Kentucky Unemployment Benefits and Eligibility

COVID-19 UPDATE:Considering the coronavirus pandemic has left so many Americans jobless, the federal government has given states more flexibility in granting unemployment benefits. If you have questions about whether y'all're eligible for unemployment benefits read our COVID-xix Unemployment Benefits and Insurance FAQ and cheque out your land's claimant handbook.

A guide to unemployment benefits in Kentucky

Unemployment Insurance (UI) is an employer-paid insurance plan that provides you with benefits when you're separated from a task at no mistake of your own. UI benefits help comprehend the gap in lost wages while yous are betwixt jobs. The benefits are non based on demand, and they're paid out in weekly payments equally long as you run into eligibility requirements and written report on a weekly basis. If you were let get from your job, you're experiencing significantly reduced hours, or yous're out of a job due to a visitor closure, you're likely eligible for UI benefits.

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How do I file for unemployment benefits in Kentucky?

1. Collect your information

Showtime, brand sure you have access to this required data for filing:

  • Social Security number or alien registration number
  • Your contact information, including accost and phone number
  • Contact data for all contempo employers
  • Dates worked for all recent employers
  • Wages earned from all recent employers

2. Create an business relationship

Online

With an online Kentucky unemployment insurance account, you'll exist able to file your claim, submit weekly claims, and proceed track of general benefit account information. Employ the online portal to create an account and get started. The portal is bachelor Monday through Fri, excluding holidays, from 7 a.m. to vii p.chiliad. or Sunday from ten a.m. to 9 p.g..

When you lot create an account, yous'll exist asked to select a pivot at startup. File your login information away for safekeeping—yous'll use it to access everything yous need to file your claims and receive benefits.

By phone

Alternatively, you may file your merits past calling the Kentucky unemployment number at 502-564-2900. The line is open Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, from vii:30 a.thousand. to v:30 p.m. A landline is suggested and you must use a touchtone phone to make the call. Accept all your pertinent application information ready. But follow the prompts and you'll be on your fashion to filing your claim.

The Part of Employment and Training suggests using a landline to brand the call considering if the call is dropped from a mobile phone, the claim cannot be processed and you will demand to showtime your application over.

3. File a merits

Once you lot've created your business relationship, yous're gear up to file your claim. You'll provide detailed information to determine your eligibility, such as your employment history, wages earned, contact information, and other documentation mentioned above. Y'all won't be able to collect benefits until all pertinent information has been submitted, and so practice so as quickly as possible later becoming unemployed.

The Kentucky unemployment application takes roughly 15 minutes to complete, and information technology's best to complete it all at once. If yous leave the page idle for 30 minutes, you'll be automatically logged out and the information you entered may be lost.

four. Complete your eligibility review

Your Kentucky unemployment eligibility is based on a variety of factors. The employment role's arrangement will prompt you to consummate your eligibility review before receiving payment. Do and then in a timely manner to avert risking your benefits.

5. Prepare your payment options

Through the online arrangement, you'll also decide how you want to receive your Kentucky unemployment bounty payments. You may choose from directly deposit or prepaid debit card.

Where do I submit my claim?

Kentucky Division of Unemployment Insurance Website

Kentucky Division of Unemployment Insurance Offices

Part of Employment and Training

275 East Main Street second Floor

Frankfort, Kentucky 40601

Kentucky unemployment office locations.

Kentucky Unemployment Phone Number

How unemployment works in Kentucky

The Kentucky Department of Workforce Investment's Office of Employment and Training (OET) oversees unemployment insurance benefits for the state. In addition to upholding Kentucky unemployment laws, the mission of the function is to provide quality jobs for people and quality people for jobs.

Services the Kentucky unemployment office offers to see this goal include temporary fiscal assistance for unemployed individuals, labor market information (such as the Kentucky unemployment charge per unit), and the upkeep of Kentucky's Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, which supports the cost of unemployment insurance in the country. Overall, these activities are designed to promote economic wellbeing for Kentucky.

Workforce services are administered by the Kentucky Career Center, which operates a network of career centre locations throughout the state where you tin come across i on one with career coaches and counselors.

FAQs

What are the requirements to qualify for unemployment benefits in Kentucky?

As in other states, eligibility for State of Kentucky unemployment insurance benefits is not based on need. That being said, in that location are many other eligibility requirements that must be met in order to receive benefits:

  • Exist a Kentucky resident.
  • Meet income requirements for work completed in Kentucky.
  • Exist able, available, and actively searching for work.
  • Be out of piece of work at no mistake of your own.

Earnings eligibility requirements

Every land looks at a 1-year "base period" of wages when determining unemployment insurance eligibility. In Kentucky, the base period is the first four out of the last five calendar quarters earlier your merits was made. To meet Kentucky unemployment requirements, you must see the following requirements:

  • Have earned a minimum of $750 in at least one quarter of your base period
  • Have earned a minimum of $750 total outside the base period quarter when you earned the virtually
  • Have earned at least 1.5 times your wages in the highest paid quarter of your base of operations menses
  • Have wages in the last two base period quarters that equal a minimum of 8 times your weekly do good amount

You lot must be able, available, and actively searching for piece of work

Unemployment insurance is a temporary support designed to last only every bit long as information technology takes an private to get dorsum to work. That'due south why making every reasonable attempt to land a new job is such an important component of unemployment eligibility. In order to be making every reasonable attempt to get a job, an individual must exist able to work, bachelor for work, and actively searching for work.

Able to work refers to being physically and mentally capable of holding a task. If you are ill, injured, or disabled, you do not likely qualify for unemployment benefits in Kentucky. Notwithstanding, if you have a disability or condition merely are able to work with reasonable adaptation, y'all are considered able to piece of work.

Available for work refers to an individual who has nothing preventing them from taking a reasonable new position should it be offered to them. If you are on vacation or going to school you are generally not considered available for work and are not entitled to benefits during this time. Additionally, if you take very limited hours you lot are bachelor for work or have no transportation to become to a chore, you may non be classified as available and therefore non be able to receive benefits.

Being able and available for work is non plenty to qualify for Kentucky unemployment. In add-on to these two characteristics, you must as well maintain an agile chore search in an attempt to get reemployed every bit quickly as possible. Yous will submit a log of your job search activities in each Kentucky weekly benefit claim you submit.

You must be out of work through no fault of your ain

While every instance is different, your Kentucky unemployment benefits eligibility is not probable if you were fired or quit your task. In these cases, y'all are welcome to utilise for Kentucky unemployment benefits, merely the claim is probable to be denied. In order to receive Kentucky UI, you must exist out of work—or receiving significantly reduced hours—at no error of your own. This blazon of employment mostly occurs through lay off or visitor closure.

While being fired for misconduct or quitting are not ordinarily grounds for unemployment insurance do good eligibility, there are certain circumstances where the reason for quitting is that you had no other choice than to exercise and then. In these cases you may be able to collect unemployment benefits.

How long does it have to get unemployment in Kentucky?

Once it is determined that you meet all of the Kentucky unemployment qualifications and are eligible for benefits, you'll brainstorm receiving weekly payments. You volition not receive a payment for the first week in which your merits was made. This menstruum is called a waiting calendar week and no benefits are provided.

Kentucky unemployment benefits are paid for a maximum of 26 weeks, though a Kentucky unemployment extension may be put in place to increment this limit during times of high unemployment.

Do I have to look for a task to get Kentucky unemployment benefits?

To remain eligible and keep receiving your benefits, you must actively search for work and report this activity in your Kentucky unemployment weekly claim. The first step is registered for Focus Career on the Kentucky unemployment website.

Focus Career helps job seekers who are unemployed besides equally those looking to make a career move away from a current position. Services include the post-obit:

  • Build or meliorate your professional résumé with an easy-to-use wizard.
  • Explore job leads that match your transferable skills and abilities.
  • Schedule daily or weekly alerts that send jobs direct to your inbox.
  • Explore paths and options to reach your education and career goals.

Focus Career helps yous start from the foundation of your chore search, which includes personal branding, exploration, and preparation for the job search. In addition to job leads, you lot'll larn how to prepare for finding the next job that suits yous.

What if I am denied benefits? How tin can I appeal a deprival of my claim?

If y'all disagree with the determination made by the Kentucky unemployment part in regards to your benefits, you lot have the right to entreatment. You must submit your letter of entreatment in writing inside 15 concern days of the postmarked date of your denial.

After filing your appeal, a hearing will be scheduled. Most hearings have place over the phone. Y'all'll have an opportunity to present bear witness that helps your case. If you're dissatisfied with the result of the appeal, y'all may make an additional entreatment to the court within 20 business days.

How much will my unemployment insurance payments be?

The Kentucky unemployment amount is calculated at roughly 1.nineteen% of your total earnings during your base period. The maximum payment is $415 per week and the minimum is $39.

10 Tips for a Amend Kentucky Unemployment Benefits Experience

  1. Be accurate and complete, filling in all the data asked for in your claim. Failure to exercise then may result in a delay in getting your benefits.
  2. Stay organized with a agenda marked with important dates, including the day you file your merits, when your eligibility review is happening, your next career counselor appointment, when you demand to file your Kentucky unemployment weekly claims, etc. Delays in benefits are often a event of missing important dates and deadlines.
  3. Register for work using Focus Career before requesting you first benefit payment.
  4. Maintain accurate records of all task search activities to exist submitted with your eligibility review.
  5. Avoid calling the help line on Mondays, when look times are longest. Choose a appointment later on in the week for quicker service.
  6. Continue your email active and bank check it often. Y'all are required to submit a valid e-mail accost. This is the easiest way for the Kentucky unemployment department to contact you.
  7. If someone from the Kentucky unemployment part reaches out, communicate with them as shortly as possible.
  8. Keep your UI claim information, including your account pin, secure. Don't allow any other person to access your business relationship or make a claim on your behalf under and circumstance.
  9. Return documents rapidly using the document upload option within the online Kentucky unemployment claim filing system.
  10. Use your career counselor. They are your best resource for finding your side by side job. Be in frequent contact, ask for help, and ask about resources.

Eligibility Team

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Eligibility Team

Nosotros are a team of experts dedicated to finding the right government programs for y'all. Our mission is simple: assistance people quickly and easily sympathize which programs they might be eligible for—all in one identify. Our squad is dedicated to researching and providing you with the near relevant information. We compile only the most trusted information from government sources into one place and so you lot can discover the facts y'all need and skip what you don't.