Kansans in need can receive extended unemployment benefits
Kansans experiencing long periods of unemployment amid the COVID-19 pandemic can receive 13 more weeks of unemployment benefits if they’ve exhausted other options, the state Department of Labor announced Thursday.
Kansas qualified for extended benefits, the federal labor department informed the state this month. The program offers federal reimbursement to the state for an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits.
Dating back to 1971, the program is triggered during periods of high unemployment, according to the KDOL.
The benefits are available to workers who have exhausted regular unemployment insurance benefits. Under traditional unemployment insurance in Kansas, you can receive up to 16 weeks of benefits.
The state temporarily extended benefits up to 10 more weeks for those who filed Jan. 1 or later. The CARES Act allows for benefits up to 13 weeks through Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation.
The new extended benefits would follow the end of both regular benefits and those PEUC benefits.
The insured unemployment rate in Kansas was 6.67% for the week ending June 6, according to the KDOL. That exceeds the 5% threshold and other federal requirements to prompt the extension.
The state labor department learned earlier this month that it could access the program for extended benefits, and it took effect June 7. Kansas is now planning for the program, and benefits will be available by the end of the month.
“We are grateful for this additional benefit that helps families struggling as a result of this global pandemic,” Delia Garcia, Kansas Secretary of Labor, said in a news release.
For more information or to apply for unemployment benefits, you can go to www.GetKansasBenefits.gov.
This story was originally published June 18, 2020 at 5:34 PM.
