TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — There will soon be a new way to file for unemployment benefits in Florida.
Ken Lawson, the Executive Director of the Department of Economic Opportunity, said on Thursday the state will soon offer paper applications for unemployment claims.
Floridians will be able to print out the paperwork and mail it in.
"I’m creating a paper application," Lawson said. "I’m going to have that paper application across the state of Florida. I’ll ask for partners to have that paper application. I’ll ask members to have that paper application so people can mail that in."
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It comes after many Floridians reported having issues with the unemployment filing process and weren't able to access the state’s CONNECT website or phone system.
"We’ll hire a company to scan that paper application in, cause I gotta be as creative as possible because of where we are," Lawson said.
Lawson said his agency is contracting with an outside vendor to increase call volume, and they’re also working on improving the website with a mobile version.
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For more information about applying for unemployment benefits in Florida, click here or call the Claims Assistance Center at 1-800-204-2418.