Waiting period waived for Floridians seeking re-employment assistance benefits

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — You'll no longer have to wait a week to receive unemployment benefits in Florida.

Wednesday, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), at the direction of Governor Ron DeSantis, announced the waiving of the requirement to wait a week to receive Reemployment Assistance benefits, formally known as unemployment compensation, through May 8, 2020.

The waiting week has been waived so eligible Floridians may receive the support they need to help recover from the current economic impacts of COVID-19.

“We appreciate Governor DeSantis’ continued commitment to keep Floridians economic security a priority while we mitigate the efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19,” said Ken Lawson, Executive Director of DEO. “Under his leadership, our team is taking proactive steps to ensure we can serve all Floridians whose employment has been negatively impacted by COVID-19.”

DeSantis has already waived the work search and online work registration requirements for Reemployment Assistance while the state works to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Individuals filing for Reemployment Assistance will not be required to register in Employ Florida or submit information on a biweekly basis on the employers contacted each week.

The waiving of the waiting week is applicable to anyone who has filed for Reemployment Assistance beginning March 29 through May 8, 2020.

To access the DEO's CONNECT system and submit your reemployment assistance claim, click here.

Many Floridians have reported issues with the DEO's CONNECT system on social media, prompting the organization to do some maintenance on the system on Wednesday.

That maintenance has since been completed, though the complaints haven't stopped on social media.