Florida lawmakers are against unemployment insurance. They do not want to pay unemployment insurance benefits at all. But if they have to pay unemployment insurance benefits, they prefer to kick the can down the road, so to speak, until another fiscal year.
On October 15, 2013, persons who applied for unemployment benefits in Florida became required to apply online at a site built by the State.
On October 15, 2013, unemployment insurance mostly became unavailable to Floridians. On that date, Florida unemployment claims dropped sharply.
Since October 15, 2013, unemployment insurance has changed in Florida. As a result of the Florida website fiasco, the State of Florida has paid a lot fewer benefits to unemployed Floridians from then until now. The fiasco is continuing even as we speak.
So, the State paid a lot less money in the Fourth Quarter of 2013, which on a calendar-year basis began in October coincidentally. That shifts any further unemployment benefit payments to later Quarters, if at all.
Which is what the Florida lawmakers who oppose paying unemployment insurance benefits to unemployed Floridians pretty clearly wanted.
This story is outlined in reporting by Lizette Alavarez, "Florida's Site Said to Delay Millions in Aid to Jobless" p. A11, col. 5 (New York Times Nat'l ed., Saturday, January 11, 2014).
© 2014 by Dennis J. Wall. All rights reserved. No claim to original U.S. Government works.
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