Coronavirus
Kansas doubles unemployment benefits to soften economic blows from coronavirus
Gov. Laura Kelly issued an executive order Tuesday to more than double the amount of unemployment benefits for jobless Kansans, in an effort to ease the economic pain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The action will mean an extra $600 in weekly benefits, Kelly told reporters. The money will come from the $2.2 trillion economic rescue bill passed by Congress and signed by President Trump.
Kelly’s order also waives certain certain state requirements, such as the rule that benefit recipients must look for work every week.
“Now more than ever, we must be kind, we must support one another,” Kelly said during a news conference Tuesday. “And as I’ve said before, and as I’ll say it again, together we must get through this.”
The state shut down non-essential businesses through a stay-at-home order that was effective on Monday to combat the spread of COVID-19. The state has more than 368 confirmed coronavirus cases, as of Monday afternoon.
The Kansas Department of Labor has received an unprecedented number of calls from individuals filing for unemployment benefits. The department typically gets about 1,800 claims for benefits per week. That has now reached a weekly volume of 60,000.
The state is doubling capacity at call centers, extending hours and adding phone lines. State employees from other agencies will move to the Kansas Department of Labor to help the state take “an all hands on deck approach,” as Kelly described.
Individuals seeking unemployment benefits can file through getkansasbenefits.gov or call the department. Filing online is quicker due to the large number of people calling in, Kelly said.
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