LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The huge demand in unemployment claims has prompted state lawmakers to ask Statehouse staff to help with the backlog.
Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers and House Speaker David Osborne have instructed Legislative Research Commission (LRC) Director Jay D. Hartz to arrange for legislative staff members to help process unemployment insurance applications, the LRC said in a news release.
More than 450,000 Kentuckians have applied for unemployment in the last four weeks, and the volume of inquiries has overloaded the system. State officials said recently that on a typical day before the crisis, 12 employees would process about 1,250 calls per day. But in the last three days, 120 people have fielded 200,000 calls.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has everyone looking for ways to help,” said Stivers, R-Manchester. “One priority is to get financial assistance to people across Kentucky who currently aren’t working due to business closings and the economic fallout of COVID-19.”
Osborne, R-Prospect, said that some Kentuckians still are having a tough time getting through to a live operator when they call the unemployment office.
“They’re calling us concerned that they won’t be able to pay their bills or provide for their families,” he said. “We understand that this system was not designed to handle so many calls and applications. Our LRC staff have a great deal of institutional knowledge and help our constituents all the time. If they can help make unemployment benefits more accessible, we appreciate their willingness to step up.”
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