FRANKFORT, Ky. — Tracy Valois drove from Northern Kentucky to Frankfort Wednesday, seeking answers about why her benefits stopped in December.


What You Need To Know

  • Protesters arrive in Frankfort to fight for unemployment benefits

  • Many had been receiving benefits only to have them suddenly stop

  • All said they couldn't get answers, so they came to the Capitol.

  • A representative from the governor's office came out and took the information of the protesters

She says she spent more than two months living in her car while waiting for an answer.

“I didn’t want my mother to find out I had been doing that because I just didn’t want nobody else to have the responsibility of me,” Valois said.

She lives with her mom now, but life became difficult once her original benefits ran out in December.

“It’s bad to say, I had to make the choice to feed myself or my children, and for two weeks straight, I had to make the choice: feed my children,” Valois said. “I had to write a bad check just to make sure my kids had food.”

When federal benefits were extended later that month, she filed again but was told she needed to verify her identity.

Valois said she hasn’t been able to get ahold of anyone in the unemployment office to resolve the problem.

“I was sending up to 50 emails a day and still nothing,” Valois said.

Valois is among tens of thousands who aren’t getting unemployment due to identity issues.

Scarlett Tracey of Frankfort had been receiving benefits until the beginning of this month.

Again, identity issues halted her benefits, and she can’t get anyone on the phone.

“It’s just really disappointing that the commonwealth of Kentucky is letting these people down like this,” Tracey said. “And it’s disrespectful as it could be that nobody can answer a phone call or return an email or just do what they say they’re going to do.”

Linda White drove all the way from Bowling Green to get answers about her unemployment benefits, which she stopped receiving in November. She even showed up wearing a shirt and mask supporting Gov. Andy Beshear, but she still believes his office could do more to fix the problems with unemployment.

“I supported him and I believe in him. It was Uncle Andy,” White said. “But it’s like, why is this happening? What is going on? Why are they not doing anything to help us?”

A member of the governor’s office came out to help those who showed up Wednesday, taking down information about everybody’s situation.

Valois says she’s hopeful there will be a resolution soon.  

“I’m hoping with all hopes that it’s pretty helpful because I ain’t got no other choice but to be helpful. That’s the only place where I’ve got to stand at.”

And she’s not the only one still hoping for answers: numbers provided to Spectrum News 1 by the Kentucky Labor Cabinet earlier this month show more than 100,000 unresolved unemployment claims, some dating back to the beginning of the pandemic. More than half of those have been flagged for possible fraud or identity issues.

A request seeking updated numbers Wednesday has not been returned.