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Facebook group working to help Kentuckians through unemployment process

3.1 million people filed for unemployment last week, bringing 7-week total to at least 33 million
Posted at 4:15 PM, Oct 02, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-02 16:18:40-04

(LEX 18) — Frustrations over unemployment continue for thousands of Kentuckians.

A Facebook group is working to help these confused and frustrated Kentuckians, many of whom started filing back in March.

The Facebook group is called Unemployment Kentucky. The Facebook group is called Unemployment Kentucky. It has over 25,000 followers, and it's only growing, says moderator Kimberly Roberts.

"Unfortunately, I'm not very surprised that the page keeps growing, because of the fact that you can be fine one second and then literally have no way to fixing your account because there is no way to contact unemployment at this point, as of this week there literally almost no way to contact them," she says.

Roberts has had her claim fixed and has now returned to work, but that doesn't she's stopped trying to help the thousands who haven't been as lucky.

Amie Botts is one of the people she's helped. Botts was able to file for unemployment but hasn't received her LWA. She says today she spent over three hours on the phone and still hasn't received the money.

She says the Facebook group is helpful because it's a sounding board, and she realizes just how many people are in the same position she is.

"That group has been really helpful, especially for getting phone numbers and tips and tricks for getting someone on the phone with unemployment or just kind of venting."