Amid COVID-19, Kansans qualify for extended unemployment benefits

Kansans who have exhausted their unemployment benefits will have an additional 13 weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kansas Department of Labor announced Thursday.

Kansans who filed after Jan. 1, 2020 are all eligible.

Traditionally, claimants can receive up to 16 weeks of unemployment, but during times of high unemployment, that can be extended.

Those benefits will be made available by the end of the month.

The extension is part of a federal program used in periods of high unemployment. The unemployment rate is 10 percent across Kansas and nearly 15 percent in Sedgwick County

That's why Kansas qualified for the program through the U.S. Department of Labor.

Some are not going back to work because they are considered high risk. For those considered high risk, the state says they could still qualify for benefits. The state considers this on a case-by-case basis. .