A month after the Governor closed businesses, only 25% of unemployment claims have been processed

A month after the Governor closed businesses, only 25% of unemployment claims have been processed

OPEN AND DOING SOMETHING NELET US KNOW, WE’LL ADD IT TO OURLISTPEOPLE WHO ARE STILL WAITING ONTHEIR UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS ARTURNING TO US, THE NEWS, BECAUSETHEY SAY THEY’RE OUT OF OPTIONS.JUST OVER A MONTH AGO, GOVERNORDESANTIS CLOSED ALL RESTAURANTS,BARS, AND GYMAND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OFPEOPLE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GETTHEIR BENEFITS THAT ENTIRE TIME.4 IN YOUR CORNER’S ROB MANCH ISCHECKING BACK IN WITH A MANFIRST SPOKE WITH ON APRIL 1STWHO WAS HAVING TROUBLE FILING.ROB?NTRO:Exactly 20 days ago, I spokewith Chris Girard, who used towork as a bartender in thshopping center.Since then, his situation hasgone from bad to desperate, withno sign that help is cominganytime soon.PKG:"We are literally withering onthe vine here, and it doesn’tseem like anyone in Tallahasseeis listening to us."Girard is losing hope in thestate system, because after morethan 5 weeks of waiting, hisapplication status still showsthat it’s pending."My restaurant was purposelyclosed, I was told to stay home.I did what I was told to do, andnow I’m being penalized and Ican’t even get my unemployment.Absolutely ridiculous."Girard used to work at SouthernStyle Kitchen serving high enddrinks.Now he says he’s surviving ofpeanut butter sandwicheChris Girard, FormerBartender/Server:"I’m just at a point where I’vebeen living off food banks andfood pantries for the last fiveweeks."I wanted to learn more about whyGirard’s benefits are being heldup, so I spoke with anemployment attorney."The data I’ve seen suggeststhat Florida is the worst statein the nation in dealing withthese claims right now."Ryan Barrack has been followingthe issues with the statewebsite.He says these problems arenothing new, we’re just noticingnow because it affects so manymore people."The system didn’t work before,and they are trying to fix it,and they are trying to fix itnow.

They’re driving down theroad, at 150 miles an hour,trying to change a tire."Barrack says only 25 percent ofclaims have been processed sofar, and at the current rate,the state will have to continueprocessing them for at leastanother two months.I asked what someone like Girardcan do.Ryan Barack, EmploymentAttorney:"I would recommend, if someoneis having issues, that theycontact their state legislators.This is a problem that the statecreated by not having a properwebsite up and functioning."Girard says he’s left voicemailswith his legislators, but neverheard back.He says he has a better idea."I would hope that the, anystate senator, state governoror any state representativewould maybe join us in our causein unemployment and not take apaycheck for the next two tothree months, or at least until50 percent of the claims arepaid."TAGAnd Barack tells me anotherconcerning trend is thatpercent of claims so far havebeen denied.He says when that happens, thosecases go through an appealsprocess, but he says there’s noway the state is prepared tohandle the hundreds of thousandsof appeals on the wayBut for now, Girard willcontinue to wait, with 75percent of the other people whofiled, and