CAPE CORAL — The number of people filing for unemployment in Florida has now gone up for two weeks straight.
That comes despite many businesses reopening. Meanwhile, some people who filed months ago still haven’t been paid.
We spoke with Carol Woody at her house in Cape Coral, who is in that exact situation.
“I don’t know how many people can afford to go for two months without money coming in their household. I’ve been living off of savings, and I’ve had to dip into my 401K," said Woody.
Woody was laid off from Direct Travel back in March, a company that operates all over the country.
“I did consult with my boss yesterday, and they said that Florida is the only state that they’re having any problems with getting people paid," said Woody.
Woody showed us copies of her application where she was rejected… twice. Then, she was watching the news when the Governor came on.
“People are paid in the order that they’re there. So if there’s somebody from March who’s gone through, submitted it all, done, they’re going to have gotten paid by now," said DeSantis at a press conference on Tuesday.
“For him to say that, it was just like a gut punch,” said Woody.
So she decided to sit down at her laptop and appeal to DeSantis through an open letter. We had her read some of what she wrote.
“Governor, if I was your mother, and got the response you have given to those of us still unpaid, how would you feel? I’m begging you Mr. DeSantis to pay me my unemployment benefits," said Woody.
Woody did say, Thursday morning, she finally received word from the Department of Economic Opportunity that she has been approved for payment from April 26th onward. But she said that still leaves her without any payment for five whole weeks that she didn’t have a job dating back to March.
