Eligibility

• To be eligible for unemployment benefits in any state, including Kentucky, claimants must be U.S. citizens or resident aliens authorized to work in the U.S. Likewise, applicants must also be willing, physically able to work and be actively seeking employment. Those who are employed on a part-time basis but desire full-time employment may also be qualified to receive unemployment benefits if they meet income requirements as determined by the state of Kentucky.
  
  

Income

• Income is an important part of qualifying for unemployment benefits. Base period wages, equal to six months of full-time employment, are used to assess an applicant's income-based eligibility. Qualified applicants are those who earned at least $750 dollars in one quarter of their base period, with total base period wages equal to at least 1.5 times the highest quarter wages. Applicants employed part time must be making less than 1 1/4 what their potential weekly unemployment benefits would be.
  
  

Dismissal

• To qualify for unemployment benefits, unemployed applicants must have lost their job through no fault of their own. While this includes those who have been laid off, applicants who were fired may also be eligible for unemployment if they were discharged for reasons other than misconduct or dishonesty in connection with their job. Those fired due to excessive absences, insubordination or tardiness are considered to have engaged in misconduct and are ineligible for benefits.
  
  

Benefits

• The exact benefit amount an applicant can receive is based on his previous income and can range from $39 per week to $415. To apply for benefits, applicants must register with the Kentucky Department for Employment Services and file an official claim. Claims may be extended for additional benefits once the initial 26 weeks of unemployment are exhausted.