Unemployed Kentucky residents descend on capital, demand help after months of waiting for benefits
(CNN) -- Kentucky has temporarily reopened in-person unemployment services to help with the state's backlog of jobless claims, state officials tell CNN.
The assistance comes after protests in Frankfort, the state capital, by unemployed residents who say they have not received benefits since being laid off due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Deborah McLaughlin, who has been unemployed since April, says she showed up in Frankfort for three days in a row before her case was resolved.
Courtney See recently waited 10 hours to receive unemployment assistance before being told the offices would close for the day.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/19/us/kentucky-unemployment-benefits/index.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
I believe our Governor Beshear is doing the best he can even with his hands tied.
See this page: https://kentucky.gov/Pages/Activity-stream.aspx?n=GovernorBeshear&prId=220
Proof (excerpt):
Today, Gov. Beshear announced that the state would continue to expand in-person services to help Kentuckians resolve unemployment insurance claims.
He also explained that the state’s unemployment office budget went from $41 million in 2010 to $25 million in 2018; in addition, in 2017, the state cut 22 out of 51 local unemployment offices and 95 employees. These financial, geographic and staffing challenges have made it more difficult to provide in-person services throughout the commonwealth, but the governor said he was determined to find a path forward.
“So we take offices that were cut almost 50%, an antiquated system that was designed to tell people no, and claims that went in 2019 from 190,000 unemployment claims all year long to having 900,000 claims in just three months and it is a perfect storm that results in so many people who have had to wait far, far too long that haven’t been helped and I know are at their wits end,” said Gov. Beshear. “And I’ve been saying it for weeks and I know it’s not a solace to those that are struggling, but we are working our hardest. We will continue to do better.”
So, Kentucky deplorable Rethugs get their election day payback.
KY........
