How to Apply for Unemployment Benefits in Florida
Unemployment has reached an all-time high, particularly in areas of the country which once benefited from rampant construction. Florida is no exception. Learn how to apply for unemployment benefits in Florida.
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Instructions
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1
Determine if You are Eligible
In order to open an unemployment claim to receive benefits, you must first determine if you are eligible. To get unemployment in Florida, you must have worked recently.
- You must have been worked during 4 of the 5 immediate preceding quarters to your claim. Quarters starts in the following months: January, April, July and October. You must have been paid during 2 of those 5 quarters.
- You need to have earned $3400 during those 4 quarters.Aside from being eligible from a monetary perspective, you also have to be eligible based on separation from your last job. You just have:
- Been separated at no fault of your own (you were not let go for performance issues, for example)
- You must not have quit on your own
- You must be available and willing to work. You must be actively searching for new employment opportunities -
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File a Claim
You can file a claim at a local unemployment office or you can do it online (see Resources section below) to receive Florida unemployment benefits. The online system is called FLUID. You can also mail in the claim form. The number to the unemployment office is often busy or unmanned, so filing online may be the best course of action.
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Receiving the Results
The Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation will mail you a letter indicating if you are eligible for unemployment and for what amount. The maximum weekly benefit you can receive is $275. The letter will also inform you how to go about what is called "certifying weeks." Each week you will need to go online and claim your weeks to ensure that you get paid. You can choose to receive unemployment via a check or direct deposit.
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Claim Your Weeks
Be sure to claim your weeks on the specified day each week. Log into the system or call to ensure you are paid in a timely manner. You must input into the system any wages that you have earned for the week you are claiming, even if you are working part-time. The system will also ask you if you have searched for a job (not necessarily a Florida job) that week, if you are able to work, and if you have turned down any offers to enter the workforce. Answer honestly. Paydays are on Fridays.
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Tips & Warnings
Log into the system to claim your weeks after 4pm on the day designated. The system is extremely slow in the mornings and will oftentimes time out.
Try to get as much accomplished online, as rarely will you be able to get a representative from the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation on the phone.
Take advantage of the job resources the unemployment office offers. This serves as a sort of human resources department for the state of Florida.
Don't give up. There are Florida jobs to be found if you continue to search.
Florida has designated that the first week you claim benefits as a "waiting week," therefore, you do not get paid the first week you are unemployed. Be sure to file as quickly as possible to minimize the amount of time you are unpaid.
