Florida’s Reemployment Assistance Process:
Requesting Your Benefit Payments
If you are determined to be eligible for Reemployment Assistance benefits, Florida’s Reemployment
Assistance program will not automatically give these benefits to you. Every week that you still need your
benefits, you must provide proof of work search efforts to Reemployment Assistance. By doing so, you are
indicating that you still need assistance – claiming the week’s worth of benefits. This process of providing
weekly work searches to Reemployment Assistance is thus sometimes referred to as “claiming your weeks”.
The state’s term for the process is Requesting Your Benefit Payments. Remember, benefits are not an
entitlement – every time you submit work searches, they are subject to review, which this presentation will
cover. You are requesting payment of benefits, which the state then approves based on your fulfillment of
your responsibilities.
When you filed for Reemployment Assistance, the confirmation screen showed a date which we asked you to
write down. This is the date on which you are first scheduled to request benefit payments. Generally, if your
Social Security number ends in an even number, you are scheduled for the first request on a Monday; if your
Social Security number ends in an odd number, you are scheduled for the first request on a Tuesday.
Information needed:
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Social Security Number and PIN for Reemployment Assistance
Written records of your job searches (see next slide)
It can help to have a calendar of the current month - get a free one at
www.waterproofpaper.com/printable-calendar
On your scheduled dates, you will always be requesting (“claiming”) the previous 2 weeks. Example: You are
scheduled to request benefits on September 23rd: You will be requesting the week ending Sept. 13 and the
week ending Sept. 20. You may even want to note your job applications on the calendar, to keep the timeline
straight – below, note the required five job applications in each week being requested.
When you have your information ready, get on the internet and go to connect.myflorida.com. Make sure to use
the dots; no need to type “www.”. Now log in with your Social Security Number and PIN.
Under Messages, at the top center of the screen, it will show that you have weeks available to request
benefits. Click where indicated.
Please also note that if there are any issues potentially affecting your eligibility, those will also be shown here,
indicated by yellow caution triangles. Refer back to the “Intro to Reemployment Assistance” modules for info
on fulfilling your responsibilities. What if I have issues to resolve AND weeks to request? Resolve the
issues, THEN request the weeks.
When you click to request benefit payments, remember that there are two weeks available. What you’re about
to do is request Week 1 only. Read through the Fraud Acknowledgement screen, then check the
acknowledgement box and select ‘Next’ to continue.
Review the current payment method and click ‘Next.’ If you ever decide to change from direct deposit to debit
card or vice versa, or need to enter new direct deposit info, note that it directs you how to do so here.
Verify your address: If it needs updated, select ‘Update’ button at bottom of screen. Update address, telephone
numbers, or correspondence preferences, then press ‘Submit.’ If no changes are needed, select ‘Confirm’ to
continue.
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Continue to the Initial Questions screen. Note the week at the top. Every week requested will first display the
following questions:
1. Did you look for work or make an in-person contact at a One-Stop Career Center?
2. Were you able and available to work if work had been offered?
This means: if someone had offered you a job, would you have been able to start when needed? Or
was there some physical, travel-related, or other issue preventing you from starting work that week?
3. Did you refuse any offer of work or referral of work?
4. Did you work, earn any money, or receive apply for income from any other sources that you have not
previously reported to Reemployment Assistance?
Enter Work Search Details: The next items will relate to question 1, “Did you look for work?”. This is where
you provide your work search information to Reemployment Assistance. The first screen will restate what to
enter for each job application, as covered in our “Introduction to Florida’s Reemployment Process” modules.
For each of the five jobs to which you applied in the week indicated, fill out the requested info on the Work
Search Details screen. If you do not know the address, phone number, or other contact info for an employer,
we strongly recommend Google and can help with it if needed. If the employer did not reveal their name when
you applied, for Employer / Agency Name use the name of the website or newspaper where the job was
posted, ex: Monster.com.
Remember in the Intro modules where it mentioned that you could attend a CareerSource Suncoast workshop
as an alternative to applying for five jobs? If you did so during the week indicated, only one Work Search
Details screen must be completed, but you must include Comments even though they don’t appear to be
required. Ex: “Attended Resume Basics Workshop at Sarasota center on 9/10/14, 9:00 am – 11:00 am”.
After submitting, the Job Contacts Log is shown, a running tally of the jobs you have entered so far for the
specified week. If you notice mistakes, click Edit or Remove. Click Add to continue providing work search
info as shown on the previous slides. When 5 job contacts are entered in the log, click Submit.
You are provided with another opportunity to change any answers if needed. Please review your answers –
we have helped many customers whose benefits were delayed because they answered a question in a way
that they did not intend.
After submitting the week, the confirmation screen will indicate that you now may request the second week.
Repeat the process from the previous slides.
After both weeks have been requested, you will be given the next date to do this – please write it down! The
scheduled day of the week may have changed, depending on the last 4 digits of your Social Security number:
0000-1999: Monday
2000-3999: Tuesday
4000-6999: Wednesday
7000-9999: Thursday
If you miss the scheduled date, you have up to 14 days after to request the benefit payments before you are
considered late; late requests may be denied.
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If you have a definite return-to-work date: If the date you return to work is within 6 weeks of the end date
(Saturday) of the week you are requesting:
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Answer Yes for Questions 1 (Did you look for work?) and 2 (Able / Available).
On the Work Search Details screen, under Result of Employer Contact, select Promised Hire Date.
Enter that date in the field where indicated.
This only has to be done once, not five times.
If you did not look for work or are unable / unavailable to work: Be prepared to answer Fact Finding
Questionnaires on the nature of what prevented you from completing the work search responsibilities.
Reemployment Assistance issues determinations on a case-by-case basis for each of these scenarios as to
whether benefits will be paid. Remember, as with all decisions regarding Reemployment Assistance,
CareerSource Suncoast does not make these determinations. If you disagree with a determination, it can be
appealed – see the Intro Module part 3, “Filing the Claim”.
If you worked part-time:
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Remember to Report ALL Work and Earnings. If you worked in one or both of the weeks requested,
report the gross wages earned each week. Even if you have not been paid, those earnings must be
reported “now,” when requesting the weeks worked, not when you get paid.
Gross wages is the amount of money paid before deductions.
Even if you worked one hour or one day, the work and gross earnings must be reported.
If paid to attend training or job orientation, earnings must be reported for the week in training or
orientation.
Tips and gratuities are considered earned income. You must report these wages in the week they are
earned.
Gross income earned in self-employment must be reported for the week in which the wages were
earned, not paid. A self-employed person is not eligible for benefits when engaged in self-employment
for the majority of the time, even if no money is earned.
A benefit week for Reemployment Assistance starts on Sunday and ends on Saturday. Earnings must
be reported in the week earned, even if you have not been paid. You must report your total gross
earnings before deductions. Part-time earnings, over $58, will be deducted from the weekly benefit
amount. Earnings less than $58 will not change the weekly benefit amount. If gross earnings for a claim
week are equal to or greater than the weekly benefit amount, no Reemployment Assistance benefits
will be paid to you for that week. You do not lose the benefits. The benefits remain as available credits.
Any work and earnings not reported may result in a fraudulent overpayment determination.
Reemployment Assistance fraud is a third-degree felony and is subject to prosecution by the State
Attorney. A third degree felony is a crime punishable by a maximum penalty of $5,000 and up to five
years in prison. Even if you are not prosecuted for fraud, you will not be eligible for benefits until all
overpaid benefits have been repaid.
If you received other income: If you applied for or received any new income during the specified week, the
choices below will be shown; select the appropriate choice and answer any additional questions.
An equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. All voice
telephone numbers on this document may be reached by persons using TTY/TDD equipment via the Florida Relay Service at 711.
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