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BOB: I’VE TALKED TO PEOPLE EVERYDAY THIS WEEK WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE STATE’S WEBSITE DOESN’T WORK, AND THEY CAN’T SIGN UP FOR BENEFITS. AND WE’RE GOING TO KEEP TELLING THEIR STORIES, BECAUSE THE PROBLEM DOESN’T SEEM TO BE GETTING ANY BETTER. >> I CALLED 65 TIMES. AND THEY WOULD JUST HANG UP. THEY WOULDN'T EVEN SAY HELLO. BOB: CARL SCHAFER HAD TO CALL THE HELP NUMBER FOR THE UNEMPLOYMENT PROGRAM BECAUSE THE STATE’S CONNECT WEBSITE WOULDN'T LET HIM IN. WHY? HE FORGOT HIS PIN, WHICH HE HASN'T HAD TO USE IN DECADES. >> THAT WAS 30 YEARS AGO. I CAN'T REMEMBER STUFF LIKE THAT BOB: NO ONE ANSWERS THE PHONE SO HE CAN’T RESET IT, AND LIKE COUNTLESS PEOPLE AROUND FLORIDA, CAN'T SIGN UP FOR BENEFITS. AS WE REPORTED YESTERDAY, THE CONNECT SITE HAS HAD SERIOUS PROBLEMS FROM THE DAY IT LAUNCHED. NOW WESH 2 FOUND THESE REPORTS FROM THE STATE AUDITOR GENER GOING BACK TO 2015, REVEALING A SERIES OF DEFECTS ON THE WEBSITE . TECHNICAL SYSTEM, ERRORS CREATION OF CLAIMS ISSUES, AND TIMELY CLAIMS NOTICES. BUT DESPITE THE REPORT'S RECOMMENDATIONS, THE MOST RECENT AUDIT DONE LAST YEAR FOUND, "THE RESULTS OF OUR FOLLOW-UP PROCEDURES DISCLOSED THAT MANY OF THE FINDINGS IN OUR REPORT WERE NOT CORRECTED." SCHAFER TELLS ME IT FEELS LIKE OFFICIALS DON'T WANT TO PAY. >> IT'S VERY OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS A WEAPONIZED SYSTEM TO KEEP YOU FROM USING YOUR BENEFITS. BOB: BEAU SYDES HAD BEEN STRUGGLING WITH IT, AS WELL. >> YESTERDAY, THE WEBSITE WAS COMPLETELY CRASHED FOR TWO O THREE HOURS. BOB: THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY EVEN POSTED THIS LAST NIGHT, SAYING THE SITE WAS DOWN FOR MAINTENANCE. BUT CHECK THIS OUT. SYDES FINALLY DID GET THROUGH TO A LIVE PERSON BY SELECTI CREOLE AS HIS LANGUAGE. >> EVENTUALLY, I GOT SOMEONE ON THE PHONE AFTER MAYBE TWO HOURS ON WAIT OR SOMETHING. BUT I DIDN'T HAVE THAT OPTION THE ENGLISH LINE. THE ENGLISH LINE JUST CUT ME OFF RIGHT AWAY. BOB: THAT METHOD APPEARS TO HAVE WORKED, BUT WE DO NO KNOW IF THAT METHOD WOULD WORK

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WESH 2’s Bob Hazen has spoken with Central Floridians every day this week about issues they’re having with the state’s unemployment website.They said the site doesn’t work and that they can’t sign up for benefits. WESH 2 News Investigates will continue to tell their stories because the problem doesn’t seem to be getting better. “I called 65 times. And they would just hang up. They wouldn’t even say hello,” Carl Schafer said.Schafer had to call the help number for the unemployment program because the state's Connect website wouldn’t let him in. He said he forgot his pin because he hasn’t had to use the website in decades. “That was 30 years ago, I can’t remember stuff like that,” Schafer said.Schafer can’t reset the pin himself and like countless people around Florida, can’t sign up for benefits. As WESH 2 reported on Tuesday, the unemployment website has had serious problems since it launched.WESH 2 Investigates has found reports from the state auditor general going back to 2015 that reveal a series of defects on the website which include technical system errors, creation of claims issues and timely claims notices.Despite the report’s recommendations, the most recent audit, done in 2019, found the results of follow-up procedures disclosed many of the findings in a (2017) report were not corrected. Schafer said it feels like officials don’t want to pay.“It’s very obvious that this is a weaponized system to keep you from using your benefits,” Schafer said.Beau Sydes had been struggling with the system as well. “Yesterday the website was completely crashed for two or three hours,” Sydes said.The Department of Economic Opportunity posted on Tuesday that the site was down, for maintenance.Sydes said he finally did get through to a live person by selecting creole as his language.“Eventually, I got someone on the phone after maybe two hours on wait or something. But I didn’t have that option on the English line. The English line just cut me off right away,” Sydes said.WESH 2 News has not been able to confirm if Sydes method worked for anyone else.