Gig Workers are considered self-employed in Kansas. If you have worked for an employer who pays unemployment taxes in the last 18 months, you may be eligible. The State Department of Labor staff will determine whether or not you have sufficient insured earnings to support a claim for unemployment benefits.

Potentially, yes. To receive unemployment, an individual generally must be not working and not earning money. They must be able to work and must be available for work. Those impacted by COVID-19 may meet these requirements. Because each case must be individually evaluated, you would need to file a claim for benefits to be certain.

You should file every week you are unemployed. If you skip a week it will create a break in your claim and you will need to reopen your claim to continue filing your weekly claims.

When filing a new claim for unemployment benefit in the State of Kansas, you will need the following information:

• Your Social Security number
• Full mailing address, including apartment or lot number, Zip Code and PO Box if you use one
• A phone number where you can be reached during the day
• The name and mailing address of your last employer, no matter how long you worked there
  Note: Your paycheck stub or W-2 form usually contains this information
• The date you began and stopped working for each employer and the reason you left each job
• The county in which you live
• Your driver's license number
• If you are not a citizen or national of the United States, your employment authorization number and expiration date
• If you were active duty military within the past 18 months, your DD-214, Member #4 form
• If you were a federal employee, your Standard Form SF-50 or pay stub
• Any separation, vacation, or holiday pay you have received or will receive in the future.

A record of your claim will not be established unless you are told your claim has been accepted. If you are unable to complete your claim application, the information you have entered will be saved for 7 days from the date you began filing the claim so that you can complete it later and within 7 days.

Your claim is effective the week that you file your application for unemployment. If you do not finish filing your claim within the 7–day period following your first attempt, you will have to start over from the beginning and answer all questions again. In addition, the effective date of your claim will change which means you will not receive waiting week credit or payment for the previous week(s).

All new initial claims will have an identity verification conducted with the Social Security Administration.

After you complete your claim, you will receive an "Unemployment Insurance Monetary Determination" letter based on the information we have on your past employment. This includes:

• The start date of your unemployment claim
• The amount of wages reported by each employer
• Your base period
• Your weekly benefit amount
• Your total benefit amount

The information in the letter will show whether you have earned enough wages to establish an unemployment claim. If you believe that wages on your "Determination Letter" are incorrect or missing information, contact the Kansas Unemployment Contact Center for assistance. You will be asked to provide proof of the correct wages (check stubs, W–2 statements or other documents). Without proof, we may not be able to help you.

A monetary determination does not mean you will receive benefits. Additional information may be needed from you and/or your employer to make sure you are eligible. You must continue to file your weekly claim for payment while your claim is being investigated.

If there are no issues on your claim, payments are normally received two to three business days after you file your weekly claim. (Please note: If you file your weekly claim on Sunday, payment is made on Wednesday.) Benefit payments will not always be deposited in your debit card or bank account on the same day each week. They may be delayed because of holidays or temporarily held while an issue is being investigated. You must file your weekly claim while any investigation is in progress.