Kansas continues to struggle helping unemployed residents

As the Kansas Department of Labor continues to struggle with its response to the state's unemployment crisis, answers are in short supply.

COVID-19.THE GOVERNOR OFKANSAS PROMISEDIMPROVEMENT TO THESTATE'S TROUBLEDDEPARTMENT OF LABOR.41 ACTION NEWS HASASKED THE GOVERNOR'SOFFICE FOR WEEKS FORAN UPDATE ON THOSEIMPROVEMENTS -- WEHAVE YET TO RECEIVE ARESPONSE.PEOPLE WE'VE SPOKEWITH SAY THEY'RE LOSINGTRUST IN THEIR LEADERS.TONIGHT -- REPORTEREMMA JAMES INTRODUCESUS TO ONE FAMILY WSAYS THEY'RE NOT BEINGPAID WHAT THEY'RE OWED.EMMA JAMES, REPORTING"New numbers from thedepartment show a 17 percentincrease in initial claims thispast week from the weekbefore - but those numbersalso show a 23 percentdecrease in the amount ofpayments sent out."YOU CAN SEE - MORE THAN12 THOUSAND KANSANSFILED INITIAL CLAIMS ITHE WEEK ENDING JULY4TH.THAT'S 2 THOUSAND MOTHAN LAST WEEK.FOR OVERALL PAYMENTS -KDOL PAID OUT ABOUT 29MILLION DOLLARS LESSTHIS WEEK THAN THEWEEK BEFORE.THE BIGGEST DECREASE ISTHE FEDERAL PANDEMICUNEMPLOYMENTCOMPENSATIONPAYMENTSCLAIMANTS TELL ME - THEBOTTOM LINE IS THEYAREN'T GETTING THEMONEY THEY'RE OWED.DONALYN MANION, LIVES INWICHIT"A business would not be ableto function this way."FOR DONALYN MANION ANDHER FATHER JIM - THEKANSAS DEPARTMENT OFLABOR HAS FAILED THEM.DONALYN MANION, LIVESWICHITA"Right now I'm savingeverything I can because Idon't know what tomorrow isgoing to bring."JIM SAYS HE'SFRUSTRATED WITH HOWLONG IT TOOK TO GET THPANDEMICUNEMPLOYMENTASSISTANCE PAYMENTS HEQUALIFIES FOJIM MAYNARD, LIVES IN WICHITA"We got so far behind, thenthey start sending you oneweek.

They never have takencare of the backpay."HE SAYS HE'S LOSINGTRUST IN HISGOVERNMENT.JIM MAYNARD, LIVES IN WICHITA"That's my assumption nowthat they're trying to stall outand find out a way that theywon't have to get the fullamount."IN KANSAS CITY, EMJAMES, 41 ACTION NEWS.WE REACHED OUT TOGOVERNOR KELLY'SOFFICE ABOUT TDECREASE IN PAYMENTS.A SPOKESPERSON TELLSUS THE FEDERALPAYMENTS WERE THE MAINDRIVER OF THE DECREASEBECAUSE PEOPLE AREGOING BACK TO WORKAND BACK PAYMENTS AREGETTING CAUGHT UP.THE DEPARTMENT SAYSTHAT'S ALSO THE CAFOR THE PANDEMICUNEMPLOYMENTASSISTANCE - OUR PUA -PAYMENTS.ALSO - PAYMENTS FOTHE WEEK OF JULY 4THWON'T SHOW UP UNTILTHE WEEK OF JULY 11THBECAUSE OF HOLIDAY