Pamela L. Fuller, 63, has been living an unemployment “nightmare” because her five-month wait for unemployment benefits ended with checks made to the order of Pamela L. Miller, not Fuller.
“I sent in a paper application with my correct name,” Fuller told News 6 during a Zoom interview. “How in the world did they get Miller out of Fuller?”
The unemployed office manager was terminated from her position in Altamonte Springs in April and filed the proper jobless application with the Department of Economic Opportunity days later.
In July a series of state and federal benefits checks along with a debit card were delivered to her home -- all made out to Pamela Miller, not Pamela Fuller.
“It’s been a nightmare‚” a frustrated Fuller said. “I have talked to five different people (with the DEO) and they made promises that it would be fixed in a couple of days and that’s going back to May.”
Fuller is divorced and on Social Security and while her Social Security benefits have arrived without delay, she has never received a single unemployment check with the right last name.
“It’s ridiculous,” she said. “I feel like they don’t care about you, they have no idea what I’m going through they have a job, they have a home, they have a car.”
Fuller said she was forced to leave her home and live with a friend but without the checks, she is unable to pay her share of the rent, food and utilities.
“It’s terrible, I’m about to lose my car, I have no insurance, I have health issues and I need my medicines,” she said.
News 6 presented her case to the DEO and within 48 hours, the agency reviewed and corrected the mistake.
In an email to News 6, DEO press secretary Paige Landrum wrote: “We have identified the issue with Ms. Fullers account and she will be receiving new checks in the mail with her correct name.”
If you have an IRS or unemployment issue email: makeendsmeet@wkmg.com.