Several people have told NBC 6 Responds their payments of $600 in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, or FPUC, have suddenly stopped – without explanation – in recent weeks.
Hans Stahl was among them.
“I just stopped getting the money,” he said Wednesday.
Hans said it took a few weeks, but his initial application for reemployment assistance benefits was eventually processed and he started receiving FPUC benefits.
Then, three weeks ago, he said he received a lump sum of $2,400 for benefits he was owed.
“I just don’t understand why all of a sudden I’m getting money every week, and then I get the back money, and then it stops,” he said.
It was a similar situation for Orlin Stoyanov and countless others who reached out to NBC 6 in recent days. On Wednesday, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity told NBC 6 in an email that after reviewing several claimant IDs, they had identified two technology concerns that may have prevented someone from getting their FPUC payment in recent weeks, explaining: “Individuals who requested that their claims be backdated were not included in recent payment files…” for FPUC payments.
The DEO also said, “…the department has identified that some claimants were not paid their Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation payment for their waiting week.”
Hans said he did not have his claim backdated, so he didn’t know why his FPUC payment suddenly stopped. He said he hoped the issue would be resolved soon.
“I have a mortgage and a car payment,” he said. “I have utilities, so you budget your money off of that.”
The DEO also said claimants should continue to request benefits as long as they are unemployed or partially employed and that they expect to have the latest technology issues resolved quickly.
If you were not paid FPUC payments for a waiting week, the DEO said the department “...has identified these individuals and should have them paid their $600 federal payment within five business days."
