LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Tens of thousands of Kentuckians are still waiting for unemployment benefits to go through after being left jobless for weeks.
In response to the demand, the state started a new hotline specifically for people who filed unemployment claims in March and still haven't gotten their benefits. The hotline was supposed to open at 7 a.m. Tuesday, and after a couple hours of issues, it was up and running and taking calls.
Anyone who filed in April and has not received benefits is being directed to call 502-564-2900. Employees taking the calls say they are being overwhelmed with calls from people who filed in April. They say there is unfortunately nothing the new hotline can help them with at this time.
The Education and Workforce Development Cabinet said, as of March 16, 550,000 Kentuckians had filed unemployment claims. The system quickly became overwhelmed.
Of those who filed, there are 37,000 people who filed claims in March and still haven't been paid. They received an email Monday night directing them to call the new hotline to help them with the claims.
One single mother of two said she filed a claim more than five weeks ago with nothing to show for it and bills piling up. She now just wants to now when she'll be out of limbo.
"It's very frustrating," Harley Piotrzkowski said. "I try not to think too much into it, because I get very aggravated ... You don't know anything."
A local father of four told WDRB he filed for unemployment in March, and after weeks of dealing with a crashing website and failed phone calls, he finally got his unemployment application approved online Monday night.
"As long as it took to finally get approved now, I'm not sure it will be that simple to get it," Nicholas Trimble said.
Others say they've gotten a few payments, but they have since stopped. Mallory Gitschier, a local hair dresser who also filed for unemployment in March, said she had received two payments when they stopped coming.
"A few weeks ago when I wasn't getting any information I did make a phone call to unemployment to which I was sent to an automated system telling me that they would just be giving me a call back," Gitschier said.
Gitscher said she finally got a call back, but hasn't gotten a resolution.
"It's scary to, everyday you check your bank account to see if something is there and it's not and the funds that are there just continue to drop and drop," she said.
In an effort to help with the massive backlog of claims, Kentucky lawmakers are having their staff help the unemployment office process information.
"It's not acceptable that people from March haven't been paid," Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday. "It's not acceptable if you've been waiting and you need it."
The governor said the 37,000 claims filed in March may not have been resolved yet due to a variety of issues, including employer separation and identity verification issues.
"The folks over there at unemployment who are working hours that they never thought they would don't put it on them," he said.
Beshear said significant steps have been taken to get people their benefits, but those still waiting worry what will happen if they don't see their money soon.
"I know there's so many people who are so much worse off than I am, so it scares me for people who are struggling to feed their family," Gitschier said.
Beshear said Tuesday he fully expects to take out a federal loan to get residents their continued benefits to help them get by.
If you haven't received any payments or benefits, the new hotline that opened Tuesday is only for those who filed in March. The state is asking anyone who filed a claim in April to be patient.
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