Furloughed Disney World Cast Members Failed by FL Unemployment Still Stand By Disney

in Disney, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World

Disney World Cast Members

Credit: Disney

In the wake of the current pandemic, Walt Disney World furloughed 43,000 Cast Members who were all recently auto-enrolled into Florida’s unemployment system. However, it’s now being reported that Florida’s unemployment system failed many of these workers by denying them for benefits–a failure they know Disney had nothing to do with.

“I don’t blame Disney, it’s unemployment,” Laura Colt said to WFTV. “I’m sure Disney had all their i’s dotted and t’s crossed they were trying to make it easier on everyone, but unemployment has failed.”

Empty Walt Disney World
Credit: DailyMail/Getty Images

Colt, a furloughed Disney Cast Member, woke up Monday morning to discover her claim for unemployment had been denied even though Governor Ron DeSantis had worked with the major company to auto-enroll Colt and the rest of Disney’s furloughed Cast Members on their behalf.

“What I do hear from several cast members is they are in the same boat, they were denied,” said Colt.

According to WFTV, over 40% of all FL residents who applied for the state’s benefits have been denied and many of them worked for Disney.

“I am part of the group that got furloughed for April 19,” said furloughed Disney cast member, Cheryl Kendall, who had been with Disney for two decades but still had been denied.

Walt Disney World
Source AnimationXpress

Kendall continued: “When I logged in, it showed ineligible status and it still showed ineligible status this morning.”

As we previously shared, Disney is still providing its employees benefits during this time paying the cost of employee and company premiums. However, what many of these employees are not receiving is their $275 per week assistance from the state.

WFTV reached out to both the Department of Economic Opportunity as well as the Governor’s Office to ask what the issue was keeping these Cast Members from receiving their benefits. Although, the news organization was offered an FAQ from the Department of Economic Opportunity and no response from the Governor’s office.

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