OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Kansans trying to file for unemployment benefits are facing a new road block: the state's Department of Labor website is down.
Laurel Klein Searles, an unemployment insurance director with the department, did a Facebook live video Monday. Searles said the website went down Sunday due to extreme technical difficulties.
"We have an old and complicated system that has an enormous amount of strain on it right now," Searles said.
At one point the department's phone lines were down as well, but Searles said as of Monday they were back up and running.
"You are able to call in to file your weekly and initial claims, I have agents who can process those manually if you are able to get through," Searles said.
Searles said the department has increased its agents on the phone lines to more than 100 from the original 20.
Overland Park resident Nancy Publow said she's been trying to file an unemployment claim since being laid off March 18, but she hasn't had any luck and still hasn't received any checks.
"I'm sitting here not knowing how I'm going to pay May's rent," Publow said. "It really wears at you emotionally when you have to get up and fight this battle every day for weeks on end."
Publow said she's been going online and making phone calls daily.
"When you're doing your part and they can't do theirs, it's frustrating," Publow said.
Publow said she worries about paying her bills, many of which are medical bills from a recent stay in the hospital.
"This unemployment is supposed to be something you're entitled to when you're laid off your job and now I'm like, 'What is my taxpayer money going to?'" Publow said.
Searles said for anyone who needs to make a weekly claim has the full week to do so.
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