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One week from today more will be required from the 470-thousand Floridians receiving unemployment benefits. Changes to the state’s unemployment system are being slowly implemented in an effort to cut business taxes and as Whitney Ray tells us, help pay back the 2.5 billion dollars the state is borrowing to pay the jobless.

Susan Sumrall lost her job a month ago. She’s applied for unemployment benefits.

“I’m right in my waiting week,” said Sumrall.

If approved, because of a new state law, she’ll have to prove she tried to find work at five different businesses each week. She’ll also have to take a skills assessment test that will be used to help her know where she might be needed.

“I’ve done nursing work in the military,” said Sumrall.

The changes are part of a new law aimed at reducing the cost of unemployment on businesses and the state. The first change went into effect in June, making it easier for a business to challenge an unemployment claim.

The next change took effect July 1st; it requires jobseekers to have their payments deposited directly into their bank account or receive a benefits debit card no more checks.

Also no more phone calls, at least not to file a claim. Starting next week, claims will have to be filed online. These changes are expected to save the state more than four million dollars.

“We’ve updated all of our online information, our hot topics, our FAQs. We’ve actually reached out to every affected claimant, sent them a letter,” said Robby Cunningham, a spokesman with AWI.

The last round of changes goes into effect at the first of next year. That’s when the state will scale back the number of weeks a person can receive unemployment pay. Right now it’s 26 weeks. The max number of weeks starting in January will be 23.

The total savings to Florida businesses is estimated at 100 million dollars. Lawmakers says the savings will help struggling businesses survive the economic down turn and hire out of work Floridians.