For Julie Satterley, 2020 has been a difficult year so far. The Oakland Park resident said she was unexpectedly laid off from her job in January, right before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He gave me no information,” she said of her boss. “No reason why.”
Since then, Julie said she had been on several interviews but hadn’t gotten any offers
“A lot of companies at that point said we’ve decided not to hire at this time or the company said we’re laying people off,” she said.
Julie said she was able to apply for state unemployment benefits, which she received. But those state benefits, she said, were exhausted in the beginning of May.
For people like Julie, the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program or PEUC may offer some relief. PEUC allows up to an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits and up to $275 per week in benefits, in addition to the $600 in FPUC.
Julie said she got an email about the program this week.
“Saying it looks like you’re going to qualify for this,” she said. “I went back on the unemployment benefit [website] and there was an additional link.”
She said she filled out the application for PEUC earlier in the week and was waiting to learn more, adding she had no idea when she would actually be receiving any benefits.
According to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, you may qualify for PEUC if the balance of your current reemployment assistance claim is expired or exhausted and you remain unemployed and you have a reemployment assistance claim that expired after July 1, 2019.
The DEO’s site said if your most recent claim is expired, you may need to complete a new state reemployment assistance application before receiving the PEUC link.
You can read more on applying for PEUC by clicking here.
