{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-341.470","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 341.470","heading":"Protection of rights and benefits -- Representation in proceedings","body":"before a referee or the commission.\n(1) No  agreement by a worker to waive, release, or commute his rights to benefits\nor any other rights under this chapter shall be valid. No agreement by any\nworker to pay any portion of a subject employer's contributions, required under\nthis chapter from such subject employer, shall be valid. No subject employer\nshall directly or indirectly make or require or accept any deductions from wages\nto finance the subject employer's contributions required of him. In cases\ninvolving awards to a worker by an arbitrator, court, or other administrative\nbody or mediator, the secretary may require the employer to withhold benefits\npaid under this chapter from the award and pay the amount withheld into the\nunemployment  insurance trust fund. All subject employers are required to notify\nthe Office of Unemployment Insurance prior to paying any back pay award.\n(2) No  worker claiming benefits shall be charged fees of any kind in any\nproceeding under this chapter by the commission, the secretary, or his or her\nrepresentatives. Any worker claiming benefits in any proceeding before a\nreferee or the commission may  represent himself or herself or may  be\nrepresented by counsel or other agent duly authorized by such worker and\nshall be afforded the opportunity to participate in the proceeding without\nrestriction; but no counsel or agent shall either charge or receive for such\nservice more than an amount approved by the commission.\n(3) (a) Any employer in any proceeding before a referee or the commission may\nrepresent himself or may be represented by counsel or other agent duly\nauthorized by such employer; and\n(b) Any  person appearing in any proceeding before a referee or the\ncommission  who  is an  officer of, or who  regularly performs in a\nmanagerial capacity for, a corporation or partnership which is a party to\nthe proceeding in which the appearance is made  shall be permitted to\nrepresent such corporation or partnership and shall be afforded the\nopportunity to participate in the proceeding without restriction.\n(4) No assignment, pledge, or encumbrance of any right to benefits due or payable\nunder this chapter shall be valid; and such rights to benefits shall be exempt\nfrom levy, execution, attachment, or any other remedy for the collection of debt.\nBenefits received by any worker, as long as they are not mingled with other\nfunds of the recipient, shall be exempt from any remedy for the collection of all\ndebts except debts incurred for necessaries furnished to such worker or his\nspouse  or dependents during the time such worker was  unemployed. No\nwaiver of any exemption provided for in this subsection shall be valid.\n(5) The  provisions of this section shall not be  applicable to child support\ndeductions made in accordance with KRS  341.392 and withholding for federal\nand state income tax in accordance with KRS 341.395.","path":["KRS Chapter 341"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=52456","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:58:29Z","sha256":"e16786bbf102ce437b7499f5169c23d11ca47d640b89ad803453202ac5c35652","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-341.460","next":"us-ky/krs-341.480"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}