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Ten Florida residents have filed a class action lawsuit against Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity alleging that the state has deprived them of real and personal rights by prematurely cutting off federal unemployment benefits.
In May, DeSantis announced the state would end the $300 a week extended federal unemployment benefits program, saying that the program incentivized people not to work.
However, the Florida unemployment class action lawsuit says that rather than getting people back to work, ending the benefits before they are set to expire in September left un- and under-employed Floridians unable to cover basic living expenses, such as housing, utilities, food, health care, and child care.
The claim adds that the governor cut off the benefits for “purely partisan and political purposes.”
Gia Cuccaro, one of the plaintiffs, was a paralegal for three decades and is now facing eviction. Heather Fulop, a single mom, had her job as a neonatal ICU registered nurse eliminated during the pandemic, according to the Florida unemployment lawsuit.
Plaintiff Lori Beth Ertel was self-employed prior to COVID and was doing accounting work for small businesses, the claim states. “Since COVID, many of those businesses have closed leaving her without clients. She has sent out many job applications with no response. She tried to apply to work at McDonald’s, but was told that she is overqualified and they were worried that they would train her and she would leave when she found something better.”
Without the $300 a week payment, Ertel only gets $125 a week in benefits, which makes it impossible for her to pay her utilities, electric, cable, phone, and car insurance, the Florida unemployment lawsuit adds. She was forced to move in with her adult daughter and 7-year-old granddaughter.
Florida is one of 26 states that have prematurely cut off the weekly federal unemployment payments. However, Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) Labor Data Chief said two weeks ago that the data does not yet tell whether ending benefits will actually spur more people returning to work, Spectrum News reports.
In a letter sent to U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Martin Walsh notifying the DOL that DEO would end the benefits program, DEO Executive Director Dane Eagle said Florida’s labor data showed that “total private-sector employment has increased by 18,800 jobs and more than 460,000 online job postings.”
While there has been 14 consecutive months of job growth, the DEO confirmed two weeks ago that the state still has 300,000 fewer workers now than before the pandemic, Spectrum News reports.
Attorneys Scott Behren, Gautier Kitchen, and Marie Mattox are representing the Florida plaintiffs. Behren told Spectrum News that there was a statute in Florida that said the state must take advantage to the best it can of any federal benefits available for its residents.
“So the arguments that have been successful in other states are that they are violating their own statutes by neglecting and refusing to take the federal money they’re legally required to take.”
The attorneys say the end goal of the lawsuit is to get federal benefits restored for people who were impacted, not just the named plaintiffs.
“Justice delayed is certainly justice denied when you have your lights cut off and your car repossessed,” Kitchen told Spectrum News.
“If Floridians feel like they’re forgotten, if they feel like they’ve gotten the short end of the stick, if they feel like it shouldn’t be this hard and other places have got it right, why not our state, they are correct in their emotions. They’ve been failed.”
What do you think about Florida’s decision to end unemployment benefits? Let us know in the comments section below.
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75 thoughts onFlorida Hit With Class Action Lawsuit for Ending Federal Unemployment Payments
I want to joint the lawsuit
I got covid and an positive as of 9/11/2021
YES I want my $1,200!. I have worked hard all of my life and believe I am entitled to every penny made available by our Federal Government to help the unemployed. Ron DeSantis is a self-serving politician and only interested in posturing for a higher office. When he took office, the antiquated CONNECT system and ineptness of the DEO were not high priorities. Do not judge a public servant on performance during good times; judge on the actions or inactions during bad times. Accusing the long-term unemployed of purposefully not looking for work or refusing to accepting jobs is insulting at the very least. Not raising the # of weeks payable as provided in the formulas based on the actual unemployment rate is against the mandates that were put into place during the Rick Scott governorship. Making people wait and see if Washington provides extended benefits, making people wait for weeks for DEO to program in EB payments and other Federal rescue payments and then arrogantly taking those same Federal benefits away from eligible claimants is unconscionable. All the other gyrations and inexcusable delays, refusal to increase weekly benefits by a measly $100, lack of DEO support and continual policy changes are an illogical dehumanizing abomination. Now you and your appalling excuse for a DEO make us jump through ridiculous security hoops in order to claim 2 lousy weeks of remaining PUA/PEUC. Governor DeSantis, no matter how much Teflon coats your suit, the blame starts, sticks and ends with you. Fool us once, Governor, shame on you; fool us twice – not on our watch; there will be no shame on us. FLORIDIANS, pay very close attention and, if all else fails, exercise your right to in the court of public opinion: VOTE!. .
I was totally behind a Gov DeSantis until he cut the 300.00 Fed money , so that it could be resent Washington so that it can be spent on all these non Americans being brought here. It makes me sick to my stomach that we have our own people to take care of. WHAT about the elderly that receive SS benefits and don’t have enough money to pay their rent, electricity and their monthly medications.
DeSantis should be ashamed of himself , wants to bully the school districts for implementing the Mask mandates . My Grandson brings home letters each week sometimes twice that a child in his class has tested positive.
I cannot begin to tell you how many times they’ve been sent home to quarantine because more than 3/ have been positive and their teachers .
I know that he and Stacy use every precaution to keep their own children from receiving the virus from others !
I can only say at this point that he might as well forget that ticket to run for presidency.
He’s ruined it with the unemployment and the schools here in Florida…..
Where is all the ERAP money ????
Funny that I applied in April and it’s September and not one penny has been seen by me nor anyone else that I know that completed the application ……
Frustrated from Duval County
I will look elsewhere at how to join this. However, if the lawyers who are running the class happen to see this contact and add me. nmiller68@gmail.com
Is it too late to be included in this law suit? I have been victimized by the FL systems and missing over 8 weeks of benefits due to being locked out over and over again.
I have been off for $300 since June and I cannot pay my bills
I have been out of work since April 2020. I am behind on rent, barely able to eat with $105 a month snap benefits. I am recovering from 2 cancer tumors in my neck removed by radiation treatment. My immune system is very weak and am highly susceptible to any all types of infections. If I catch covid I basically die. I have been secluded to my apartment since April 2020 and in fear I’ll be homeless. I would like to be added to this lawsuit.
Please add me to the lawsuit
I have had to move 8 times thru this pandemic , lost everything ! Last week I admitted myself to the psyc Ward afraid that I may commit suicide I’ve now been on the streets since let go from the hospital . I receive 113 $ a week . This is not a hand out I have worked 26 years in the service industry and have been unable to find work even though everyone claims they are hiring ….I paid into unemployment now cannot receive the help I need . Now homeless I have no address and will lose my phone on the first of September . Give me one reason suicide isn’t the answer ? The system has been so screwed up it took 9 months to receive any payment from DEO
I have exhausted all resources . This is my reality …. I no longer can keep a roof over my head or feed my self on what little food stamps I do recieve . I feel like I love in a different country . This is not the American way I grew up in . And I will fight what is left of this screwed up life to get DeSantis out of office !!! He should remember if he kills all his people who then will vote for him .
I am 42 and have worked hard my whole life now I’m facing losing everything since losing my job & now the only thing I get is a $130 a week I can’t survive off that & can’t keep my car insurance now my license are suspended & there wanting to take my car for non payment & no insurance but no one has hired me I’ve tried every where looking for work but if they take my car I surely can’t find a job or even look for work without transportation driving on a suspended license is bad enough I could fix all this if they hadn’t taken away the pandemic unemployment in June. I want to join plz
Sign Me Up
Please add me to the lawsuit !