JACKSONVILLE, Fla — The issues with Florida's unemployment system are varied, often revolving around claims stuck on "pending" or the need to reset a seemingly arbitrary "pin." But one Jacksonville Beach woman has a different problem: she is being denied benefits because of requirements that should have been waived.
Erin Outlaw returned to her job at Ten Salon in Ponte Vedra after spending three months on unpaid maternity leave. With much of her savings depleted from her leave, she was furloughed just a few days after returning.
"Even when we do re-open, my hours will be cut," she said. "I won't be able to see a paycheck for at least two weeks."
Outlaw spent days working to get her application for unemployment benefits through the troubled Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FDEO) system.
Once her claim was processed, Outlaw was told by the system that she would be denied benefits because she failed the "work search" requirements.
"It's just been a constant headache," she said.
Governor Ron DeSantis waived the "work search" requirement in mid-March as businesses across the state first began to close their doors. He also waived the one-week waiting period after being approved for benefits.
On Thursday, more than a month after those typical requirements were waived, DeSantis announced the signing of a new executive order that would force FDEO's system to waive the bi-weekly re-certification process, which is comprised of the "work search" components.
So why did it take a month for the order to be signed?
"This one, I didn't think I needed to do an executive order for because the Labor Department has said: 'This can be waived.' The agency didn't do it so I had to force their hand," DeSantis said.
The order to waive the re-certification process came as the governor announced the addition of new servers to boost the system's capacity and after the ousting of FDEO Secretary Ken Lawson from his role overseeing COVID-19 response in regards to unemployment.
"How do I know that this is actually gonna work this time?" Outlaw asked. "Are they going to take off my disqualification that's already been put on my account? Will they know to go back and check that? I can't get through on the phone lines to ask."
First Coast News has reached out to FDEO multiple times with a slew of questions. The state department will not answer our questions, instead referring us to watch the governor's press conferences or read distributed press releases.
One major question stands out: will Floridians receive retroactive benefits if they missed deadlines due to the inefficiencies of the unemployment system?
"I'm still gonna be needing this money during the time I've been off, it'll help out tremendously," Outlaw said.
If you need to print an application to file, you can find the document here.