December 20, 2022, just 5 days, since my appeal hearing and the KENTUCKY J-O-k-E keeps entertianing!
After my hearing on December 15, 2022, I didn’t expect anything for at least a week or two. Surprisingly, on Monday, December 19, 2022, I received 2 letters. Anxious and eager, I ripped into them to discover that my hearing results were IN MY FAVOR and I was eligible for the earnings. YES!!! Of course, I knew I was eligible. The letter referred to appealing, if I wanted to, but of course, that didn’t apply to this situation. It didn’t indicate what I was to do next, but if I had questions, call the infamous 502-564-3925 helpline.
I decided NOT to call, I just figured that come Thursday (since Friday is a “holiday”) I might see funds in my account. After sleeping on it, I decided to call today, Tuesday, December 20, 2022. Sooooo, after my morning chores, at 10:05am I called. System said busy and hung up. Called back at 10:06am and waited. Finally, after all of the ridiculous “verification” questions, that are a real joke, I told the lady the reason I called. She was very nice and professional. She reviewed the records and said that the funds would be released after she kicked it over to someone else to verify that everything is correct. I inquired about how the funds were being disbursed. I knew I had already filed payment requests for 30-31 weeks which is 4-5 weeks beyond the quialified 26 weeks. She counted it up and agreed that I had indeed completed my required tasks and could no longer file payment requests. I had just filed on Sunday, December 18, 2022 which is ‘officially’ my last according to this lady. She said that I would get a call, if she found any errors, repeated my number, and we hung up.
Around 2:15pm, I saw an email from Kentucky Unemployment. Then another one right after that. I opened them to find a link to a ‘secure form’. I was being ‘audited’ for a week in August now and I had to provide the information of the job I submitted for that week. I wasn’t sure which of the 4 I had submitted but I filled it out and sent it. The second email was in reference to an ‘audit’ for 2 weeks in September. I had been at a training and being honest, I had indicated that when I requested payment for those weeks. This email was requesting details on the training. YES!! I mean, come on people!! WHY IN THE HELL!!!!????
Of course, I filled it out and the open text box for my explanation was all I needed! I not only provided them the required information I made sure to put in there a few digs at the stupidity of this entire process.
Afterwards, while sifting throught the mail, I saw a ‘flyer’ from our State Representative Matt Lockett. OH BOY! Inside this pamphlet/flyer was a form about legislative events. Also, his email address. So, I shot an email to him regarding this sitaution. It was falling on deaf ears I know. He’s a neighbor so maybe I should print all this crap out and drop in for a neighborly visit?? I felt good after that email but after sending all these emails and forms today, something in my gut told me to call. So at 3:50pm I made that call. The lady asked me one security question and my name then said, “uh…okay, I need to call you back. I will call you back in 10 minutes.” Before I could ask anything, she spouted out my number, I said yes and she hung up. Okay. Well, maybe that email to the representative worked…HA HA HA HA that is a punch line folks!!!
I went on about my business while wating on that call in 10 minutes. It didn’t come. At 4:23pm I called. 12 secs and system was busy, hung up on me. At 4:52pm, I called back, 55 secs and system was busy, hung up on me. At 4:55pm, I called again. 57 secs, system was busy, hung up on me. At 5:00pm, I called again, 54 secs and system was busy, hung up on me. At 5:01pm, I called again, 55 secs and system was busy, hung up on me. At 5:02pm, I called again, 55 secs, system was busy, hung up on me. I was growing more frustrated….while making these 6 calls, I had changed clothes, taking trash out twice and folded clothes. At 5:06pm, I called again…this was going to be the last call, I had things to do. I got through but was on hold. Eventually, after 32 minutes on hold, I got a human. I explained about the last call. She started the whole sequence of ‘security’ questions and I stopped her…I spit out the answers without prompting and then said, now, can you tell me what is going on with my funds? She put me on hold.
She came back to say that it looked that the first shift had managed to get those forms over for approval and funds would be released. Should be this week. Hmmmm…? Wednesday and Thursday is all we have left for THIS WEEK. I managed to let her know how upsetting and frustrating this whole process is and told her that I am so glad she had a job because if she had to endure this crap like I have she would have more than empathy for some of us who were put in this situation beyond our control. I wished her a Merry Christmas and hung up.
I HOPE this is the end of this crap! I am so sick of dealing with this level of government. I am sick of the red tape. I am sick of the excuses. I am sick of the attempt to convey empathy. I am sick of being treated like I am dirt beneath their feet. I am sick of calling and being hung up on. I am sick of that stupid hold music. I am sick of this JOkE!!!
I want it behind me and I want to move on. God forbid I ever have to file for unemployment again, I hope the system is fixed.
Thanks for enduring this JOkE with me….it’s OVER NOW!
CLIMB ABOARD MY SOAPBOX 