Tired of waiting to file an unemployment claim? Kentucky governor offers help.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is taking steps to speed up unemployment insurance claims.
Beshear, at a Capitol news conference, said some Kentuckians have had to wait hours to file unemployment insurance claims after the former administration of Gov. Matt Bevin in January 2017 removed unemployment insurance customer service staff from the state’s 12 Kentucky Career Centers.
They are in Bowling Green, Covington, Elizabethtown, Hazard, Hopkinsville, Lexington, Louisville, Morehead, Owensboro, Paducah, Prestonsburg and Somerset.
Individuals who needed help with their claims had to email or phone a call center in Frankfort.
“This led to extremely long hold times for unemployment insurance customers,” Beshear said. “The average wait time was over 75 minutes.”
Once, 597 people called on a single day and abandoned their efforts to find out about unemployment insurance, he said. The next day, 532 people gave up.
“These are our fellow Kentuckians who are going through a difficult time, not knowing when they might find another job and being concerned on how they will feed their family,” he said.
Beshear said he and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, who is secretary of the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, have had staffers in the 12 career centers retrained to help Kentuckians who need assistance with unemployment insurance.
“In times of need, Kentuckians should be able to quickly talk with someone who can help them,” said Beshear. “Jacqueline and I knew more needed to be done to help families struggling so we took action.”
The training has decreased wait times on the help line and has provided more face-to-face customer service, said the Democratic governor.
“Since the change last week, staff has helped more than 1,000 customers and call wait times have seen a 50 percent decrease,” he said. “On our proudest day last week, the wait time was nine minutes. We want to do better.”
Beshear said he plans to increase the number of staffers at the centers, but he did not say by how many.
The governor also said about five staff members will be hired next month to chat with people online during business hours about the claims process.
“The live chat option will assist customers with their questions in real time before they make a mistake which could potentially hold up their claim,” said Josh Benton, deputy secretary of the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.
