Florida Unemployment benefits
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Wednesday that Florida would apply for U.S. President Donald Trump's enhanced unemployment benefits, making it the 33rd state that does it.

By applying, a $300 would be added to enhanced federal unemployment benefits to those who are unemployed or partially unemployed due to the pandemic. It includes those who are receiving at least $100 in benefits every week.

Federal Emergency Management is managing the program. At least 32 states had already been approved for the grant as of now.

FEMA also provides aid for hurricanes, once the state is approved. It should also receive three weeks' worth of benefits, and additional benefits are given only with further approval.

Florida state senator Jason Pizzo, a representative of District 38, said that it would likely be at least a week before those who qualify for the unemployment benefits to receive the money.

Pizzo said it is really unfortunate because that will put the state past the end of the month when people are going to owe rent again.

"Remember you have thousands of my constituents who owe rent on the first without a moratorium extension, without this money in hand - and that's the issue. The governor took a long time to make this decision," Pizzo was quoted in a report.

FEMA's news release warned that the funding could run out at any time.

FEMA's funding is expected to last Florida for three weeks, including weeks of back pay that DeSantis spokesman Fred Piccolo said.

A FEMA spokesperson said that no state applications had been denied.

The spokesperson added that once a state's application is approved, they will have to adjust their unemployment system to access the funds and address the program's requirements.

The decision to sign Florida onto the federal program will affect thousands of Floridians who have been surviving on Florida's maximum of $275 per week benefits.

Unemployment Benefits

Unemployment benefits recipients were eligible for an additional sum of up to $600 per week in federal aid from late March through July.

These unemployment benefits were made possible through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

CARES Act was signed into law on Mar. 27. The COVID-19 relief bill also has Florida government about $5.9 billion to help Florida on pandemic-related expenses.

Unemployment benefits, however, expired at the end of July. Democrats and Republicans in Congress failed to reach an agreement to extend the program.

This pushed Trump to signed a memorandum making other government funds available to the unemployed.

Under Trump's program, Florida could have up to $400 per week in additional benefits.

But that would need Florida to pull money from its state allocation of CARES Act money to fund 25 percent of the $400 payments.

DeSantis earlier said that this was unfeasible for Florida.

DeSantis said on Wednesday that Florida did not wait to apply for the program. It took Florida officials some time to understand what was allowed in Trump's memo.

DeSantis said that the executive order came down surprisingly, saying that no one was expecting that.

"A lot of the agencies, the federal agencies, it took them many days to be able to get on the same page. So we've been working through that," DeSantis was quoted.

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