Florida to start paying extra $300 in federal aid to unemployed individuals

Not knowing where your next paycheck is going to come from is never easy, but for unemployed Floridians, the good news is that help is on the way starting this week,

On Tuesday, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that anyone who qualifies for the 'Lost Wages Assistance Program' should be receiving their money this week. 

The program is designed to help those who are unemployed and financially struggling due to the pandemic. For the next three weeks, those individuals who qualify will receive $300 in federal aid on top of any benefits and assistance that they may be receiving through other state or federal programs. 

According to the tovernor, the benefits will be retroactive to August 1, August 8, and August 15. Those are the three weeks after Congress canceled the $600 weekly checks that many were receiving through pandemic benefits.

These funds are coming at a crucial time for many, but some Florida lawmakers think more still needs to be done.

Floridians still have to qualify to get these funds. The DEO states that if you are getting at least $100 a week already in benefits through a federal or state program, and you’ve also proven that you’re unemployed or partially unemployed due to the pandemic, you will automatically receive the ‘lost wages’ benefits. Those who meet those qualifications don’t need to do anything to receive the funds. 

To see a full list of who qualifies for the program, click here.

At this time, only three weeks of these $300 checks have been approved by the federal government. However, the DEO’s website states that timeline could still be expanded.