Florida unemployment: Tracking numbers, continued problems with system

Some people have been waiting now for more than a month to get their unemployment payments, and the state’s website used to apply for those benefits is still acting up despite recent upgrades.

We continue to work toward new answers about how the state is trying to serve Floridians going through the unemployment process.

The website was down all weekend and continued to have problems Monday. We received screenshots from viewers showing another message saying the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is working on “processing payments.”

DEO also released a new FAQ section on its website, but it doesn’t answer your biggest question.

“When are we going to receive payment?” Rose Bergskaug said.

Bergskaug’s unemployment application status says approved, but she hasn’t seen a cent in benefits.

“I’m just waiting and waiting and waiting,” Bergskaug said.

Sandy Ybarra can’t even check her status. She’s tried for a week and a half and hasn’t been able to log on.

“Basically, just last week, I finally was able to file for unemployment,” Ybarra said. “And I’ve been furloughed since March 16.”

We’ve heard from those filing for unemployment benefits in the state, the website is more often down than functional, and phone lines are constantly busy.

And you just need to be paid before time runs out.

“You know, we didn’t ask for this. We didn’t ask to be out of work,” Ybarra said. “So the least they can do is give us the money that that we need to survive.”

Monday, DEO launched a dashboard for the public to track its progress. During the afternoon, it showed, of the roughly 652,000 unique claims filed, just over 162,000 have been processed. And about 40,000 have been paid.

“We all need to get paid now,” Bergskaug said. “The application is there.”

Yet, the website issues continue. Bergskaug says she got an email saying she had important messages in her inbox, but no message was there.

“The fact still remains, I can’t access anything,” Bergskaug said.

DEO told us: “This is a system error due to the large volume of claims we are receiving. Items sent to your Inbox may take a few days to arrive. Please check your Inbox at a later date to confirm receipt of any correspondence after initially filing your claim.”

We continue to press for answers about when you can expect your benefits to hit your bank accounts and mailboxes. For updates, check out our unemployment resources FAQ.

MORE: 

• DEO FAQs section 
• DEO reemployment assistance dashboard