Florida Gov. Rick Scott considers his preparation and response to Hurricane Irma as one of his achievements. He is proud of his record in helping his constituents recover from the storm that left many people homeless and jobless.
In fact, Republicans and even some Democrats praised his response and recovery efforts after Hurricane Irma. However, a new report showed that Gov. Scott failed in one area—helping jobless workers and business owners get back to their feet.
The report from National Employment Law Project (NELP) Action Fund indicated that most workers and small business owners in Florida were unable to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) after Hurricane Irma. This program is critical because it provides financial assistance to workers and business owners affected by the storm.
In its report, NELP noted that Hurricane Irma’s impact on Florida’s workforce was the largest in the U.S. in 2017. Its devastation was the 5th most expensive in the history of the country.
Florida unemployment program under Gov. Scott is the “worst-in-the-nation”
Gov. Scott’s administration did not include DUA in the list of options for applying for assistance in its online claim system. It did not fix the system for weeks after Hurricane Irma. Its back-up phone lines were frequently shut down.
