There are many complex areas within the Unemployment Insurance Program.  We have provided links to information that we hope will help you better understand the program and possibly answer some of the questions you may have relating to your Unemployment Insurance claim.

  

About the Unemployment Insurance Program

The Unemployment Insurance Program in Kentucky is administered by the Department for Employment Services (DES). The program is designed to provide temporary benefits to workers who lose their jobs due to no fault of their own and are able and available to accept employment if offered. What this means is that if you have been laid-off either temporarily or permanently or believe you have been wrongfully terminated, you may be able to receive benefits based on certain eligibility requirements. The amount of benefits you may draw is based on the wages you have been paid in the past, regardless of who was your employer. If you have been permanently laid off or wish to seek other employment, DES can also assist you in this effort with a wide variety of services that are provided to job seekers.

To file a claim for benefits, simply visit one of the local DES Offices. Although you may file a claim at any office in the state, certain counties are best served by this office. Once you have filed a claim, an eligibility determination will be made and mailed to you. If you or your previous employer believe this determination is in error, an appeal may be filed. Once the claim is established, obtaining payments from it is now simplified by the Interactive Voice Response  system (often referred to as the IVR). Further improvements to the program are currently in progress as part of the Kentucky Electronic Workplace for Employment Services (KEWES) initiative.

Filing a Claim in the Barren River Area

When filing your claim you will need to bring identification, preferably a picture ID. You will also need to know your former employer’s address and the dates you worked for each employer. Mondays and Tuesdays are extremely high volume days for filing unemployment insurance claims. You may find it more convenient or preferable to wait until later in the week to file your claim. Once you have filed your initial claim, you may use the Interactive Voice Response System to claim benefits. 

Unemployment Insurance claims may be filed at the location listed below Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm.

North American Free Trade Agreement
and The Trade Adjustment Assistance Act

If the loss of your job was due primarily to increased imports you may also be eligible for benefits or training under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act or the North American Free Trade Agreement. In times of very high  unemployment rates, when the national unemployment reaches 10% or above, extended benefits may also be available to individuals who use up all of their regular unemployment insurance benefits without locating a job.

In Kentucky you may contact Kathy Gullett or Melissa Wiley TAA, NAFTA/TAA Coordinator, Department for Employment Services at the following address. 

Department for Employment Services.
2nd Floor West, CHR Building
275 East Main Street
Frankfort, KY 40621
Phone: (502) 564-2420
FAX: (502) 564-7799

If you are a dislocated worker you will find useful information at the following web sites:

   Workers:   http://www.doleta.gov/layoff/workers01.asp 
Employers:   http://www.doleta.gov/layoff/employers01.asp 

Frequently Asked Questions

The Unemployment Insurance Program is complex and may be difficult to understand, therefore, answers to many common questions are available and are grouped by the most frequently asked employer questions and the most frequently asked worker questions. 

Filing for Benefits by Telephone

The Interactive Voice Response System offers the public a quick and easy way to make a claim as well as to check the payment status of their claim. The toll free telephone number for the Interactive Voice Response System, often referred to as the IVR, is 1-866-291-2926.  Phone calls for the IVR system will be answered Monday-Friday 7:00am-7:00pm and Sunday 2:00pm-9:00 pm.  Every 6-10 weeks the system will advise you that it is time to come into the office for a periodic interview. When this occurs please bring the claim card that you received with your last Unemployment Insurance check.