FLORIDA — The Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program which provides an extra $300 in weekly benefits will end in Florida on Saturday, just a couple of months before it expires nationwide.

"That extra money, I cannot stress that enough, has helped so much," said Christina Long, 24, from Tampa. "It's just so crucial."​

Florida's state unemployment benefits are one of the lowest in the nation with $275 per week being the maximum benefit.

Long said she was laid-off from her dispatch job at an air conditioning company in January and began collecting unemployment benefits. The Tampa woman who is 8-months into a high-risk pregnancy said there's no way she could've survived on the state unemployment benefits alone. The FPUC extension helped Long get ahead briefly.

"I was smart with my money and I happened to pay up my bills months in advance," she said. "But I can tell you as of August, I will not have any money."

Last month, Governor Ron DeSantis decided to end the federal benefits early because the administration believes the extra money has been keeping the unemployed from returning to work. Long calls what Governor DeSantis did "not nice" and pointed out the pandemic assistance truly helps people with special circumstances like her.

"I don't think the Governor realizes how much it has helped," she said. "I don't agree with him doing that." 

"If he thinks people love to be on unemployment, everyone loves to be on unemployment, that is simply not the case. I hate it," she added. "Nobody really wants to hire anybody that's about to give birth, right now." 

Long doesn't have time to worry about losing the federal extension because she said she has been a victim of fraud. 

In April, Long said someone hacked into her CONNECT account, changed her PIN along with her bank account information. The cyber thief used a bank routing number to send her bi-weekly payment of $1,035 to a Venmo account, according to Long.

"It was distressing, to say the least," she said. "I use that money for nothing but to pay my bills up."

To make matters worse, the CONNECT system has repeatedly locked Long out of her account and she can't reach anyone at the DEO for help.

"I would continuously call for hours on end. Still get the same message," she said. "I couldn't tell you how many days that I've sat there so frustrated I cried."

Since June 1, more than 20 other claimants have contacted Spectrum News about the same problems that Long has been experiencing. A DEO spokesperson did not answer any questions about how much fraud the agency has investigated this year but did state it has been negatively impacting claimants who truly need the benefits.

"DEO has had to take swift action to stop fraud, causing the Department to slow the review process in order to provide benefits," stated Emilie Oglesby, DEO Dir. of Communications. "The Department has kept suspicious claims locked for further review to ensure benefits are not paid out fraudulently, and that review process takes time. These bad actors are impacting the lives of Floridians who are in need of assistance.​"

Long said she worries about taking care of her newborn son when he arrives next month if her issues are not resolved soon.

"The closer time that comes that he's going to be born and I don't have any money to my name is stressing me out even more," she said. "I've always been a hard worker and I am fully aware of people taking advantage of our system. I'm not one of them. I have done everything correctly and honestly from the beginning."

In total, 25 Republican-led states have decided to end the federal unemployment benefit early.