of it until this is fixed,” Cuccaro said.
It seems that two overpayment categories emerged in the recent glitch.
Some people received one week's worth of an overpayment in their bank accounts this week, while some are being slapped with a bill for thousands of dollars, like Cuccaro. Either way, it is preventing them from claiming future benefits.
“It’s just two steps forward, five steps behind,” Cuccaro said.
Unemployment expert Vanessa Brito says she’s encountered hundreds of cases like Cuccaro’s this week along with those receiving one extra payment in their bank account.
“It’s different glitches and different issues and we need to figure out where it’s emanating from,” Brito said. “It’s ludicrous.”
In both cases, Brito says don’t pay the money back right away.
If you were wrongly told you were overpaid, you should not owe any money. The glitch just needs to be fixed.
If you did receive an extra payment, be sure to pay it back over the phone.
“Contact the DEO directly,” Brito said. “Don’t pay it online and make sure it goes through the payment processing unit with a supervisor so you can see that overpayment come off your account.”
It’s a waiting game now for those who were wrongly deemed overpaid to have their claims fixed.
“How am I going to pay my bills this month? I have no idea,” Cuccaro said.
Brito is making a list of people with these problems to send to DEO. If you would like to be added to the list, message her on her Facebook page.