State of Florida says it can't claim 390,000 unemployment applications

The state says an identity verification tool could be the solution.

WE’RE NOT GIVING UP ..

ONGETTING YOU ANSWERS IF YOU’RESTILL WAITING FOR YOURUNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS.

THANKSFOR STICKING WITH US.

I’MPATRICK NOLAN..

YOURS MIGHTAMONG THE 390-THOUSAND CLAIMSTHE STATE SAYS IT CAN’T PROCESS.SOME ARE DUPLICATES, OTHERS HAVEERRORS OR LACK CRUCIAL INFO.

4IN YOUR CORNER’S CAPITOLREPORTER FORREST SAUNDERS ISLOOKING INTO SOLUTIONS TO ONE OFTHE BIGGEST HOLD UPS ..SOMETHINGCALLED ID VERIFICATION... HE’IN TALLAHASSEE TO EXPLAINFORREST?IF A CLAIM NEEDS IDVERIFICATION━ THE PROCESSCURRENTLY REQUIRES GETTING INCONTACT WITH ONE OF THE STATE’S6,000 CALL OPERATORS... WHICHHASN’T BEEN EASY FOR SOME."ALL OF OUR PHONE LINES AREBUSY.

WE ARE UNABLE TO OFFER ACALLBACK NUMBER AT THIS TIME."THAT’S THE MESSAGE SARA KRAUSGETS WHEN SHE CALLS THEDEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICOPPORTUNITY.

CHOKED PHONE LINESKEEPING HER FROM VERIFYING HERID AND GETTING HER CLAIMPROCESSED.

"YOU CAN’T EVEN LEAVEA MESSAGE WITH YOU INFORMATION?""N━ AND YOU CAN’T ENTER IT INONLINE, WHICH I FIND STRANGE."(SARA 1:27 DUR)SHE’S BEEN TRYING ALL THIS WEEKWITHOUT LUCK.

THE EFFORT LEAVINGHER FRUSTRATED, BELIEVING AN IDCHECK SHOULDN’T BE THAT HARD."CALL THIS NUMBER AND HAVESOMEONE ACTUALLY PICK UP THEPHONE AND SAY WHAT’S THE ISSUE?THAT’S IT.

IT’S A TWO MINUTEPROCESS."(SARA 3:47 DUR)I ASKED DEO’S UNEMPLOYMENTCHIEF ABOUT THE SLOWED ID CHECKSTHIS WEEK.

HE APOLOGIZED FOR THEDELAY ACKNOWLEDGING APPLICANT’SDESIRE FOR SOMETHING BETTER THANTHE OVERBURDENED PHONE SYSTEM.JON SATTER SAYING THAT CHANGE ISCOMING.

"WE’RE STANDING UP, ANDIT WILL BE IN THE NEXT COUPLEDAYS AN IDENTITY VERIFICATIONTOOL.

IT’S , PEOPLE SHOULD BEABLE TO GO ONLINE AND VERIFYTHEIR IDENTITY."(JON 32:57 DUR)SATTER WAS LIGHT ON DETAIL━BUT SAYS THE TOOL IS IN THTESTING STAGES AND WAS CREATEDIN PARTNERSHIP WITH THEDEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY.

HEEXPECTED IT WOULD BE READY BYNEXT WEEK.

"AND THAT WILL CLEARA RELATIVELY LARGE BACKLOG."(JON 33:12 DUR)UNTIL IT’S RUNNING... "WEAPOLOGIZE FOR ANYINCONVENIENCE..."(PHONE 1:05 DUR)SARA WILL JUST HAVE TO KEEPTRYING THE OLD METHOD.

CALLINGEACH DA━ WAITING FOR HELP ANDBENEFITS.

"AS MY COLLEAGUE SAID,WE PUT A MAN ON THE MOON ANDBROUGHT HIM BACK... BUT WE CAN’TSTAFF A PHONE LINE?"(SARA 5:20 DUR)FORREST WE’VE REACHED OUT TODEO FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS ONTHE NEW ID TOO━ LIKE HOW MUCHIT COSTS AND WHY THE STATEWEBSITE DIDN’T OFFER THE PROCESSALREADY.

THEIR RESPONSE W