TAMPA, Fla. — Some people trying to sign up on a new website designed to make it easier for Floridians to access government benefit programs, say the site itself is creating problems for them.

The My Access portal from the Florida Department of Children and Families went online on Tuesday, but some users are complaining about hang ups in the system. Margaret Millan says her patience is running thin as she tries to navigate the new website.

“My problem here is I had to re-certify, so none of my information on this new site has my recertification information on there at all," she said. "I had to call them, which is also another issue, because calling them is hell.” 

Living in New Port Richey with her three children, Millan’s the only bread winner in her home. But she says what she makes working for Winn-Dixie isn’t enough to cover the costs for food and medical bills. She says that’s why making sure her application for assistance goes through is so important.

“I'm not getting any notifications of what I've uploaded,” she said. "I can't see what I have uploaded. I can't see that I re-certified. I can't see like, ‘Oh I’ve make a mistake. I need to change it,’ like it did on the other site.”

Millan said what worries her most is the idea of losing health benefits for her and her infant son.

“This is affecting me getting my benefits a lot because right now I am having an issue with Medicaid where half my family has it and half my family does not," she said. "I’m being told my son has to go look for his own insurance come March, and he’s 10 months old.”

And with all the shots and vaccines a baby needs, that has Millan very concerned this Christmas season.

“DCF making a new website was not their problem,” she said. “They have plenty of other problems that they need to get the ball rolling on.”

Spectrum News reached out to DCF officials for information on where the problems are with the new website and when they think those problems will be fixed. Thus far, the department has not responded.