ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Update: The Department of Economic Opportunity told Eyewitness News this is not a new requirement, and documentation is needed to support a person’s identity.
Read the previous story below:
Maria Gonzalez used to work at a restaurant inside Orlando International Airport. She was furloughed in March and her last paycheck was in April.
“Upset, sad, angry -- I don’t know what to do,” she said.
Gonzalez applied for unemployment weeks ago, but has not been approved.
Florida workers like Gonzalez who are trying to get unemployment are being met with more hurdles: The state is asking for more proof of identity.
Gonzalez said she’s had problems with the website, phone lines and email. Then, she received a letter that says the state requires more information to verify her identity, such as a Social Security number and birth certificate.
“I feel discriminated. I feel it's not fair,” Gonzalez said. “They're making things extremely complicated for us so we don't get no money."
Another Florida resident sent Eyewitness News a letter she received, fearing it was a scam.
The address and numbers were correct, but the state’s reemployment assistance resource guide only lists 12 documents needed to apply for benefits. A Social Security number was among those documents, but there’s no mention of a birth certificate.
Eyewitness News contacted the state about the letter multiple times over the past couple days, asking if the letter is real and why someone would receive it.
Unite Here leader Rebekah Carr has helped 18 people try to apply, but said the process is “grueling.” Only two of them have received benefits.
Read: Denials soar as Florida rejects thousands of unemployment claims
Still, Gonzalez has to keep trying for benefits.
“I need it quick,” she said. “It’s our money. Don’t make us give up.”
Though the state did not provide to questions about the letter, it did send an update stating people who were denied benefits may be eligible for pandemic unemployment assistance. Click here to apply.
© 2020 Cox Media Group
