New Florida Head of Unemployment Benefits Promises Checks Will Come Faster...
The number one goal is getting Floridians paid faster.
Governor Rob DeSantis has tasked Florida's Management Services Secretary Jon Satter to lead the program.
Mr. Satter isn't replacing the state's Economic Opportunity’s current director, Ken Lawson. Instead, Mr. Lawson has been be moved to responsibilities outside COVID-19.
The task at hand, is with clearing a backlog of unemployment claims, at this time the estimates have that number at approximately 790,000.
The State of Florida has received approximately 825,000 claims since the virus began and started causing economic issues with the state's economy.
Governor DeSantis said a prior provision in Florida state law was partly to blame for slowdown in cutting checks. That provision required applicants to return to the state’s website to re-certify their status as unemployed every two weeks. The Governor has since eliminated that provision, during this pandemic, to help ease restrictions and get more money to those, who need it.