Florida Unemployment FAQs

We know our Florida readers have various questions regarding the Florida Unemployment Benefits program, also known as the Florida Reemployment Assistance (Insurance) Program. We decided to set up this Florida Unemployment FAQs page to address the most common questions we get.

More questions will be added as and when we receive reader feedback.

See our detailed guide on how to apply for Unemployment in Florida.

Florida Unemployment FAQs

Here are the most frequently asked questions about the Florida Unemployment Insurance (UI) program.

How do I file for Unemployment in Florida?

Here’s a summary of how the unemployment benefits process works in Florida.

Step 1 – Check for Eligibility

To be eligible for Florida Unemployment, you must meet the following criteria:

• Be totally or partially unemployed.
• File an initial claim for benefits online and report as
  directed to file for subsequent weeks.
• Have the necessary wage credits for work in covered
  employment during the base period.
• Have worked and earned three times the current weekly
  benefit amount since the filing date of the prior claim,
  provided the individual received benefits on the prior
  claim.
• Be able to work, be available for work, be actively
  seeking work, and be registered for work in Employ Florida.
• Participate in reemployment services, such as job
  search assistance services, as directed by the Regional
  Workforce Board.
• Serve a waiting week, for which no benefits are payable,
  after filing an initial claim.

Step 2 – Gather Your Information

Before you apply for Florida unemployment benefits, you will need to have the following information available to support your claim.

Generally, here’s a summary of what you need to apply for Florida Unemployment:

• Social Security number.
• Driver’s License or State ID number.
• Employment information for the last 18 months for each employer.
• Employer identification number, also known as FEIN number, if available. This number can be found on your W2 or 1099 tax form.
• Employer name (name on pay stub), address, and phone number.
• First and last day of work.
• Gross earnings (before taxes) covering the last 18 months.
• Reason for separation.

If one of the following criteria applies to you, have the following additional information available:

• Not a U.S. Citizen: Alien Registration Number or other work authorization form.
• Military employee: A copy of your DD-214 Member 4. If you do not have a Member 4, a copy of your Member 2-7 may be used.
• Federal employee: SF-8 or SF-50.
• Union member: Union name, hall number, and phone number.

Step 3 – Submit your Claim Online

In Florida, all applications for unemployment benefits must be completed online.

To file your unemployment claim, you must log in to the state’s Florida Jobs site.

Once you are registered, you can return to the Florida Jobs site for your claim status and more.

Click here to visit the Florida Jobs website.

If you have questions or need assistance completing your application online, you can contact DEO at 1-833-FL-APPLY (1-833-352-7759) for assistance.

For a complete step-by-step guide on how to apply for benefits, including how much you will get, how benefits are calculated, and what happens after you apply, click here.

What Do I need to do to Continue Receiving Florida Unemployment?

After you have submitted your unemployment application, you are required to complete a few additional steps to receive and continue receiving benefits:

Request Benefit Payment

First, you have to request benefits. You must return to the CONNECT system every two weeks to request your benefits.

You have to complete this step even if your unemployment claim is pending review.

It is important that you request your benefits within 7 days of your scheduled date regardless of your claim status.

Workforce Registration

Next, you are required to register with Employ Florida at www.employflorida.com.

If this is your first time, you must create a profile.

When creating (or updating) your Employ Florida profile, you must provide the following:

• A valid e-mail address
  
• Upload or create a current resume
  
• Complete background history on your profile.

If you filed a claim prior to March 15 or filed a claim after May 29, 2021 this requirement is still applicable to you.

Work Search

Generally, you are required to provide five work search contacts for every week of benefits you request from DEO.

What information is needed for a valid work search contact?

In the state of Florida, you are required to provide the following details for each work search contact:

• Date of contact.
• Method of contact (in person, online, fax, phone, etc.)
• Business name including telephone number and complete address, website URL, or an e-mail.
• Results of your search.
• Type of work sought.

The following are exceptions and exemptions to the work search requirement:

• If you reside in a low-population county, you are required to submit three contacts weekly.
• You are a union member, you are required to remain in good standing and maintain regular contact with your union.
• If you are on a temporary layoff and will return to the same employer within 8 weeks, you are exempt from work search requirements.
• You are a part of an approved training program, you are exempt from work search requirements.
• If you qualify for one of these exemptions and still receive a request for full work search information, please contact us at 1-833-FL-APPLY (1-833-352-7759) for assistance.

Address Any incomplete fact-findings

During the initial processing of your unemployment claim, many reviews of your eligibility for benefits occur.

You will be mailed correspondence or sent an email reminder to check your Reemployment Assistance inbox based on your selected contact method.

It is important that you complete any requests for information as soon as possible to avoid any delays in determining your eligibility for benefits.

Any correspondence received via mail can be completed online.

Additionally, you may also fax completed forms to 1-877-934-1504.

Watch for your notice of monetary determination

The monetary determination notice will provide details on:

• Your Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA) – which is the amount of benefits you can receive per week
• Maximum benefit amount (MBA) – which is the total balance of your claim
• The history of wages that was used to calculate your claim.

Appointment with your local CareerSource office

You may be selected and scheduled for a mandatory appointment with your local CareerSource office.

The office will provide one-on-one services to help create a reemployment plan.

Your appointment notice will be mailed to you.

It is therefore important for you to make sure your address in both CONNECT and Employ Florida are up-to-date.

Failure to participate in your scheduled appointment will result in a review of your eligibility and potentially delay or deny your benefits.

How do I file my weekly unemployment claim in Florida?

In Florida, all claims for unemployment benefits must be made online.

After applying for benefits, you need to request benefit payment in CONNECT online system on a biweekly basis (every two weeks).

Once you are logged in to CONNECT, the home page will provide you with your scheduled report date.

You will use the “Request Benefit Payment” link on your home page to request benefits.

Note that the link “Request Benefit Payment” will not appear until your scheduled report date.

For each week of benefits that you are requesting, here’s what you need to know:

First, you will be asked to answer several yes or no questions regarding your ability, availability, and efforts to look for work.

Second, you will have to provide your required work search contacts for the requested week.

Third, you have to report any earnings, tips, or commissions from any work for the requested week.

You have to request benefit payment on or within 7 days from your scheduled report date.

Failure to request payments timely will result in the loss of payment for the given week(s).

What is the Florida Unemployment Contact Number?

If you should encounter any issues filing your unemployment claim or have general questions about Florida Unemployment, here’s the phone number to call:

Contact the Reemployment Assistance (RA) Help Center 1-833-FL-APPLY (1-833-352-7759)

You will first be connected to the Interactive Voice Response system and presented with several self-service options.

If you still need further assistance, you may select to be transferred to the RA Hotline to speak with a Contact Center representative.

RA Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

• Access information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Listen to important program messages
• Listen to detailed claim information including; payment status, determinations, and appeals
• Change correspondence preference, payment method, and tax withholding option
• Update CONNECT PIN

RA Hotline:

• Staffed Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM until 6:30 PM EST
• Information about filing a Reemployment Assistance application
• Ask questions about requesting benefit payment
• Obtain detailed information about your account
• All other inquiries

Florida Unemployment Debit Card Phone Number

For questions about your Florida Unemployment debit card, contact customer service by phone at:

U.S.: 1-833-888-2780
International: 1-210-334-6615 (This includes Puerto Rico. This line is not toll-free.)

How do I log in to the Florida Unemployment Website?

The CONNECT website is Florida’s Unemployment claims system. CONNECT offers access to apply, file, manage and review your unemployment claim details.

Here’s how to log in to CONNECT.

Step 1 – Visit the CONNECT website

The first thing you need to do when logging into your online Florida unemployment account is to visit the CONNECT Website at https://connect.myflorida.com.

Step 2 – Enter your CONNECT Account Information

Once on the website, enter your email address and Password Information.

Afterward, click the green “Sign in” button to be taken to your Florida Unemployment online account.

For help, please refer to the screenshot provided below.

The Mobile-Friendly CONNECT Website

You can also access your CONNECT online account via your smartphone using the mobile-friendly website at https://mobile.connect.myflorida.com.

See below for a screenshot.

Similar to the desktop version, you will have to email address and Password Information to log in to the mobile-friendly site as shown below.

First time using CONNECT Website?

If this is your first time using the Florida CONNECT website, you will first need to create an account.

If so, click on the “Sign up now” link as shown in the image above.

Forgot CONNECT Email Address?

If you forgot your CONNECT email address, call the Help Center at 1-833-FL-APPLY (1-833-352-7759).

Forgot CONNECT Password?

If you forgot your CONNECT Account Password, you can reset that information by clicking on the “Forgot your password?” link.

To reset your password, you will need your email address as shown below.

Can I use my Florida EPPICard?

No. Your Florida EPPICard is no longer valid after December 11, 2019.

If you are currently collecting RA benefits, any remaining balance was transferred to the new Way2Go Card.

If you do not have an active claim, you will no longer have access to your funds after the deadline.

However, you may contact customer service at 1-888-898-3584 to receive instructions on how to get the remaining funds.

What is Florida Way2Go Card?

Florida Way2Go Card Debit MasterCard is a safe and convenient electronic payment system for receiving your Florida Reemployment Assistance payments.

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) has implemented the electronic payment system to reduce fraud and provide recipients with immediate access to their reemployment assistance benefits.

The Florida Way2Go Debit MasterCard can be used worldwide, anywhere MasterCard is accepted.

For step-by-step instructions on the Florida Way2Go Card, read our complete guide on Way2Go Card Florida for Reemployment Assistance here.

What is Florida Unemployment 1099-G?

The 1099-G is the tax form the unemployment office issues in January for the purposes of filing your taxes.

The 1099-G will detail the amount of unemployment benefits you received during a specific year as well as any amounts withheld and paid to the IRS.

The forms are made available by January 31st for the prior tax year.

What is Florida Unemployment form 49T?

Form 49T is a receipt of repayment that provides the amount paid to a Reemployment Assistance overpayment in a specific tax year.

You can log into CONNECT and click on “My 1099G/49T” to view the forms.

How can I get a copy of my 1099-G and/or 49T for a tax year?

There are multiple ways available to you to get a copy of your 1099-G/49T:

First, the fastest way to receive your 1099-G or 49T is by selecting “electronic” as your correspondence method within the CONNECT system.

You can login to CONNECT and go to “My 1099-G & 49Ts” in the main menu to view the last five years of your 1099-G or 49T documents.

However, if you selected “US Mail” as your preference, a copy will be mailed by January 31st to the address on your application.

It is important that you keep your address updated in the Reemployment Assistance system.

Also, if you have mail forwarding, the United States Postal Service will forward your tax forms.

Additionally, you can request a copy of your 1099-G from the last five years by e-mailing 1099G@deo.myflorida.com.

You should include the following information in your email:

• Your name
• Last 4 digits of your Social Security number
• Address on file
• Current street address
• A valid contact number
• The tax year you are requesting.

Alternatively, you can speak with a representative at 1-833-FL-APPLY (1-833-352-7759) who can assist in regaining access to your claim and/or submitting a request to issue duplicate information on your behalf.

What disqualifies you from getting unemployment in Florida?

According to a recent news report, a staggering 40% of people who filed for unemployment in the state of Florida have been deemed ineligible for benefits and left wondering what they should do next.

Here are the most common reasons you may be denied unemployment benefits by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

• Work-related misconduct
• Voluntary Resignation
• Not looking for work
• Being unable to work
• Refusal to Accept Suitable Work
• Not Meeting Earnings Requirements
• Immigration Status
• Attending School or Training
• Committing Unemployment Fraud
• Failure to File Appeal on Time
• Receiving severance pay
• Problems With Florida’s Unemployment System

Will my employer know if I file for Unemployment?

When an employee files for unemployment, the employer will receive a notification from the state unemployment commission.

The notification will be based on information provided by the employee supporting his or her application for benefits.

Once the employer receives the claim notice they need to take action.

The action the employer takes depends on whether they want to contest the claim or not.

Florida Unemployment FAQs Summary

We hope this post on Florida Unemployment FAQs was helpful.

Still Have Questions?

To go to the main Florida Unemployment Benefits page, click here: Florida Unemployment.

For a detailed guide to Florida Unemployment, click here: Florida Unemployment Benefits.

To login to your CONNECT account and view your benefits, click here: Florida Unemployment CONNECT Website login.

If you need to contact Florida Unemployment Customer Service, click here: Florida Unemployment Customer Service Live Person.

If you have further questions about Florida Unemployment, Unemployment Benefits, or Unemployment Debit Cards, you can fill out the comment form below and we will answer your question ASAP.

Be sure to check out our other articles on Unemployment Benefits, including:
Whether Unemployment Benefits are Taxable
List of States Extending Unemployment Benefits
Massachusetts DUA Unemployment Debit Card
How to file for Unemployment (in all 50 States)
Unemployment office Phone Number (All 50 States)