Dear governor, please help. We filed for unemployment months ago and are still waiting
Matthew GlowickiEditor's note: Amid the coronavirus pandemic, no other topic has generated more letters to our Readers' Watchdog than unemployment and the problems Kentuckians are having getting their benefits. As we anticipate the release of new unemployment numbers, we share with you some of those letters from people who are angry, fearful, desperate and want answers now.
While the majority of the more than 800,000 Kentuckians who have filed for unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic have received payment, there are still tens of thousands whose claims are unresolved.
Over a 10-week period since mid-March, about 844,000 people in Kentucky — or two in five Kentucky workers — have filed for unemployment.
There are still just under 10,000 March claims and about 30,000 April claims that are unresolved.
Efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus led to many businesses temporarily closing their doors, leaving many without work. Even as businesses start to reopen, economic futures are uncertain, and the threat of subsequent waves of the virus looms.
The hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians who have joined the unemployment rolls have overwhelmed an outdated system that has been unable to keep up with all filers.
Phone lines are perpetually jammed. High demand leaves an online portal intermittently inaccessible. And while a majority of people are helped, worry and frustration mounts for those still awaiting their benefits.
Last week:Another week, another 50,000+ file unemployment claims in Kentucky
The state did add more than 1,000 workers to staff its unemployment phone lines after the onset of the pandemic, but as of mid-May, about two-thirds of those employees were only qualified to answer basic questions.
Besides adding to its call center lines, the state has also added more than 200 people to review claims and resolve issues.
In early March, the state began soliciting proposals for a technological overhaul of its unemployment system. But that process is in early stages and of no help in dealing with current problems.
On March 28, saying he wants better results for Kentuckians seeking unemployment, Gov. Andy Beshear announced he was moving the unemployment office out of the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet and into the Labor Cabinet, where he believes it will be better resourced.
"These changes better result in better service," he said.
Reader’s Watchdog has heard from only a sliver of those whose claims remain tied up with a problem.
In May, there were more than 60 emails sent to Reader's Watchdog and just as many voicemails.
Reader's Watchdog:Yes, Kentucky staffed up its unemployment phone lines. But many can't fix your problems
Some days, the phone rings well into the evening. Weekends, too. A flood of emails hits in the days following the publication of an unemployment-related story. Rarely a day goes by without hearing from someone looking for answers. While people’s specific issues have varied, similar threads connect them.
There’s fear for themselves and their families of how they will pay their bills. In some emails, there’s anger over weeks and weeks that have passed with no answers. At times, there’s desperation.
A lack of communication about the status of claims leaves many in the dark, unsure if their claims are on the right track.
Readers who have contacted Reader’s Watchdog complain they’ve been waiting weeks for a call back after entering their number into an automated call-back queue. Some hold on hours-long waits without any certainty they’ll reach a live person.
So, as they wait, they reach out to The Courier Journal in hopes something can be done. This is just a snapshot of the messages Reader's Watchdog has received.
Confused and frustrated
I filed for unemployment back in March. I received a letter showing what my benefits would be and later received a debit card but with a zero balance. Haven’t been able to talk to anyone. It keeps saying my number is in queue. When I look at my payment history online, it shows zero dollars for the last two payment dates, and the recording says that my account has been credited, but my last payment was zero dollars. It’s really frustrating, and I’m at a loss as to what to do next. Is there any way you guys can help?
I even emailed the governor’s office and got a automated email saying that they may or may not have time to respond. I guess it’s easy to brush people off when you’re not missing any paychecks. I still have a zero balance, and now it says that my claim is under investigation. It’s very confusing and frustrating.
—Samantha Gambon, Pleasureville
For subscribers:Kentucky may need to borrow billions to pay unemployment benefits
I would like some answers
I filed unemployment in March and still have not received a payment. Have they said anything about when this would be fixed? Without unemployment I have burned through my savings and will not be able to pay bills. I would like some answers if you have any. Thank you for your time, and have a great day.
—David Lay, Taylor County
Filed claims, only got one payment
For four years I've been working at Louisville Slugger Museum in the gift shop every Saturday and Sunday. The museum was forced to close March 16 because of COVID-19 and has not reopened yet. Because we were put on a temporary furlough, Hillerich & Bradsby advised us to file for unemployment benefits. Which I did. I received my letter from the Kentucky Office of Unemployment Insurance to say I was eligible.
I received my first payment on April 15. I have since filed on April 29 and May 13. My claim was processed both times, but for some reason, no money.
Of course calls to the UI are useless. I don't know what to do. I'm afraid if too much time goes by I will not be able to recoup those funds. It just doesn't make sense. Can you help me?
—Amy Inskeep, Oldham County
Worrying about feeding my family
First email: Let me tell you how many struggles I have had and how I'm getting no answers 90% of the time. So, on March 28, 2020, I first applied for unemployment benefits. I had worked at Frisch's Big Boy for long enough to qualify for unemployment, but when I did my application for benefits I got denied because they made a mistake and didn't have my Frisch's income on my wages. Well I was not aware of the new pandemic unemployment benefits and didn't know that if you got denied you would receive it. So weeks went by with being stressed not knowing what I would do.
So on my account summary it had said reapply on April 5, and that's what I did because I knew I should have not been denied. I needed my wages to be added. Well, I had no idea that I was approved for PUA (Pandemic Unemployment Assistance) and they sent me an approval letter and a card in the mail on April 11 and 12. Well, in the meantime they also approved my regular UI benefits, once they fixed their first mistake. And so they canceled my PUA without telling me because I had two claims. So I went weeks without answers. Of course I can't get through to anyone. I still have not got through to anyone.
It made me apply again on May 3 and told me I could request on May 17. From May 3-9, I didn't know anything until I saw on the website that I was getting my back pay from the month of April on May 11. So I thought great, it's fixed again. I received my payments on May 11.
By no means am I not grateful for the benefits I did get, and I know that people have still not received anything. But this is making me so frustrated that not once but three times it has been stopped for I don't know what reason, leaving me sitting here thinking I've done something wrong or something went wrong. I just can't do this anymore. I'm emotionally drained trying to worry about how I'll feed my family. Will they ever just fix my account?
Second email: I am still having trouble and the person I talked to today on the phone literally said on the phone don't go getting excited because I probably can't help you just like that. I was so astonished! She told me to email an email account that I have literally emailed at least 20 times with no response.
—Sara Apted, Covington
More:Here's how Kentucky's unemployment benefits are funded
I'm in dire straits
I’m self-employed and filed on April 8, am still waiting and can’t reach anyone. I’m in dire straits and very worried.
My file is listed under investigation, which I was told by someone at the governor’s office was due to my self-employment. I feel like the files under investigation have been put to the side. It’s very frustrating and scary. If they are supposedly close to finishing April why did my file from April 8 not get done yet?
—Tifani McDaniel, Boone County
I can't find an answer anywhere
I am hoping you can answer a couple of questions I can’t find an answer to anywhere. First, it’s been eight weeks since my initial attempt to apply for unemployment. I surely made a mistake applying. It says my ID is active but no address associated for claim. I can’t log in. It says my PIN is incorrect but I can’t reset it. Of course no one calls to help.
—Steve Carter, Allen County
Fighting to survive
First email: I was furloughed by my employer on March 26 after working there for less than two months and have been waiting nearly another two months to get this unemployment insurance sorted. I couldn't file online since I had a claim from last year preventing me from filing until May 2, so I called them and was promptly put in a queue to be called back. I received a call three weeks later in mid-April but was told that their systems were being updated and that I'd have to call back the next week. I did call back and was put right back into the queue and have now been waiting over a month on top of the initial three weeks of waiting.
When the filing period from last year expired and I was able to file online again, I thought I may be able to at least get the ball rolling and have some payments start coming in, but a few days after filing, I was told my claim was not filed and that I'd have to refile again. So I did, but now was unable to request a payment even though it seemed to have my claim information.
Then after a week of trying to figure out what to do, my friend shared a Facebook post with some unemployment phone numbers and emails, and I tried emailing a state employee a few days ago but haven't heard back yet. The payment date of May 11 came and went with no funds added to my bank account so I tried making a payment request a few days ago and this time, it seemed to be working. But, I still have been waiting for a payment to show up in my bank account and the UI website still has not updated my claim information to show if any payments will be made.
I have too much going on in my life to have to worry about money on top of it all, and it's discouraging to see the state leadership and administration floundering with coronavirus impacts while so many other people have to fight for their lives in the hospitals, and even those without illness are just fighting to survive, trying to feed themselves or family, trying to keep a roof over their head, trying to pay bills, trying to deal with the loneliness and isolation and still having to rely on a government that has proven to not be up to any of these challenges or hardships.
—Elijah D. Sowder, Lexington
Laid off and at a standstill
I've been trying to file my claim and can't get anywhere. I've been laid off due to the coronavirus epidemic since March 13. I've called several times to the unemployment office and tried online. The problem is when I put the info in it says that my name, Social Security number or PIN doesn't match. I've clicked on change pin. I get nowhere.
So I'm at a standstill.
Whatever you could do in order to help me I would so appreciate it.
—Linda Johnson, Bullitt County
I have done everything they asked me to do
I was approved for my benefits and was receiving my checks, and then I answered one of the security questions wrong on the third check I was supposed to receive. So they sent me an email informing me I had answered it wrong and to send them two documents to prove my identity again (I had already done so once to get the first one). I did and I haven't heard from them since and that was a month ago or more.
Now when I call them I get the automated answering machine which says I have been credited for those weeks, but no check has been issued. Now, I have never spoken to anyone or received a call back to exactly find out what this means. It says I'm in the queue and will be called back and that's been over a month and no call back.
So now I'm getting into my savings just because no one has fixed the problem, and I have done everything they asked me to do.
—Roy Shelby Cook Jr., Grayson County
My family and I need this money badly
I applied for unemployment and was approved for $390.00/week on March 15. To this date, I have still not received a penny of this money. I have called all the numbers I am supposed to and have emailed all the places I can, even 10 times to Governor Beshear, every day, for the past 50 days and have not heard back from anyone.
Now on his 5 p.m. show on May 12, he is saying that they are now trying to work on the first couple of weeks in April. What about those, like me, who are still waiting since the middle of March? My family and I are really needing this money really bad.
I finally got a call from them at the beginning of last week. I was told that they would have to escalate me to tier three because they said that the unemployment office had placed a stop on me from 2011 where I had to pay them back, with a penalty fee.
However, we paid all this back and the stop was supposed to have been removed back in 2011. So it is their fault and someone from tier three is supposed to get back with me. I am still waiting.
So my family and I are still waiting 2 1/2 months later, while people in April and May are enjoying their money.
—Matt Irgang, Wilmore
I'm struggling to keep my family afloat
I don't know if you could help or not. I was reading a post about the unemployment and I have been applying since March when I got laid off on the 21st and I still haven't been paid nothing.
I'm struggling to keep my family afloat. I have a baby and one that is going to be here in nine weeks. I call every other day to see about my job. I've called the unemployment call line and to no surprise I'm still waiting for my call. I've emailed so many times I could not count and still no answer. I've called my local office, but they don't have people for unemployment in there.
I don't really know who else to reach out to. If you know or could help me find a way to talk to someone please reach out to me. Thank you for your time.
—Thomas Payne, Barren County
Matthew Glowicki’s Reader's Watchdog column helps readers get answers and holds public officials, businesses and individuals to account. Contact him at watchdog@courierjournal.com, 502-582-4989 or on Twitter @mattglo. Support Reader's Watchdog by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/mattg.