Why did I only get my Florida state benefits but no federal unemployment?
Filed my claim a week ago and just got my first payment today, but I'm confused because it's only $310 instead of what I expected. Looks like I only got the state benefit amount and not the federal portion I thought I was eligible for. My CONNECT account shows payment issued but there's nothing about federal benefits. Is there something else I need to do to get the federal money? Did anyone else have this problem where they only received state benefits? I thought both would come together in one payment.
16 comments
Join the conversation
Elijah Brown
Florida doesn't have any federal unemployment supplements right now. The federal programs like PUA, PEUC, and the $300/600 weekly boost all ended back in 2021. You're only eligible for regular state RA benefits now, which max out at $375 per week depending on your previous wages.
0 coins
Zoe Walker
•Oh wow, I had no idea! I was talking to a coworker who got laid off last year and he mentioned getting like $800 a week total. I just assumed it was still the same. Thanks for clearing that up.
0 coins
Maria Gonzalez
ya this happened to me too!! i thought i was getting gypped but apparently thats all were supposed to get now. kinda sucks compared to what people were getting during covid :
0 coins
Zoe Walker
•For real! $310 a week is barely going to cover my rent let alone everything else. Guess I better step up my job search efforts.
0 coins
Natalie Chen
The DEO is only administering regular Reemployment Assistance (RA) benefits now. The maximum weekly benefit amount in Florida is $375, and the minimum is $32, based on your previous earnings. Your benefit amount is calculated based on your wages during the base period (the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before your claim). The federal supplement programs were temporary emergency measures during COVID-19. Currently, Florida only offers up to 12 weeks of regular state benefits (this can increase to 23 weeks when the state unemployment rate is high). Make sure you're completing your 5 required work search activities each week and claiming your weeks on time to continue receiving benefits while you look for new employment.
0 coins
Santiago Martinez
•This is correct. I'm a career counselor at CareerSource and we see this confusion all the time. People hear from friends who collected during the pandemic and expect the same amounts. Currently there are NO federal supplements.
0 coins
Samantha Johnson
CONNECT is the WORST at explaining this stuff!!! They should have a giant banner explaining there's no more fed money instead of letting people figure it out when they get less than expected. I spent THREE HOURS on hold trying to talk to someone about this exact same issue last month. DEO's communication is TERRIBLE!
0 coins
Zoe Walker
•You're so right. I spent forever reading through their website trying to find info about federal benefits before posting here. Would have been nice if they made it obvious somewhere.
0 coins
Nick Kravitz
If you need to reach DEO about this or any other questions about your claim, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com). Got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes last week when I was dealing with an adjudication issue. They have a video demo you can check out here: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj. Way better than spending all day hitting redial yourself.
0 coins
Hannah White
•does this actually work? i've been calling DEO for 2 weeks straight with no luck, always get the 'call volume too high' message
0 coins
Nick Kravitz
•Yes, it worked for me. They basically call DEO repeatedly using their system until they get through, then connect you. Saved me literally days of frustration.
0 coins
Zoe Walker
Update: I called DEO this morning (took forever to get through) and confirmed what everyone here said. The agent told me federal supplements ended in September 2021 and now we only get the state amount. He said my weekly benefit amount of $310 is based on my earnings during the base period. Thanks everyone for your help!
0 coins
Maria Gonzalez
welcome to the club lol. unemployment in FL is basically poverty wages. this state is the worst!!
0 coins
Natalie Chen
Remember to keep up with your work search requirements (5 per week) and claim your weeks on time. The CONNECT system will lock you out if you miss claiming weeks, and you'll need to contact DEO to reactivate your claim. While the benefit amount is lower without federal supplements, you can maximize your chances of receiving all eligible state benefits by staying on top of the requirements.
0 coins
Zoe Walker
•Thanks for the reminder. I've been documenting all my job applications and interviews. Quick question - do LinkedIn job applications count as work search activities?
0 coins
Natalie Chen
•Yes, LinkedIn applications count as work search activities as long as you document them properly with the employer name, job title, date of application, and method of contact. Any reasonable job application effort counts, whether it's through LinkedIn, Indeed, company websites, or in-person applications.
0 coins