Unemployment Benefits

By Kim Wilhelm (WICHITA, Kan.) Unemployed Kansans will get an additional $25 a week because of the federal economic stimulus package.  Food stamp benefits will also go up starting in April and continuing through the end of September of next year.  Currently, about 59,000 Kansans receive unemployment benefits. Justin Howdeshell owns Shadetree Lawn Service and put an ad in the paper looking for help.  Within two days, he's had three times the number of people apply as normal.

Kansans who are already struggling on unemployment will soon learn they won't be getting as much help. The Department of Labor says it will have to make cuts to the unemployment emergency compensation program. Kansas Labor officials say the "sequester" is the cause for these cuts and it could hit a lot of people hard. Starting March 31, people who receive emergency unemployment benefits will see nearly 11 percent less in their check. The news comes after President Obama signed the sequester into law, after the House and Senate couldn't come up with a new budget deal . Each person who receives the benefits will be sent a letter with a chart that shows their new revised payment.

Unemployment benefits aren't just for people trying to make ends meet. A new report finds millionaires are collecting checks too. According to the Congressional Research Service, 2,840 millionaires collected unemployment insurance benefits in 2008, at the height of the recession. In 2009, that number dropped to about 2,300. The report looks at unemployment claims and annual incomes reported to the IRS. On average, millionaires who were unemployed collected about 37 weeks of benefits totaling just over $11,000.

The U.S. Senate approves another extension for the millions of people out of work. That vote came Wednesday evening and still has to pass in the House of Representatives. It's an extension that allows laid-off aviation workers in Kansas to hold out for better jobs. For Phillip Burkenfeld, there's one plus to being out of work, he gets to spend a lot time with his daughter. But with the highs come the lows. "How many applications have I filled out online? More than I could ever count.

By Roger Cornish (TOPEKA, Kan.) The Kansas Department of Labor is taking additional measures to detect unemployment insurance fraud with the creation of a new section on the department's website. The new unemployment fraud section allows anyone to report suspected fraud through an online submission form, a printable form or by calling the Fraud Investigations unit directly. Kansas law provides penalties to claimants and employers who commit unemployment fraud. If you believe someone is fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits, please report it immediately to KDOL's Fraud Investigations unit at www.dol.

Did you notice more men at the cash register when you did your holiday shopping?   A new report says men are getting two-thirds of the jobs in the recovering economy, even the retailing jobs traditionally held by women. Economists say it's a sign of how difficult the job market is, men are in jobs you wouldn't expect them to take, and it's especially true as they lose unemployment benefits.  Read more about the trends here , in reporting by USA Today.

By Ryan Johnson (WICHITA, Kan.) Governor Mark Parkinson put his signature on the Unemployment Insurance Bill Monday. The legislation will maintain unemployment benefits for the unemployed in Kansas as well as ease some of the financial burden on businesses. "This legislation is critical to Kansans during these difficult economic times, says Parkinson. "With this bill, businesses will receive the necessary relief in providing to the fund, while Kansans needing assistance will be able to maintain their benefits.

Kansas has paid off its loan from the United States Treasury and lowered the amount of interest the state will owe in the future. The recession and high unemployment rates emptied the Trust Fund requiring the state to borrow money in order to pay unemployment benefits beginning in 2010. This week, Kansas was able to pay off this loan for the second time. The first payment was made in September 2011. Last year, the interest owed to the federal government was $4.6 million.

by Cliff Judy (WICHITA, Kan.) Eyewitness News has covered numerous unemployment stories recently and encountered many questions on being out of work.  Below is a list of commonly asked questions on unemployment in Kansas and links to where you can find more answers from the Kansas Department of Labor. How long can someone receive unemployment payments? 46 WEEKS In Kansas, unemployment payments last a max of 26 weeks (six months).  This could vary depending on how long you worked for your previous employer.

Vicki Hiebert spends a lot of time on the phone. Laid off last February, she says calling the Kansas Unemployment Center is her new full time job. "I'd start at seven-thirty in the morning, the last call I would make would be at five-fifteen," says Vicki Hiebert. Like thousands of Kansans, she's applying to extend her unemployment benefits. Congress approved the extension last month. But Vicki says she can't get through and her deadline has come and gone.

Kansans who are already struggling on unemployment will soon learn they won't be getting as much help. The Department of Labor says it will have to make cuts to the unemployment emergency compensation program. Kansas Labor officials say the "sequester" is the cause for these cuts and it could hit a lot of people hard. Starting March 31, people who receive emergency unemployment benefits will see nearly 11 percent less in their check. The news comes after President Obama signed the sequester into law, after the House and Senate couldn't come up with a new budget deal . Each person who receives the benefits will be sent a letter with a chart that shows their new revised payment.

They went on strike, then the company shut down; now hundreds of workers in Emporia and Lenexa try to take the next step after the closing of Hostess Brands. A bankruptcy court approved Hostess' request to liquidate after a national strike by Baker's Union members. The liquidation left 700 Kansas workers unemployed. Now state and local agencies are teaming up to help them move forward. A series of sessions hosted by the Southeast Kansas Works organization started Monday in Emporia.

Unemployment benefits aren't just for people trying to make ends meet. A new report finds millionaires are collecting checks too. According to the Congressional Research Service, 2,840 millionaires collected unemployment insurance benefits in 2008, at the height of the recession. In 2009, that number dropped to about 2,300. The report looks at unemployment claims and annual incomes reported to the IRS. On average, millionaires who were unemployed collected about 37 weeks of benefits totaling just over $11,000.

Kansas has paid off its loan from the United States Treasury and lowered the amount of interest the state will owe in the future. The recession and high unemployment rates emptied the Trust Fund requiring the state to borrow money in order to pay unemployment benefits beginning in 2010. This week, Kansas was able to pay off this loan for the second time. The first payment was made in September 2011. Last year, the interest owed to the federal government was $4.6 million.

Did you notice more men at the cash register when you did your holiday shopping?   A new report says men are getting two-thirds of the jobs in the recovering economy, even the retailing jobs traditionally held by women. Economists say it's a sign of how difficult the job market is, men are in jobs you wouldn't expect them to take, and it's especially true as they lose unemployment benefits.  Read more about the trends here , in reporting by USA Today.

There's no easy answer, that's what a Wichita woman says as she learns her unemployment checks will stop this month.  She's one of two million Americans facing the cut off since Congress did not approve extending the benefits.  She received the news while learning more people are now out of work as well.  New numbers released Friday show 9.8% of Americans are unemployed. "I've been trying and trying and trying.  At this point I don't care what it is, as long as there's a pay check.

Vicki Hiebert spends a lot of time on the phone. Laid off last February, she says calling the Kansas Unemployment Center is her new full time job. "I'd start at seven-thirty in the morning, the last call I would make would be at five-fifteen," says Vicki Hiebert. Like thousands of Kansans, she's applying to extend her unemployment benefits. Congress approved the extension last month. But Vicki says she can't get through and her deadline has come and gone.

The U.S. Senate approves another extension for the millions of people out of work. That vote came Wednesday evening and still has to pass in the House of Representatives. It's an extension that allows laid-off aviation workers in Kansas to hold out for better jobs. For Phillip Burkenfeld, there's one plus to being out of work, he gets to spend a lot time with his daughter. But with the highs come the lows. "How many applications have I filled out online? More than I could ever count.

By Roger Cornish (TOPEKA, Kan.) The Kansas Department of Labor is taking additional measures to detect unemployment insurance fraud with the creation of a new section on the department's website. The new unemployment fraud section allows anyone to report suspected fraud through an online submission form, a printable form or by calling the Fraud Investigations unit directly. Kansas law provides penalties to claimants and employers who commit unemployment fraud. If you believe someone is fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits, please report it immediately to KDOL's Fraud Investigations unit at www.dol.

By Ryan Johnson (WICHITA, Kan.) Governor Mark Parkinson put his signature on the Unemployment Insurance Bill Monday. The legislation will maintain unemployment benefits for the unemployed in Kansas as well as ease some of the financial burden on businesses. "This legislation is critical to Kansans during these difficult economic times, says Parkinson. "With this bill, businesses will receive the necessary relief in providing to the fund, while Kansans needing assistance will be able to maintain their benefits.