Like most states, Kentucky has been hit hard by the financial meltdown of 2008 and subsequent economic slowdown and recession. Many jobs have been lost and for some unlucky people – it will be a long road back to employment. The national unemployment rate has been rising steadily over the last few years and has recently broken the 10% barrier and sites at 10.2%.
Kentucky, the “Bluegrass State” hasn’t been spared from the economic damage. The most recent unemployment rate in Kentucky was 11.2% in October which was up 0.3% from 10.9% in September. Among those unemployed are significant numbers of people who have been unemployed long enough to either exhaust their unemployment benefits or come close to exhausting them.
To counter the problem of long-term unemployed running out of benefits the federal government has funded several benefit extensions. These are mainly funded as part of the economic stimulus package for 2009.
Bill H3548 has been passed and put into law – this will allow all states an extra 13 weeks of employment benefits as well as another 6 weeks if the unemployment rate is higher than 8.5%. It also increases the Tier 2 EUC benefits from 13 weeks to 14 weeks. In total – this bill will add 20 weeks of unemployent benefits for long-term unemployed people in Kentucky.
Here is the current benefits available in Kentucky:
- EUC Tier 1 – 20 weeks (7 weeks plus 13 weeks)
- EUC tier 2 – 14 weeks (used to be 13)
- EB – 20 weeks
- EUC tier 3 (new with bill H3548) 13 weeks or 19 weeks (if > 8.5%)
This adds up to a total of 99 weeks.
For information on how to extend your benefits then please visite your state unemployment website or office. To be eligible you need to exhaust your benefits by the end of the year (2009). Because the latest bill has increased tier 2 by 1 week this could affect your eligibility for the extension. According to NELP (National Employment Law Project) there would have been around 1 million Americans who run out of benefits in January of 2010 and 3 million by March 2010. Current benefits are in Kentucky are $440 per week.
Kentuckians and Hoosiers who have exhausted all 79 weeks of unemployment benefits or will do so by the end of the year are eligible for up to 20 more weeks.
The extended benefits pay 54 percent of the person’s original unemployment compensation for the first week, 50 percent for the next 13 weeks and 24 percent for the final six weeks.
Unless Congress acts, the federal extensions will phase out at the end of the year. Residents will continue receiving benefits for their current tier in 2010, but will not be able to move the next tier. There are four federal tiers, each lasting from six weeks to 20 weeks.What to do – Kentucky
Those who may be eligible for the 20-week extension will receive letters from the state Office of Employment and Training with instructions on claiming the benefits. Residents will be able to file a claim in about two weeks, according to state officials, and claiming early will not result in receiving checks sooner.
Unemployment benefit information for other states
Florida unemployment benefits extension - 20 more weeks.
Will New York add 13 more weeks of unemployment benefits?
New York extends unemployment benefits by 13 weeks
Will Tennessee add 20 weeks of unemployment benefit extension?
Ohio unemployment benefits extension - 13 more weeks
Texas Unemployment Benefits Extension - 13 more weeks
Unemployment benefits extended in 2009 stimulus package.
Bill H3548 - 13 week extension for high unemployment states.
Kentucky Unemployment Benefits Extension - 20 more weeks.
Illinois Unemployment Benefits Extension - 20 more weeks.
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What does it mean on the check “stub” when it says ZERO balance for week 1….then for WEEK 2 it says “IN CLAIM”?
I think I’ve received 76 weeks of UI benefits up to this point.
…..or maybe it has been 79 weeks
http://webmail.aol.com/32131-111/aol-6/en-us/Suite.aspx
The house will possibly vote on Wednesday on a bill that would eliminate the job creation and just settle on extending unemployment and the continuation of Cobra. Hopefully cutting out a large chunk of the jobs creating bill will set better with the Republican opposition. They are trying to get it out of the house this week to give the Senate time to vote on it before going on their July 4th break. My unemployment has already come to a screeching halt. If the link above does not work…just contact your Representative and urge them to vote yes on this.
Thanks to all for your help and let’s keep our fingers crossed.
This is the correct link to contact your Representative. Sorry I didn’t get the right link in my last post.
http://www.nelp.org/page/speakout/UIandCobraNOW
Friends -
We have a brief window of opportunity to get Congress to reinstate the EUC and EB programs before it goes on a week-long recess for the 4th of July. Today, Rep. McDermott (D-WA) introduced H.R. 5618, The Restoration of Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act, which will, if passed, restore the EUC and Extended Benefits programs, retroactive to their expiration on June 2, 2010.
We are working to get a vote on this bill tomorrow, June 30th, and need your help. We are asking you to contact your Member in the House of Representatives and demand that he or she support H.R. 5618. Please call (202)224-3121 today to reach your member of Congress. If we all keep fighting, we can make this happen!
So this week it’s very important that all of you contact your own Representatives with a consistent message: abandoning the unemployed will NOT help cure the deficit problems, it will only enhance those problems. They MUST act within the next few days and vote to restore the EUC and EB programs and funding through the end of November, 2010. DO NOT GO HOME until the job is done!
Please share this message with your friends and family and please take action TODAY!
Sincerely,
The National Employment Law Project’s Unemployedworkers.org team
P.S. Don’t forget to tell all your friends to write Congress and ask for an extension of jobless benefits by clicking http://www.nelp.org/page/speakout/July4recess
Hey there 67and68…you seem to be the one with the answers but if anyone else knows…please reply!
I just found this site and thought I would ask a question since I cant get through to local office. I have been unemployed since 9/09, I have received 2 or 3 EB checks since filing my first extension. Went for my review 2 weeks ago and was told I would continue getting EB checks until my balance on check is zero and then EB was over (unless congress approves extension). I still have a balance, went online to order my check and it said it was being processed. That was 1 week ago. Received the $25 stimulus check today but still have not received EB check. So am I not going to get anymore EB checks while I still have a balance? If not…why would I still get the stimulus check?
If you are on a federal extension (EUC) tier, or regular state unemployment you can continue to receive the balance you have. If on the state extension (EB), due to the federal funding source, nothing can be paid after paying out week ending 06/05/10 regardless of your balance. This is as of now, things could change any time.
The State expected the deadlines for the extensions and the $25 bonus to be extended. When that did not happen, some bonus checks went out by mistake. The lack of Senate action on the unemployment extensions caught many states off guard and hasty reprogramming sometimes fails to catch everything.
If the office told you that you would be able to draw out your balance you have left, you must be on the federal extension and not EB. You can tell the difference by how you have to request the checks on the computer. If you have to type in the employers you contact each week when requesting your check, then you are on EB. If you do not know what I am referring to then you are on the federal extension.
Thanks 67and68 for all your help. One (?) more question – I thought my husband was suppose to keep requesting checks even though his balance has run out so that if it is federally funded he would receive checks retro, but he can’t file anymore. Do you know what will happen if it is re-instated? How are the unemployed suppose to request help? Thanks in advance, Kim
Most of the states systems will no longer accept certifications after a claim balance reaches zero. Congress will, if they ever can reach agreement, address retroactive weeks in the bill they pass. Sometimes it has been passed fully retroactive, sometimes not. I am pretty confident that the states will allow backdating to whatever point that Congress allows. Right now there is no guarantee that anything will be done, the two parties are at odds as to whether or not an unemployment extension should be passed that adds to the national debt. The Democrats want to label it emergency spending while the Republicans want it paid for from some source and neither side is budging, and that is where they stand now.
Sad that they choose to play “political ping pong” with so many lives. This is what we must remember in November. You be there for me…I’ll be there for you. Otherwise vote them out. They were quick to aid Wall Street because it benefited many Congressmen.
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