Sobering news (Photo Credit: CC BY/aflcio/Flickr)
Emergency unemployment benefits are a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of Americans who are suffering during the current recession and in need of emergency loans. Employers haven’t begun to hire as quickly as the government would have hoped, and hence extension of benefits has become a hot-button political issue. In Florida, the state’s Agency for Workforce Innovation has made an earnest attempt to come to the aid of more than 100,000 “long-term” jobless through the website fluidnow (www.fluidnow.com). Those unemployed persons whose claims had expired but were supposedly restarted due to an extension of benefits expected to be able to reinstate their benefits, but fluidnow has turned out to be not so fluid for some.
Fluidnow unable to service customers in a timely manner
According to one of Florida’s long-term unemployed, calling the fluidnow help line at 800-204-2418 results in hours of connection attempts, only to be greeted eventually be a pre-recorded “call back later” message. Eventually the intrepid citizen reached an AWI employee who had no information on whether they’d be eligible to receive an extension of unemployment benefits. The only reassurance Florida residents have received recently on this front came from AWI Director Cynthia Lorenzo, who claims that once the U.S. Department of Labor sent fluidnow guidance, payments would be issued. When that guidance would come – two weeks, as Lorenzo suggested, or some other interminable governmental interval – was uncertain.
The EUC Fix – Hope for the hopeless
Taking a loan from a loan company or signing up for a part-time job are among the only options open to many job seekers. However, these often won’t pay all the bills. Plus, there’s fear that the benefits already being received would shrink upon signing up for part-time work. Enter the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Fix. It was part of the most recent emergency unemployment benefits extension that made it out of Congress, reports Michigan’s MLive.com. The intention behind the provision is to “remove the disincentive for people who take part-time jobs while collecting benefits.” Struggling citizens would not have to fear having their benefits reduced in their second year of benefits, reports the Michigan news portal.
EUC Fix is not retroactive
According to the National Employment Law Project, the EUC Fix is only good for those unemployed citizens with benefit years ending on or after July 22, 2010. Those who don’t fit that window are out of luck, much like scores of Florida unemployed who are waiting on fluidnow or at least some form of instant loan. For more information on the EUC Fix, visit the National Employment Law Project website.
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Drug testing for unemployment in Florida
Since people who collect unemployment benefits are required to seek work, and most employers require pre-employment drug testing, why not then a bill requiring the employer to submit the test results to the state if they are positive. This would be considered being unavailiable for work, and bebefits could then be denied. None of the money in the state fund is spent on drug testing and therefor more people are able to receive benifits. The guy sponsoring the bill says this is the desired effect, not to root out drug users. So don't spend state (my) money on drug testing.
YOU KNOW UNEMPLOYMENT ARE NOT TELLING IT ALL WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PEOPLE WHO EXHAUSTED ALL BENIFITS THEY ARE NOT MAKING ANYMORE TIERS IN FLORIDA AND THE POSTIONS THAT ARE COMING THERE ARE 1000 APPLICANTS TO ONE JOB. WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSE TO DO. CAN SOMEONE ANSWER THAT QUESTION. WHILE ARE LOVELY PRESIDENT IS ON VACATION…. WELL I HOPE HE HAD FUN
AG, CLEARWATER