Important Information on the Extended Benefit (EB) Program

Florida Extended Benefits (EB) Program is ending.
To receive benefits under the EB Program you must establish an EB claim no later than May 6, 2012. However,the last week that EB can be paid is May 12, 2012 regardless of any benefits remaining on the claim.
For individuals to continue to receive Extended Benefits (EB), Florida must be triggered “on” an EB period. The EB period is controlled by the average rate of unemployment in Florida. As of the week ending April 21, 2012, Florida’s unemployment rate has declined below the level needed to allow the payment of EB.
EB will remain available for three weeks following April 21, 2012. Florida will pay EB through the week ending May 12, 2012.  New EB claims will continue to be taken through the week beginning May 6, 2012.  No new EB claims can be accepted after the week ending May 12, 2012.

Learn more from http://www.floridajobs.org/

Tropical Storm Debby Disaster Unemployment Assistance

Tropical Storm Debby Disaster Unemployment Assistance

Federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) has been made available to three additional Florida counties included in the latest federal declaration for Individual Assistance – Duval, Nassau and Union. This federal funding is provided in coordination with the U.S. Department of Labor to aid Floridians out of work due to Tropical Storm Debby in these affected counties. More counties may become eligible in accordance with future federal declarations due to Debby.


DUA helps people who have become unemployed as a direct result of a declared disaster and who do not qualify for regular Reemployment Assistance benefits (formerly unemployment compensation benefits). The DUA program covers individuals who are self-employed and owners and workers of farms and ranches, as well as fishers and others who are not normally covered by state reemployment assistance benefits.



Floridians eligible for DUA include those who meet the following federal requirements:

• Exhausted entitlement to state Reemployment Assistance benefits (formerly unemployment compensation benefits) and worked or lived in a county for which the disaster has been officially declared; and
• Became unemployed as a direct result of a declared disaster; or
• Were unable to reach their place of employment as a direct result of the disaster; or
• Were scheduled to begin work and do not have a job or are unable to reach the job as a direct result of the disaster; or
• Became the major support for a household because the head of the household has died as a direct result of the disaster; or
• Cannot work because of an injury caused directly by the disaster.

Claims must be filed by August 6, 2012 for Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Franklin, Hernando, Highlands, Pasco, Pinellas, Suwannee and Wakulla, August 10, 2012 for Duval, Nassau and Union, August 13, 2012 for Hillsborough, Manatee and Taylor, and August 16, 2012 for Citrus, Gilchrist, Lafayette, Polk and Sarasota county residents to be eligible for DUA. DUA is available to unemployed individuals from the week ending June 30, 2012 and is payable for up to 28 weeks. DUA cannot be paid beyond the week ending January 5, 2013. 

Apply Online: Florida’s Internet Claims Filing System

You must provide the following information to complete your application:

• Social Security number.
• Alien registration number and expiration date (if applicable).
• Name and address of your last employer.
• If you worked in another state during the past two years, have the name and address of the out-of-state employer.
• If self-employed and have proof of self-employment for the past two years. (For example, W-2 statements, state or federal tax returns, bank records of accounts, statement from a bank showing your business account, or a copy of title or deed to a business property.)
• If you were scheduled to work but could not work due to the disaster, you must have the name and address of the employer and date you were scheduled to work.

General Disaster Unemployment Assistance Information

Disaster Unemployment Assistance is a federally funded benefit program that assists individuals who become unemployed because of a disaster. This program works as follows:

• The Governor must request assistance.
• The President of the United States approves assistance.
• A signed agreement must be in effect prior to any action being taken.
• After a disaster is declared, an official announcement regarding the availability of Disaster Unemployment Assistance funds must be made by the state employment security agency.
• All eligible individuals have 30 days from the announcement date to file a claim for Disaster Unemployment Assistance. If the date of separation is later than the announcement date, state law will apply.
• The disaster period is the 26-week period beginning with the first week following the date the major disaster began and ending with the 26th week subsequent to the date the major disaster was declared.
• Depending on the date of the declaration, it is possible for individuals to receive more than 26 weeks of benefits.
• An individual must exhaust all entitlement (Reemployment Assistance, Emergency Unemployment Compensation) prior to being eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance. A claimant who is disqualified from receiving regular reemployment benefits may be entitled to Disaster Unemployment Assistance.
• The Disaster Unemployment Assistance entitlement will be calculated with a base period of the most recent tax year that ended prior to the individual’s unemployment that was the direct result of a disaster.
• For any week that the claimant’s earnings are in excess of the calculated weekly benefit amount, the individual receives no payment for the week.
• Appeals Information:
  • The claimant will have 60 days to appeal a determination or redetermination.
  • All Disaster Unemployment Assistance appeals will be decided within 30 days of receipt.
  • The claimant will have 15 days to appeal the referee’s decision to the Regional Administrator.
  • The Regional Administrator will have 45 days to obtain the records and issue a decision.
  • The decision by the Regional Administrator must be issued within 90 days after the day on which the claimant’s original decision was received by the state agency.
• Aliens may receive Disaster Unemployment Assistance benefits if they meet the “able and available” criteria by state law, Aliens must be “able and available” for work and authorized by Immigration and Naturalization Service to work in the United States.

Learn more from http://www.floridajobs.org/

What is Reemployment Assistance Fraud?

Reemployment assistance fraud is a third degree felony.

How is fraud committed?

• Making false statements that may alter or increase benefits, or
• Withholding information that may alter or increase benefits, or
• Failing to report work in order to obtain or increase benefits, or
• Failing to report earnings in order to obtain or increase benefits.

What happens if I commit fraud?

If you commit reemployment assistance fraud, you face:

• Up to five years in prison per offense, AND
• Up to $5,000 fine per offense, AND
• Loss of future reemployment benefits, AND
• Repayment of all benefits to which you were not entitled.

How can I avoid committing fraud?

1. Report all earnings

• Federal and state law require that you report all earnings before taxes are deducted, including wages earned from self-employment, while claiming reemployment assistance benefits.
• ALL earnings must be reported in the week between Sunday and Saturday that you earned them, even if you have not been paid.  

2. Report all work

• Federal and state law require that you report all work, including self-employment, while claiming reemployment assistance benefits.
• ALL work must be reported in the week between Sunday and Saturday that you worked, even if you have not been paid. 

How do I report earnings correctly?

• Keep track of the total hours you work each calendar week, Sunday through Saturday.
• Your hourly rate of pay times the total hours worked equals your gross pay, which is the amount you must report.
• You must report ALL earnings for the week you do the work, not the week you are paid.

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Florida Unemployment Compensation Program

Fluidnow.com - Florida Unemployment Compensation Program
Fluidnow.com is the official site of the Unemployment Compensation (UC) Program in the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation. Unemployment insurance provides temporary wage replacement benefits to qualified individuals who are out of work through no fault of their own.
Download the document about UC services:

Emergency Unemployment Compensation Benefits [doc]

Application for Emergency Unemployment Compensation Benefits
PDF Version


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