Officials with the U.S. Department of Labor have announced that a $1.4 million National Emergency Grant has been awarded to the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet’s Department for Workforce Investment.

Officials say the grant will provide partial premium payments for health insurance coverage for eligible unemployed individuals.

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis was quoted as saying that the grant increment will enable the commonwealth of Kentucky to provide two to three months of “gap filler” payments for unemployed individuals who are receiving Trade Adjustment Assistance benefits and are eligible for the Health Coverage Tax Credit program.

Mrs. Solis added that under the program, eligible individuals can receive 72.5 percent of premium costs for qualified health insurance programs and that these payments cover the period of time needed to complete Internal Revenue Service enrollment, processing and first payments under the HCTC program.

A National Emergency Grant was awarded to Kentucky on October 22, 2009, for up to $6 million, with $3.6 million released initially with officials saying the recent award of $1.4 million brings the total awarded to date to $5 million.
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