Copyright 2021 WBKO. If you have a question, UI customer service representatives can help. Employers should download any information they would like to keep for their records before this date. As a result, unemployment insurance often fails to reach the people who need it most: At the dawn of the coronavirus era, 20% of unemployed people in Kentucky received benefits, which is lower than the national average of 28%. #views-exposed-form-manual-cloud-search-manual-cloud-search-results .form-actions{display:block;flex:1;} #tfa-entry-form .form-actions {justify-content:flex-start;} #node-agency-pages-layout-builder-form .form-actions {display:block;} #tfa-entry-form input {height:55px;} 2022 Commonwealth of Kentucky. Kentucky Labor Cabinet spokesperson Kevin Kinnaird said in an email the agency sent out just over 14,600 applications so far, allowing the chance of forgiveness for over $19.6 million in total overpayment debt. Government sector employment was up 15,000 jobs from July 2022 to August 2022. This sector had 18,000 more jobs or 9.8% compared to August 2021. Andy Beshears public statements about eligibility later got debt collection notices. $0.75 per page/ microfilm requests plus $5.00 processing fee per request. Division of Unemployment Insurance Executive Education and Workforce Development Visit Website address 500 Mero Street Frankfort, KY 40601 Get Directions phone (502) 564-5331 About There are many complex areas within the Unemployment Insurance Program. He said there have been tens of thousands of fraudulent claims. The State Labor Cabinet told Wave 3 News the breach is not at the Office of Unemployment Insurance and many agencies are investigating where it originated, including the Office of the Kentucky Attorney General. The Kentucky Office of Unemployment Insurance (OUI) collects personal information entered into electronic forms on this Internet site. Sanderson remembers watching a press briefing on TV as a representative from the state saying people would be receiving a form to fill out and apply for forgiveness. Postal Service by Jan. 31, 2023. 8, February 1, 2023. The state legislature first created the waiver program in March, after the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting detailed how people who applied for benefits in line with Gov. The jobs gains occurred primarily among the durable goods manufacturers, which was added 7,100 jobs to their payrolls in August. He said by email that the waivers amount to nearly $7.5 million in debt forgiven so far. He hasnt received a waiver application, and hasnt been able to reach the unemployment office to ask for one. Workers' Compensation. This issue is not new to Kentucky or across the nation with other . https://www.dol.gov/coronavirus/unemployment-insurance, Report fraud, waste and abuse to the Departments Office of the Inspector General, Statement of U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia on Passing Of Labor-Management Standards Director Arthur Rosenfeld, U.S. Department of Labor Adopts Revised Enforcement Policies For Coronavirus. Kentuckys civilian labor force was 2,062,856 in August 2022, a decrease of 767 individuals from July 2022. But, Gray said, many states shifted the focus of unemployment insurance in recent years from providing relief to as many out of work people as possible towards limiting access to prevent relatively rare instances of fraud or mistaken overpayments. The Education and Labor Cabinet's mission is to educate, prepare and train Kentucky's current and future workforces. The list of all state unemployment insurance fraud hotlines can be found at. The Imaging Branch also responds to requests for a claim and first report information as well as open records requests. guidance related to continued eligibility for benefits. Related additional frequently asked questions are also available here: https://www.dol.gov/coronavirus/unemployment-insurance. Governor Beshear Wednesday afternoon addressed mounting fraud in Kentuckys unemployment system. Kentucky-based attorneys and national advocates say this restrictive approach to overpayment waivers may leave people saddled with debt they shouldnt have to pay. Andy Beshears public statements about eligibility, Beshear told people to save money from unemployment insurance benefits, Kentucky expanded unemployment insurance to cover independent contractors, Support nonprofit, fact-based public service journalism, WEKU is a broadcast service of Eastern Kentucky University. They notified the state by mail that it was a case of fraud. They did not falsify anything. Kentucky during the base period but. 199, Part 1D.7.(6). Detailed open records requests, those which seek documents containing information exempt from disclosure, require a written release from the party whose information is sought. 2023 Taxable Wage Base will increase to $11,100 per worker. 200 Constitution AveNW More Americans reported being employed than ever before - nearly 160 million. Sanderson received unemployment benefits from April through June last year when the coronavirus pandemic closed schools to in-person education, and ended the substitute teaching assignments Sanderson relied on. Your efforts will help us maintain the integrity of the Kentucky Unemployment Insurance Program. People seeking forgiveness through the waiver then need to explain why their overpayment wasnt their fault and that the debt causes a financial hardship for the applicant and their family or they spent the money on necessary expenses. Unemployment Insurance Benefits Branch. If you look for the purpose of the unemployment statutes across the country, its to relieve the crushing force that unemployment has on people and their families and their communities, Gray said. Victim of this identity theft can get help at the Kentucky Career Center Unemployment Insurance Fraud Division at www.kcc.ky.gov. Additional tax registrations may be required based on your industry, for more information visit the Kentucky Department of Revenue . ET until 12 A.M.