Nelson seeks probe of jobless-claims system

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is calling for a federal investigation into the state’s troubled rollout of its new $63 million unemployment claims processing system.

Nelson, a Florida Democrat, asked the U.S. Department of Labor to look into the launch of “CONNECT,” the new system through which people seeking unemployment benefits must file their claims.

Since the network’s debut two weeks ago, the Department of Economic Opportunity has been deluged by complaints from users who say the new system is not working. It will not let them enter needed information or give them access to pages, they say.

Users have also been frustrated by their inability to reach a customer-service representative on a telephone help line.

The state has acknowledged that some people are having problems, but it insists that the system is generally operational. It says that more than 230,000 claims have been successfully filed so far.

There is no way to accurately say how many people have been prevented from filing because the system does not track that.

Nelson has asked the Labor Department to look into the matter to ensure “the state quickly fixes what has gone wrong,” his office said in a statement. Although the state is charged with managing its unemployment program, federal tax money pays for its administration.

“The main purpose behind this federal-state program is to help stabilize the economy during recessions,” Nelson wrote in a letter to Labor Secretary Thomas Perez. “But it certainly won’t be of much help in my state if those who have lost their jobs face protracted delays in seeking or receiving benefits.”

DEO Executive Director Jesse Panuccio issued a brief statement Wednesday, saying the agency was working “around the clock to ensure the needs of every claimant are addressed.”

Panuccio said, “We welcome any assistance and input Sen. Nelson and the federal government can provide as we identify and fix website problems where they arise.”