TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Workers who lost wages because of Hurricane Irma will have additional time to seek help from the state.
Cissy Proctor, executive director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, said a deadline for the Disaster Unemployment Assistance Program has been extended to Oct. 31.
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The original deadline had been Oct. 16.
The assistance is available for weeks of unemployment beginning Sept. 10, when Hurricane Irma first made landfall in Florida, until March 17, 2018, so long as the unemployment continues to be a result of the storm.
More than 27,000 claims have been filed, Proctor told members of the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee.
The program offers assistance to employees or self-employed people who are temporarily or permanently out of work because of the hurricane.
The money is supposed to cover the costs of food, clothing, shelter and other assistance.