Retroactive payments approved, people still frustrated with shoddy unemployment website

More than a month after massive layoffs and furloughs, people in Florida are still waiting for their unemployment benefits.

Some progress has been made – more than 108,000 claims have been paid – but that’s only about 16 percent of the total claims submitted since March 15.

People are upset and frustrated over the application process, so one Collier County woman started a Facebook support group to share information.

“You don’t know how to answer questions, you don’t know if it’s… I don’t even know,” said Helen Moore-Harbeson.

The former hotel concierge said navigating the unemployment system has been a nightmare.

“It was just so frustrating and I knew I couldn’t be alone.”

The Facebook support group “Collier County Hospitality Forum” has almost 150 members – and not one of them has seen a penny in benefits.

The state’s unemployment website and its phone lines are still letting people down.

“All of us on this forum are just basically saying come on, there’s got to be a better way,” Moore-Harbeson said.

The new head of the DEO said Tuesday that he likens the system to an old car.

“It’s being expected to run a Daytona 500 multiple times without any pitstops. We’re trying to add infrastructure to it and get people paid as quickly as we can,” said Sec. Jonathan Satter.

He had some good news: Retroactive payments will happen, but they have yet to decide if the retroactivity will be to the date of job loss or the date the applicant tried to apply.

“What we don’t want to do is pick a date … that would negatively impact the recipient’s ability to receive both a state benefit and a federal benefit. So we want the recipient to maximize their benefits. So we need to be deliberate and thoughtful on that retro date,” he said.

Although Moore-Harbeson said she’s been waiting a month and hasn’t seen any progress, with retroactive payments in the works, she’s staying positive.

“I think that gives us a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel.”