DeSantis working to assist unemployed with additional benefits, extended eviction moratorium

Many of you are out of work as a result of the pandemic and have relied on $600 a week unemployment checks to help you make ends meet. But more financial support is on the way.

Losing that check was a crushing blow for tens of thousands of people in Southwest Florida. State unemployment benefits come nowhere close to paying the rent, buying food, medicine and other essentials.

In July, the president signed an executive order giving the states a lifeline — $300 a week in federal benefits for those out of work. All they had to do was apply. Governor Ron DeSantis said Friday Florida will do just that, but who can get this money?

“So the people that are still eligible for the state will still get the state. If that is expired, then you will get the $300 as a federal supplement and our hope is, is that we’re able to do that retroactively to the beginning of August and hopefully just payout, like, a lump sum for that time coming forward,” DeSantis said.

So far, the Trump Administration has approved 35 states for this funding. We meet people every day who are out of work and need a boost.

“I anticipated I’d be back to work by now. So now without that additional money, I’m really just bare-bones,” said Bonnie Armstrong.

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