FRANKFORT, Ky. — Katie King of Hopkinsville came to the Kentucky Capitol Tuesday, just hoping for answers about her unemployment claim.


What You Need To Know


  • Protest in Frankfort over lack of unemployment

  • Thousands of filers from March still not served.

  • State says 90% of claims have been processed

  • State working to shift employees to help with situation

 

"I’m not asking for anything more than what I deserve," King said. "That’s it."

She filed for unemployment March 17 after working multiple jobs, but she said one closed down and the other stopped scheduling her when the pandemic hit.

She said her claim was held up by a challenge from the second employer, and even though she has been working the past couple weeks, she still needs help.

"I’m broke," King said. "I had to borrow money to pay bills to get caught up, so now I'm having to pay that money back."

Several others with unresolved claims rallied at the Capitol, seeking answers about the 52,000 unemployment claims that have not been resolved since March.

JT Henderson, a spokesman for the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, said 7,500 of those unresolved claims come from March filers, while about 27,000 from April and about 17,000 from May are still unresolved.

Brittany Podmanik helped organize the rally. She filed for unemployment on May 1.

"We need help. We need help now. Our families need help now," Podmanik said.

Podmanik lives in Ohio but worked in eastern Kentucky until she said the lack of available child care meant she had to quit.

Her claim has been under investigation ever since, and she said she hasn’t been able to get through to anyone at the unemployment office.

Podmanik drove a few hours to get to Frankfort Tuesday

"It’s worth it," Podmanik said. "If I feel like I can get my unemployment fixed, and everybody else, it’s not just me. There are thousands."

The state offered help with claims by stationing unemployment workers at the Capitol Education Center.

"I think they should have more events like this," Rachel Adams of Georgetown said. "People have been waiting for weeks and weeks and weeks, and people are at their lowest."

Henderson said Kentucky continues to work hard on resolving claims and has processed 90 percent of claims filed since the pandemic started.

"No one in state government will be satisfied until every Kentuckian receives all the benefits for which they qualify," Henderson said.

Henderson also said shifting unemployment to the labor cabinet will help make it more efficient.

Some received help Tuesday, and the organizers of the rally say more needs to be done.