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Frustrations with Florida's employment system continue to grow

Posted at 5:36 PM, Jun 18, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-18 17:36:37-04

BOCA RATON, Fla. — A Boca Raton woman says it took dozens of phone calls to local politicians to get help with her unemployment claim.

Stephanie Donner says she tried to apply for unemployment in the middle of May, thinking problems with the system had been fixed.

She says her application never went through and she started calling local politicians for help.

Eventually she connected with someone at the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and received her first two weeks of unemployment this week.

However when she went to claim her next two weeks there were issues again.

Representative Emily Slosberg and her office have been helping Donner.

Slosberg says the work search requirement, which has been waived until at least July 4, has been the number one issue brought to her office.

Donner says the uncertainty with the system leaves her wondering what she will do next month, "This is for the end of June, so what do I do in July? Am I going on food lines? Am I renting out a room? What do I do, what does anyone do - not just me?"

Slosberg says she's helping as many people as she can and encourages people not to give up.

"We are working hand in hand with the department to help process these claims," she says.