Ky.gov

UI FAQ Guide

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Quick Reference Guide

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Individual Claims Assistance
Kentucky Office of Unemployment Insurance Call Center
(502) 564-2900
Hours of operation:​ Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern
Services: Assistance with individual claims, general questions, PIN resets

Kentucky Career Center Offices
Services available: Career assistance, job leads, resume writing, skills improvement, training, and more.
  • Kentucky Career Center offices are not currently scheduling appointments to assist with UI claims.

Filing an unemployment insurance claim
To file an unemployment insurance claim, claimants must visit the Kentucky Career Center website and click Unemployment Services > File or Access Your Claim or call 502-875-0442.
  • Claimants must file their own claims.

Eligibility Requirements
To successfully file a claim for unemployment insurance benefits, an individual must:
  • Be unemployed or working less than full time. 
  • Have earned enough money to establish a valid claim.
  • Be unemployed through no fault of their own. 
  • Be able to work, available for work, and looking for work.

ID.me
Like many state unemployment insurance agencies, the Kentucky Office of Unemployment Insurance uses ID.me, a third-party identification service, to verify the identity of anyone filing a claim for unemployment insurance benefits. 
  • All claimants must verify their identity before filing a claim. 

Helpful ID.me information
For more information about ID.me, visit the following links:

ID.me and mass layoffs
Employees who expect to be laid off or furloughed should register with ID.me before they are separated from employment. This helps ensure a faster, simpler claim filing process when their employment ends. Individuals may register for ID verification with ID.me at any time, and local Career Centers can assist with registration. 

Claimant Guide
To take part in the UI benefit program, claimants must certify that they have read and understand their rights and responsibilities listed in the Claimant Guide. The Claimant Guide is available on the Kentucky Career Center homepage. For quick reference, see the Claimant Guide table of contents below:



Benefit Weeks
The state average unemployment rate, subject to a lookback provision, determines the number of benefit weeks available at the time a claim is filed. Learn about calculating benefit weeks by reviewing the 2023 UI Changes page on the Kentucky Career Center website​.



Current UI Claimant Populations (2024)
Benefit weeks have recently changed. At the time of this writing (2024) OUI is serving three different populations:
  • Claimants who filed during the 2022 calendar year are eligible for 26 weeks of benefits.
  • Claimants who filed Jan. 1, 2023 – June 30, 2023, are eligible for 12 weeks of benefits.
  • Claimants who filed at any time after July 1, 2023, are eligible for 16 weeks of benefits.

Note: Claimants who filed for UI benefits after HB4 went into effect were eligible for 12 weeks of benefits; after enactment of HB146, the number of weeks increased to 16. Those who were eligible for 12 weeks of benefits did not see an increase in benefit weeks after enactment of HB146.

Eligibility Determinations
Once a claimant receives an eligibility determination on a benefit claim, they can file an appeal if they disagree with the determination. 
  • Claimants must file their own appeal within thirty (30) days of the mail date of the determination.   
  • The Office of Unemployment Insurance cannot file an appeal on a claimant’s behalf. 
  • ​The agency cannot change a determination without the individual going through the appeals process.

Appellate rights and related processes are outlined on page 31 of the Claimant Guide. Agency staff keep a clean record in the event the matter goes to court by following all laws and regulations. This includes but is not limited to determinations of ineligibility and overpayment. 

Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA)
Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA) is the maximum amount of benefits a claimant is eligible to receive each week that they request UI benefits. The weekly benefit amount is calculated based on the wages earned by the claimant during the base period. 
  • The weekly benefit amount is locked in for the entire benefit year (52 weeks after filing).
  • Effective July 2, 2023, the minimum rate is $39 per week and the maximum rate is $665 per week. 

Appeal Hearing Schedule
If a claimant files an appeal, they will receive notice of the time, date and the phone number to call for the hearing 10 days prior to the date the hearing is scheduled to occur. The Office of Unemployment Insurance cannot circumvent or expedite the appeals process.

Fact Finding
Fact finding decisions on claimant eligibility (adjudication) cannot be expedited. To be fair and equitable to all UI claimants, claims are worked in the order they are received from the oldest to the most recent. While a claim is under review, claimants should continue to submit payment requests. Claimants can only be paid for weeks that they have requested.

Work Search Requirements
Work search requirements for unemployment insurance claimants changed in 2023. Claimants can find helpful flyers and videos outlining their eligibility requirements on the 2023 UI Changes page located on the Kentucky Career Center website. Topics include:
  • The amount of eligible weeks
  • Suitable work
  • Work Search Requirements
  • Additional weeks for approved training.

Overpayments
If a claimant receives a notice of an overpayment from the Office of Unemployment Insurance, and they do not believe they are responsible for repayment, they MUST file an appeal. 

  • ​There is no alternate method for OUI to change an overpayment determination or resolve issues without a formal appeal filed exclusively by the claimant.
  • Claimants must make payments to settle overpayments. Failure to do so can result in lien on their social security number and interception of tax returns.

Overpayment Waivers
Overpayment waivers are only available for claimants who are not at fault for their overpayment.
 
  • If a claimant believes they should have been eligible for the waiver for unemployment payments, they should check their account summary page. 
  • If they do not find that information on the account summary page and/or they did not receive a letter explaining eligibility, then they are not eligible for an overpayment waiver. 
  • Once a claimant receives an overpayment notification, they have the right to file an appeal. An appeal must be filed within thirty (30) days of the date on the overpayment notification. 
  • Claimants who wish to file an appeal on an overpayment waiver should see Appeal Rights​ beginning on page 31 of the Claimant Guide.

1099-G
Every claimant participating in the unemployment insurance program during a calendar year will be issued a 1099-G document no later than Jan. 31 of the following calendar year. A guide containing answers to frequently asked questions about the 1099-G can be found on the Kentucky Career Center homepage​.