How Long Is Unemployment In Illinois

Illinois Ides Pandemic Unemployment Programs Expiry Pua Peuc Meuc And $300 Fpuc 2021 Retroactive Benefit Claim Payment Issues

Unemployment system ‘glitch’ publicized private data in Illinois

The Illinois Department of Employment Security; manages the states unemployment insurance program, systems and benefit processing/payments. See further details below on the newly enhanced benefits available now and how to file a claim.

Keep reading for more details and helpful tips if you are having issues with your unemployment claim. Also check out the comments forum following this article.

Covered in this Article:

Filing a Claim

What If I Leave Work Because My Childs School Has Temporarily Closed And I Feel I Must Stay Home With Them

Under the current circumstances, someone who left work to care for their child could be considered as unemployed through no fault of his her own; in that case, to qualify for UI, the individual would still need to meet all other eligibility requirements.

For more information regarding unemployment due to COVID-19, please review the COVID-19 press release issued by IDES at .

How You Can Be Disqualified From Receiving Benefits

There are several ways you can be disqualified from receiving unemployment benefits in Illinois:

You quit your job without good cause.

You were fired due to misconduct connected to your work.
You did not have a good reason to apply for Illinois unemployment or did not accept a suitable job offered to you. A job may be deemed not suitable if the opening is due to a labor dispute, your health, safety or morals may be at risk, you would have to resign from or be prevented from joining a union, or the wages and working conditions were not as good as those for the same kind of work elsewhere in your community.
You were fired because you committed a felony or a work-related theft.

You are already receiving benefits from another source.
You will be paid wages in the form of vacation pay or other similar types of wages for a particular week.
You are receiving workers compensation for a disability that is more than the unemployment benefit you are entitled to.

You are receiving pension payments greater than the unemployment benefit you are entitled to.
You are a teacher, researcher or administrator working for an educational institution and you are between academic terms.
You are a professional athlete between sports seasons.

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What Day Of The Week Does Unemployment Pay In Illinois

Benefits are paid for calendar weeks of unemployment. A calendar week begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday. Benefits are paid for a week of unemployment after the end of the week. Your assigned call day, certification day or appointment is always on a date after your week of unemployment.

Federal Funding For Extended Unemployment Benefits Ends Saturday

How long can you get unemployment benefits in illinois ...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. Federal funding under the American Rescue Plan Act for extended benefits ends on Saturday.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security made the announcement last month.

Other federal unemployment programs, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance , Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation , and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation , expired last week.

The Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act requires federal funding for extended benefits to currently remain active.;

According to the United States Department of Labors interpretation of Section 9022 of ARPA, federal funding for EB will end on September 11.;

Because the federal government will no longer cover the cost of EB after Sept. 11, EB will expire and no longer be available to claimants in Illinois.

Claimants in need of further state resources or assistance are encouraged to visit;IDES.Illinois.gov/MoreAssistance;for information about helpful programs.;

Claimants with questions about existing claims should call 800.244.5631 and schedule a callback.

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How To Apply For Benefits

You can file a claim for unemployment benefits in Illinois online. You must supply basic information about yourself, your dependents , your employer, and your work and earnings histories. If your claim is denied, all is not necessarily lost. You can file an appeal of the denial, arguing that you should have been awarded benefits.

Normally, there’s a one-week waiting period before unemployment benefits kick in, but the waiting period was suspended as long as the emergency related to the Covid-19 pandemic continues.

Employers And Illinois Unemployment

Employers must pay unemployment for each employee as of date of hire. As an employer, you are required to pay unemployment if you pay an employee a minimum of $1,000 in any quarter. Unemployment benefits are based solely on employer contributions and are not deducted from an employee’s wages. Employers are required to provide employees with a copy of the Illinois Department of Employment Security brochure if an employee is laid off or separated from the payroll for more than seven days.

How Long Do I Have To Work For To Collect Unemployment In Illinois

Illinois uses a very simple formula for determining unemployment insurance eligibility. The flat qualifying amount method is utilized. You must earn a minimum of $1,600 within the entire base period to qualify. You must also earn an additional $440 in wages outside of your highest quarter wages.

Illinois offers both an extended base period and an alternate base period. The alternate base period uses the last four completed calendar quarters of the base period . The extended base period is available to those workers who received disability under the Workers Compensation Act of the Occupational Diseases Act. If you qualify, your base period may be extended up to one year.

In Illinois an employer or employing unit is covered under unemployment insurance if it paid at least $1,500 in wages during any calendar quarter in the current or previous calendar year. Further, an employer/employing unit is also covered under unemployment insurance if it paid wages to at least one employee and employed said worker at least one day per week during the 20 weeks of the current or previous calendar year.

How To File A Claim For Unemployment Benefits In Illinois

Unemployed Workers Struggle To Get Onto Illinois Unemployment Website, Receive Benefits

You may file your claim online or at a local IDES office. Once it reviews your application, the IDES will send you a finding indicating whether your claim has been granted or denied and how much you will receive in benefits. If your claim is granted, you will be assigned a “certification day” when you must contact the agency to certify that you have met the eligibility requirements for the previous week, and then request benefits.

Also Check: What Is The Tax Rate On Unemployment

Latest News And Status On Pua Peuc And $300 Fpuc Payments

IDES has now implemented the extended weeks under the Biden ARPA plan, which provides coverage until the week ending September 4th, 2021. But as with past rollouts there have been challenges and issues for many claimants. See the comments forum below for more and be aware of the following general guidelines:

You do not need to reapply for benefits and you will automatically be enrolled you in the appropriate extension. The exception to this are claimants who live in other states may receive notice that they must file an additional application.
You should continue to file your weekly claim for benefits as you normally would as long as you remain unemployed.
You will not need to contact the department in order for these program extensions to take effect. They should automatically be reflected in your claim unless an issue arises

The additional weekly payment of $300 under the FPUC program will be extended through September 4, 2021 as well.
Claimants may receive determinations and notifications that do not reflect the updated information from the newly passed bill as the state may still be in the process of system programming updates. An accurate monetary determination reflecting all weeks and benefits available to you once programming is updated ;
Claimants on extended state benefits as of March 11, 2021 will remain on EB. When they exhaust EB, or EB triggers off, they will transition back to PEUC, which was extended through September 4, 2021.

How Do I File An Unemployment Claim In Illinois

To avoid any delays in receiving benefits, file a claim for unemployment benefits during the first week you become unemployed. You can file for benefits online through the IDES website or by visiting one of the Illinois unemployment office locations throughout the state.

Illinois unemployment insurance benefits are paid only to recipients who are actively seeking work. As part of this requirement, recipients must register with the Illinois Employment Service systems. To meet both of these Illinois unemployment qualifications, recipients can log into IllinoisJobLink.com and complete the registration process, create a resume and begin searching for work.

You will need several pieces of documentation and information to file for benefits:

Be aware that many people lose unemployment benefits for a week or more because they do not follow instructions closely, thus delaying the processing and payment of benefits they are entitled to. If you do not understand filing instructions, call IDES Claimant Services at 244-5631 or visit an IDES office to seek assistance you can determine your closest Illinois unemployment office here.

Newly unemployed?

Several online serviceslike FlexJobs, 360training, or MyPerfectResumecan help you find work-from-home jobs, build a better resume, or earn training certifications.

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Am I Eligible If I Was Laid

Yes. Individuals who have been temporarily laid off due to COVID-19 may be eligible for unemployment benefits as long as they are able, available, and actively seeking work. Under recently adopted emergency rules, the individual does not have to register with the employment service, and is instead considered to be actively seeking work as long as they are prepared to return to his or her job as soon as the employer re-opens.

Why Does It Take So Long After Certifying For Unemployment Illinois

Well, after applying for the certifying part, it always takes some time to bring out the credit card of the direct deposit to you. But once you are done with filling the claim, a blank debit card will be received by you, and also a UI finding in the mailbox. The UI will easily instruct and guide you if you are now monetarily eligible for benefits or not. And if not, then this means that you have earned sufficient wages in your base period. However, there is a mere chance of getting these types of obstacles, will and most times, the work goes swiftly and easily.

On some bad days, it may show up that, your direct deposit will not show up as planned, and the simple and only reason behind that is, it has taken a few more days to process it. This obstacle may come up due to some official holidays, or any technical glitch, or because the request to transfer the amount of money might have accidentally worked out after the business hours. So, the time limit may get extended due to this reason.

Mostly it gets fixed in a very less period, and if the proceeding is done after the working hours, then within the next working hours, the problem gets sorted. Hence, provide at least twenty-four hours to fix the issue, before you fill your mind with tense. Therefore, studying all the stats and keeping in mind the problems that may occur in between, is just a matter of a couple of days, and after that, you are done with your employment in Illinois.

How Do I Apply For Unemployment Benefits

You can file for unemployment benefits online, but due to a high volume of claims right now, you should stick to the following schedule:

If your last name starts with AM, file on Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday
If your last name starts with NZ, file on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday

If you’re not able to file during your scheduled window, file on Saturday

Be sure to have the following information handy when you submit your claim:

Your Social Security number, or Alien Registration ID if you’re not a U.S. citizen

Your driver’s license or state ID number
The name, mailing address, phone number, employment dates, and reason for separation for all of the employers you worked for in the past 18 months
Form DD-214/215 if you most recently worked for the military

Form SF-8 and/or SF-50 if you were recently a government employee
Your bank account details, if you wish to sign up for direct deposit for your benefits

How Long Does It Take To Get Your First Unemployment Check In Illinois

You should receive your payment and/or other response within 10 working days after filing your certification. Tele-Serve allows you to get information about your benefits whether you certify by Internet, mail or by phone. When calling for payment information, telephone filers should allow one business day after filing.

Spotlight Changes To Unemployment Benefits Under The Consolidated Appropriations Act

An additional $300 per week in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation payments will be added to all unemployment benefits through September 6, 2021 %E2%80%94An%20additional%20%24600%20per,25th%20for%20most%20people.” rel=”nofollow”>FPUC)
Regular state unemployment benefits will be extended for up to an additional 29 weeks through September 6, 2021, beyond the 50 weeks of benefits provided for by previous laws, through Pandemic Emergency Unemployment compensation %E2%80%94An%20additional%20%24600%20per,25th%20for%20most%20people.” rel=”nofollow”>PEUC)

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for categories of workers excluded from regular benefits %E2%80%94An%20additional%20%24600%20per,25th%20for%20most%20people.” rel=”nofollow”>PUA)
Six months of free COBRA health insurance will be available to the unemployed
Workers who have at least $5,000 in annual self-employment income but were previously ineligible for regular state unemployment benefits will continue to receive up to $100 per week

Get Help With Your Job Search

Illinois Does Not Have Enough Money In Unemployment Fund Amid Surging Claims

IllinoisJobLink.com has more than 100,000 job postings and can be used to find your next employment opportunity for free. Claimants who have applied for unemployment benefits already have a username and password for the site. Log in and upload a resume today!

You can also find workforce and career services in your community through Illinois workNet.;

Getting Approved For Benefits

Once you get approved, you can come back to the IDES website or call Tele-Serve every other week to file your certification on the day specified in your determination letter. If you can’t file on that day, Illinois allows you to do so on Thursday or Friday during your certification week. Provide accurate earnings information to avoid problems like unemployment fraud or payment delays.

Traditionally, Illinois expects you to register for work and report on your job search; however, there’s a temporary waiver due to COVID-19. Keep the state informed, though, of any new earnings. And if your employer reopens, the state usually expects you to return to work.

Insured Vs Uninsured Work

Who can file an Illinois unemployment application? Those who qualify for unemployment benefits in Illinois will receive benefits based on insured work. Insured work is performed for an employer who is required to make payments to the state as part of the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act.

While most types of work falls under this law, there are some types of work that are considered uninsured work. Wages earned from uninsured work cannot be used as a basis for claiming unemployment benefits.

Some examples of uninsured work include:

Do I Have To Pay Taxes On Unemployment Compensation

Normally yes. Unemployment benefits are considered taxable income by the Internal Revenue Service . That means unemployment benefits are always subject to federal taxes, but state taxes on the benefits vary depending on the state where you live.;

However, as part of the stimulus package, the federal government is forgiving taxes on up to $10,200 of unemployment benefits earned in 2020 for individuals earning less than $150,000.;

If you already filed your 2020 taxes, you dont need to amend your return. The IRS is adjusting qualifying returns automatically in two phases. Nearly three million refunds were sent the week of June 7, and another batch of refunds is expected to be distributed later in June. The IRS will send a mailed letter to anyone whose return has been adjusted.

If you havent yet filed your 2020 tax return, If you filed for benefits in 2020, your state should mail you Form 1099-G, Certain Government Payment, which will include your total unemployment compensation received during the year. Youll use this form to determine how much to adjust your tax return calculations in order to get the tax break.;;

Biden Stimulus Bill Extensions

Under President Bidens $1.9 trillion federal coronavirus relief package, known as the American Rescue Plan , enhanced unemployment benefits have been extended until September 6th. This includes further extensions to the PUA program, PEUC program, $300 weekly payment under the FPUC program and $100 Mixed Earners program. There were also provisions in the Biden Stimulus package for Unemployment tax breaks on the first $10,200 of benefits received in 2020.

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End Of Federal Enhanced Benefits In Illinois

Claimants on the PEUC, PUA, MEUC and FPUC programs filed/certified for benefits for the last time covering the week ending September 4, 2021. Any active claims with or without remaining balances expired after this date.

While there has been a lot of discussion around extending pandemic unemployment benefits, the Biden administration has confirmed that states will have to use already allocated stimulus funding to expand or extend traditional state unemployment programs. IDES has not indicated that is planning to do so at this stage, but I will post updates if things change.

Some claimants may be eligible for State Extended Benefits , but after September 4th all claimants must have a regular UI claim to continue receiving benefits.

If you still need support, you might be able to receive extra help with other necessities such as;child care, food, housing, and health insurance.

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