Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis acknowledged that the online “Connect” system used for Floridians seeking unemployment benefits has been inundated and not working as smoothly as he wanted.

On April 16th DeSantis announced Executive Order 20-104 as a way to expedite those payments.

The Emergency Temporary Action Related to Unemployment Compensation –COVID-19 order lifts the “bi-weekly reporting requirement by claimants of “actively seeking work” requirement.”

“Ultimately we need to get people paid,” DeSantis said.

He announced that as of April 16th  121,102 payments of unemployment benefits have been made to Floridians totaling almost $50 million.

And that includes 33,623 individuals who applied for re-employment benefits  after the economic upheaval in mid-March, he added.

The State also mailed out 23,801 paper checks for $600 each from federal monies out of the Cares Act.

“We wanted them received as quickly as possible,” DeSantis said about unemployment benefits. 

He acknowledged that the State made some progress processing claims but said, “It’s not nearly enough.”

“One of the things that was slowing up the claims is there is a provision in law which says you have to re-certify every two that you’re unemployed,” DeSantis said. 

“Well if the system is suffering under too much stress, why would we want people to have to go on and re-certify that? We know what the economy is doing.”

The order went into effect on April 16th.