Scott county woman says unemployment system is a letdown, frustrating

SCOTT COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ) – The governor says 37,000 Kentuckians who applied for unemployment benefits in March are still waiting for help as of Tuesday, something he has vowed to resolve by the end of the week.

But some are now having trouble getting second payments because they can’t reach the state to check-in which is a requirement.

Kim Lalley says it’s been an emotional experience trying to get through to the state.

She would normally be substitute teaching in Scott County, but with school closed, she’s out of a job with teenage kids to feed.

“I have zero savings at this point,” she said.

She says applying for unemployment wasn’t that bad. She got her first check in about three weeks, but her frustration peaked when she needed her second.

”It was a little crazy. It took me 233 times to get through to the line, to be able to even do my bi-weekly request,” Lalley said.

Tuesday, ABC 36’s Monica Harkins asked the governor at his daily briefing about people, like Lalley, who desperately need to keep getting their benefits.

He responded saying the unemployment office has made significant progress. In the last few days more than 100,000 claims from March have been fulfilled.

“It’s not acceptable that people have been waiting and haven’t been paid, and again I will take that responsibility I am the governor, it stops at me.” Gov. Andy Beshear said. “It’s a task that no state has ever faced, but we have to rise up and be able to do it.”

Lalley says she hears the governor acknowledging the problems, but what the state’s doing to fix them isn’t satisfactory.

“It’s just the system for unemployment is the big letdown,” she said.

Lalley received her second check tuesday morning. Something she was very grateful for, then she remembered she’ll have to do it all over again in two weeks.

“It makes you feel like you’re not important,” Lalley said. “I mean, considering that he said on the news he’s ordered enough he’s hired thousands and thousands of people. To do this, unemployment, and you still can’t get through to a person”

And many people report to ABC 36 News when they do get in touch with someone that person just directs them to the website.

Lalley even says she watches Governor Beshear everyday at 5 and says it’s nothing personal against him, but it’s serious business.

“Kentuckians aren’t being heard,” she said.

And while Kentucky is starting to phase in re-opening the economy and people’s bank account will take even longer to get back to “normal.”

”Nobody’s gonna feel secure, including myself for years to come. Nothing will ever be the same,” Lalley said.