JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Many Floridians receiving unemployment benefits will lose $600 worth of their payments before the end of the month.
The $600 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation payment stems from the CARES Act and it is tacked on to all unemployment benefits. In Florida, that money is what is keeping many unemployed people afloat.
The max amount of unemployment benefits offered in Florida is $275, which is more than $100 less than the national average.
“That’s if you can even get the $275,” said Robert Nobrega, who is struggling to receive benefits. “In my case, I’m only getting $95 a week.”
Robert Nobrega doesn’t know how he’s going to live off of $95 dollars per week once FPUC expires. His company has furloughed him through October.
“I’m really scared,” Nobrega said. “You can’t even buy enough food for a week with $95.”
Many people think the ending date of July 31 means there will be three more FPUC payments this month, but Florida pays out on Saturdays. Since the July 31 falls on a Friday, that means the last FPUC payment will actually be on July 25.
“Two-hundred-seventy-five dollars a week, it’s just not possible to live off that,” said state representative Anna Eskamani, referring to the state maximum benefits.
That’s why Eskamani is asking the governor to increase state benefits closer to the national average.
“Two-hundred-seventy-five dollars a week is one of the lowest in the country,” Eskamani said. “There is plenty of room for Florida to make an expansion and replicate the rest of the country.”
Since Eskamani doesn’t think that will happen, she’s asking Congress to extend FPUC payments, so Floridians can continue to catch up on stacking bills.
Eskamani is not alone. This petition to extend FPUC through December has received more than 1.3 million signatures. At this point, these people say it is out of their hands, they just want their voices heard.
“We elect these people, we put out lives in their hands to make the right decisions,” Nobrega said.