People in Florida continue to file new unemployment claims.
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Labor released statistics showing that 31,083 more claims were filed the week ending May 30th than the previous week.
Three months after the pandemic first started, more than 200,000 people are still waiting for benefits, according to the Department of Economic Opportunity.
Hundreds of people have reached out to NBC 6 Responds for help.
“I applied several times and I called and I couldn’t get through on the phone, I couldn’t get through online,” Alyssa Freeman said.
Freeman explained she was deemed ineligible for state benefits after filing her first claim filed in March. She then applied two more times. After weeks of waiting for benefits, she says she started calling around for help.
“I wrote the Congressman Ted Deutch first, I wrote the senator, I called NBC 6 Responds, I wrote you a letter, you got back to me,” Freeman said.
Responds
Responding to every consumer complaint
We sent Freeman’s information, along with the names and claim information of more than 170 other people, to the office of Governor Ron DeSantis.
Days later, Freeman says her claim status changed to active. This week she got her first unemployment payment.
“I feel so much less stressed, I feel so much happier now that money is coming into my bank account,” Freeman said.
She has a message for other people still waiting for benefits.
“Write your senator, write your congressman, write NBC 6 Responds, and keep calling and keep applying because that is your money and you deserve your money,” Freeman said.
