The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is allowing Floridians to request a start date change for unemployment claims.
Floridians collecting regular state unemployment can use a new form to request the date change: https://claimdate.myflorida.com/recertification
For Floridians receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), the DEO still has yet to provide directions on how to backdate claims.
According to Orlando State Rep. Anna Eskamani, an outspoken advocate for Floridians seeking UC, the DEO is mailing checks for the "waiting week," which is the one-week waiting period before benefits can be paid out. Anyone whose waiting week took place after March 29th should be eligible.
People collecting UC are also eligible for back-pay and $600 weekly payments from Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC).
“DEO is aware that a LOT of people are missing both back-pay and their $600 payments,” Eskamani said. “DEO has made this issue a priority to address and assures us that money is being released daily, but we have asked the Department for a way to track the federal $600 (FPUC) benefits.”