A security breach impacts Florida's unemployment site, leading officials to lock accounts and ask users to reset their pins.

For those who turned to unemployment benefits last year, with tax season upon us, you might be wondering how it’s all going to shake out when it comes to filing your income taxes. But here’s the thing: You still have to pay federal taxes on said unemployment benefits. It ensures you won’t have that burden later, giving you a head start when tax season approaches. Pay quarterlyIf you didn’t have your taxes withheld, another option is to send quarterly estimated taxes on that money to the IRS. When quarterly taxes are due:When you get paid Tax due date Jan. 1–March 31 April 15 April 1–May 31 June 15 June 1–Aug.

She has jobs to fill and paycheck protection money to pay, but a veteran head chef chose not to come back, saying he was being paid as much not to work. “So he chooses to stay home.”Shigetomi said she knows a list of former workers who receive state and federal unemployment checks and have declined to return to work. The state’s jobless claims dashboard says that 96% of eligible claimants have been paid. On Thursday, the U.S. Labor Department reported that 223,927 Floridians filed new jobless claims last week, slightly above the 223,082 a week earlier. Though only California and New York had more new claims filed than Florida last week.

Ron DeSantis on Thursday for a lack of transparency as the state reopens during the coronavirus pandemic. “The common thread here with DeSantis is callousness, indifference and a lack of candor,” U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said. According to the U.S. Labor Department, Floridians filed 223,927 jobless claims last week, after 223,082 were filed the week before. Only California and New York had more new claims filed last week than Florida. The state’s tourism industry has been hardest hit, with almost a quarter of the workers who’ve filed jobless claims coming from that industry.

Jobless workers in some states are still reporting difficulty applying for or receiving benefits. If all those people had been counted as unemployed, the jobless rate would have reached nearly 24%. Most economists have forecast that the official unemployment rate could hit 18% or higher in May before potentially declining by summer. Powell urged Congress and the White House to consider additional spending and tax measures to help small businesses and households avoid bankruptcy. In New York, which remains mostly shut down, employment at small businesses is down 63% as of Tuesday, only slightly better than in mid-April.

Trujillo, a single mother, said she was forced to apply for unemployment insurance benefits last month. This resulted in a record-high unemployment rate of 14.7%, but the jobless rate for women rose to 15.5%. They can’t rejoin the labor force.”Rep. Vance Aloupis, who is the chief executive officer of The Children’s Movement of Florida, a Miami-based nonprofit organization, agrees with Swonk. Camacho said the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe is tasked with helping families to find childcare services. And while Florida’s unemployment claims office continues to be overwhelmed, Trujillo is hopeful that the government assistance and access to childcare services will help her to get back on her feet soon.

Without a vaccine to prevent the coronavirus disease, economists warn the downturn in the leisure and the hospitality industries is just beginning. On Friday, the feds reported the unemployment rate surged to 14.7% -- erasing a decade of job gains in one month. Some economists estimate the U.S. unemployment rate actually nears 24%. Without a vaccine, economists expect a lot of false starts. I fear that we are going to see yet another round of layoffs even as workers are called back.”More expert opinions:

MIAMI – In the Miami-Dade County’s cities of Hialeah and Miami, the coronavirus pandemic didn’t just bring terror about dying of the contagious respiratory illness. WalletHub’s recent analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ data for 180 cities shows Hialeah is the city with the highest January vs. March growth in unemployment in the nation. Hialeah and Miami are also the cities with the highest number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the state, according to the Florida Department of Health. The two cities’ cases make up 74% of the coronavirus cases in Miami-Dade County. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 7,490 coronavirus cases in Miami, 1,475 cases in Hialeah and 12,063, Florida’s DOH reported on Thursday.

WASHINGTON – More than 3.8 million laid-off workers applied for unemployment benefits last week as the U.S. economy slid further into a crisis that is becoming the most devastating since the 1930s. Some outside reviews suggest that the number of job losses is likely even higher than is captured in the weekly unemployment claims. White Americans made up 55% of workers seeking jobless aid in March, African-Americans nearly 15%. This figure is much lower than the total number of people who have sought unemployment aid since the virus struck, in part because it lags behind by one week. Many laid-off workers in the United States are still struggling to obtain unemployment aid.

More than 1,000 drivers picked up free Farm Share groceries on Monday morning at Dolphin Mall in Miami-Dade County. Florida House Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez, of Doral, was among the dozens of volunteers at the drive-through food distribution event at the city of Sweetwater. Sweetwater Police Department Chief Placido Diaz said many of the drivers started to line up on Monday night. Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz has been volunteering at food distribution events for weeks. For more information about how to help sponsor a Farm Share food load, view this page.

PLANTATION, Fla. – Judi Hamelburg, of North Miami Beach, is among the many jobless Floridians who are running out of cash during the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus, has killed 987 people in Florida. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s latest data, more than 505,000 Floridians filed claims for unemployment insurance benefits last week. Florida Unemployment (Florida Unemployment)The data doesn’t reflect the reality in Miami-Dade County where many service workers are undocumented. As the delays in payments continue, the lines at free food distribution centers keep growing in South Florida.

HIALEAH GARDENS, Fla. – Drivers in need during the coronavirus pandemic started to arrive at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday to Hialeah Gardens High School. Within a few hours, an L-shaped line of cars curved from Hialeah Gardens Boulevard and stretched on Okeechobee Road. A Farm Share truck arrives early Wednesday morning to Hialeah Gardens from the non-profit organization's warehouse in Homestead. We opened a compassionate call center in our city, so Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., we have phone lines going, if residents need anything." Sunrise residents can call 954-746-3670 or email CompassionOfficer@sunrisefl.gov for more information.

TANZANIA – The head of the U.N. food agency warned Tuesday that, as the world is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, it is also “on the brink of a hunger pandemic” that could lead to “multiple famines of biblical proportions” within a few months if immediate action isn’t taken. According to WFP, the 10 countries with the worst food crises in 2019 were Yemen, Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Syria, Sudan, Nigeria and Haiti. Beasley said in many countries the food crisis is the result of conflict. “The truth is, we do not have time on our side, so let’s act wisely — and let’s act fast," Beasley said. “I do believe that with our expertise and partnerships, we can bring together the teams and the programs necessary to make certain the COVID-19 pandemic does not become a humanitarian and food crisis catastrophe."

Ron DeSantis said Florida has issued 121,000 payments to people who filed for unemployment insurance benefits. DeSantis also said Florida has also issued 23,000 payments to people who are unemployed and qualified for the federal supplement checks. Florida’s benefit is $275 a week and the federal benefit is $600 a week. “We need to get people paid,” DeSantis said. DeSantis also issued an executive order to avoid forcing people who receive the unemployment insurance benefit to file bi-weekly updates on their employment status.

PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – Thousands of people continued to line up on Thursday at temporary food distribution sites in South Florida during the coronavirus pandemic. Pembroke Pines Mayor Frank C. Ortis said drivers started to line up at 6 a.m. to receive free food at Memorial Park. Christina Sorensen, the director of the Pembroke Pines Recreation & Arts, said it was the first time they held an event during the pandemic there. There were similar scenes at food distribution sites in Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. He is among the millions who are suffering financially because of the mitigation strategies to save lives during the pandemic.

WASHINGTON – The wave of layoffs that has engulfed the U.S. economy since the coronavirus struck forced 5.2 million more people to seek unemployment benefits last week, the government reported Thursday. Roughly 22 million have sought jobless benefits in the past month — easily the worst stretch of U.S. job losses on record. All told, roughly nearly 12 million people are now receiving unemployment checks, roughly matching the peak reached in January 2010, shortly after the Great Recession officially ended. By comparison, unemployment never topped 10% during the Great Recession. Up to 50 million jobs are vulnerable to coronavirus-related layoffs, economists say — about one-third of all positions in the United States.

“We obviously have got to be thinking about what the next steps are for the State of Florida,” DeSantis said. In South Florida, that may begin with the reopening of parks and outdoor spaces, then move to restaurants, with masks and proper social distancing. The task force will also consider the reopening of public schools amid the coronavirus pandemic, which epidemiologists around the world are fighting with mitigation strategies that include social distancing and isolating both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. “If it’s safe, we want kids to be in school,” DeSantis said. “I think most parents want that.”DeSantis said he will be announcing the members of the task force later this week.

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Ron DeSantis said Monday the system to help workers who have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic can now manage 120,000 simultaneous connections. While about 326,000 workers applied for unemployment benefits in Florida during 2019, more than 520,000 have applied since March 15 despite the system’s limitations. The department will also be receiving help from about 2,000 state employees from other agencies. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you will need work authorizationA record of your past 18 months of employment including the name of the employer, the reason for separation, earnings and dates of employment. Military employees need a DD-214 member 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 and federal government employees need a SF 8 or SF 50.

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Ferrell has been trying to apply for unemployment insurance benefits, but the state doesn’t have the capability to process his application. “Due to Covid-19, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is currently experiencing higher than average wait times,” Ferrell said, adding that he hasn’t been able to talk to anyone. But The Tampa Bay Times reported state auditors had warned him last year that the website was still suffering major problems. Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, a Democrat, said every time he and others have tried to make improvements to the unemployment insurance benefits, Republicans have resisted. Florida is among the eight states in the country that offer less time in unemployment benefits.

But despite the suffering, the benefits that the state is supposed to pay workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own remained out of reach for many. Paulina, who asked to not be identified by last name, said she has been trying to file for unemployment for the last two weeks. Ron DeSantis asked Floridians for patience on Monday. The $2 trillion federal aid package is supposed to help the unemployed, including gig workers, with $875 a week for 13 weeks. ALSO SEE: How to file for unemployment benefits during coronavirus pandemic

One hotel chain supplied a lineup of their laid-off employees with food and supplies. “It’s very important to take care of our employees, no matter what," said hotel finance director Manny Delrosario. “Every little bit counts — emotionally or financially.”No business. “I was about to make a lot of money, and then everything got cut off,” said laid-off bartender Diandra Parchment. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity extended its hours and added staff, but the process is still slow and frustrating.

While there are state and federal measures coming to help those impacted financially, in the more immediate future people can file for unemployment benefits. Persons who were furloughed or laid off due to COVID-19 should file for these benefits as soon as possible. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity released information about filing for reemployment benefits amid the pandemic. Who qualifies due to coronavirus, according to Florida Department of Economic Opportunity:People who were ordered to quarantine by a medical professional or a government agency. Here are the steps to file for reemployment benefits and what you will need:Visit www.floridajobs.org to submit your application on the CONNECT platform here.

Ron DeSantis said he was very concerned about the increase in flights from New York’s hot zone to Florida. DeSantis said airlines struggling through the shutdown were not eager to put a stop to the flights. “It is just reckless, reckless behavior,” DeSantis said about people who are choosing to travel from New York to Florida as they flee the devastating effects of the outbreak. DeSantis said Florida’s hot zone is in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. DeSantis estimates more than 40,400 people have already lost their jobs in Florida.