Steve Gray, senior counsel at the National Employment Law Project, a nonprofit advocating for economic security and opportunity for workers, said anyone who was given benefits from the state should be eligible to request a debt waiver. 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. 803 KAR 25:012: Resolution of medical disputes. This sector had 100 fewer positions compared to August 2021. Since August 2021, employment in this sector has risen by 13,800 jobs or 3.4%. Later, Cohen got a $300 check in the mail from the state unemployment office. The unemployment insurance hasnt even given many substitute teachers, and potentially other workers, a chance to apply for debt forgiveness, according to Louisville attorney Robyn Smith. 8, February 1, 2023. 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. They said that will. Kentuckys new unemployment insurance overpayment waiver is supposed to offer some relief to people who were mistakenly overpaid benefits, but many who owe money are excluded from even asking. The application process laid out in the statute puts the onus on the claimant to request a waiver and prove that they meet the criteria for debt forgiveness, a process Smith said many people may find confusing. The Committee is meeting today to hear testimony on Examining the Policies and Priorities of the U.S. Department of Labor. Republican State Sen. David Givens from Greensburg, who sponsored the law creating the waiver process, did not respond to a request for comment. Claimant's Mailing Address. To request your bi-weekly benefit check on-line, the system is available Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. and Sunday from 2:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Title 787 - EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CABINET - DEPARTMENT FOR EMPLOYMENT SERVICES, Section 787 KAR 1:360 - Overpayment waivers, Section 787 KAR 1:320 - Priority of deductions from benefits. Employment in Kentuckys professional and business services sector fell by 2,000 jobs or 0.9% in August 2022. The integrity of the unemployment insurance system, including the new unemployment insurance programs under the CARES Act, is critical to ensuring temporary benefits are provided only to eligible claimants, said Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training John Pallasch. May 12, 2022--Julia Letlow, Louisiana, resigned from the Committee. Counseling and guidance. I dont see anything that implicates fault, Smith said. Andy Beshears public statements about eligibility, Beshear told people to save money from unemployment insurance benefits, Kentucky expanded unemployment insurance to cover independent contractors. Employment statistics undergo sharp fluctuations due to seasonal events, such as weather changes, harvests, holidays, and school openings and closings. According to the Kentucky Labor Cabinet, about 745,000 claims have been filed since the pandemic forced businesses to close, creating unprecedented unemployment. Overall, the level of local government employment is only down somewhat, 700 jobs or 0.4%, from last year.. 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. Before KyCIR, he was a reporter the Center for Public Integrity and a digital producer for WBUR in Boston. For unemployment insurance claims filed between January 27, 2020 and December 31, 2020, KRS 341.413 authorizes the secretary to waive overpayments of unemployment insurance benefits if the secretary, upon an alleged overpayment recipient's waiver request, finds the overpayment was made without fault on the part of the recipient and recovery would be contrary to equity and good conscience. In a separate federal survey of business establishments that excludes jobs in agriculture and people who are self-employed, Kentuckys seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment rose by 26,700 jobs in August 2022 compared to July 2022. Phone: (502) 564-3925. The governors office has confirmed with the Kentucky Chamber these letters are not coming from the state and encourages individuals to report these issues. The CARES Act includes the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation programs. 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. All rights reserved. Unemployment Insurance Appeals Branch. .manual-search ul.usa-list li {max-width:100%;} An Open Records Request is required to obtain additional information. [CDATA[/* >