Illinois Unemployment Benefits And Eligibility
COVID-19 UPDATE: Because the coronavirus pandemic has left so many Americans jobless, the federal government has given states more flexibility in granting unemployment benefits. If you have questions about whether youre eligible for unemployment benefits read our COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits and Insurance FAQ and check out Illinois’s claimant handbook.
Will Illinois Unemployment Be Extended
Federal Rules End Extended Unemployment Benefits for Self-Employed. As a result of Illinois unemployment rate dropping, under state and federal law, the seven additional weeks for both programs are no longer available. The maximum number of weeks available to PUA claimants has reduced from 57 weeks to 50 weeks.
Consolidated Appropriations Act Of : Updates To Paycheck Protection Program
On December 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law Congresss spending bill, the Consolidated Appropriations Act , 2021, which included the Additional Coronavirus Response and Relief provisions that modified the Small Business Administrations Paycheck Protection Program . The PPP, a loan program designed to provide a direct incentive to businesses to retain their employees, was enacted under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. PPP borrowers are eligible for loan forgiveness if the funds are used for eligible payroll and non-payroll costs.
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Are You Available And Actively Searching For Work
To maintain your eligibility for unemployment, you must be able to work, available to accept a job, and looking for work. If you are offered a suitable position, you must accept it.
You must register for work with the Illinois Employment Service, either online or in person. You must keep a record of your job search efforts, including the dates and places you apply for work. When you apply for benefits, you will receive a form on which to record this information, which you may have to provide to the agency.
Do You Meet The Minimum Earnings Requirement
Virtually all states look at your recent work history and earnings during a one-year “base period” to determine your eligibility for unemployment. .
In Illinois, as in most states, the base period is the earliest four of the five complete calendar quarters before you filed your claim for benefits. For example, if you filed your claim in October of 2020, the base period would be from June 1, 2019 through May 31, 2020.
If you have been receiving temporary total disability payments under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation and Occupational Diseases Act, you may have low or even insufficient earnings during the regular base period to qualify for benefits. In this situation, the agency may allow you to extend the base period to capture up to one year of earnings before the regular base period began.
Illinois also recognizes an alternate base period for those who can’t meet the earnings requirements in the regular base period. The alternate base period is the last four completed quarters before the person files for unemployment. This alternate period takes more recent employment into account. Even filers who qualify using the regular base period can ask the agency to instead use the alternate base period to calculate their benefits, if that would result in a higher weekly amount.
During the base period, you must have been paid at least $1,600 total, and you must have been paid at least $440 of that total outside of your highest paid quarter.
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Overview Of Illinois Taxes
Illinois has a flat income tax of 4.95%, which means everyones income in Illinois is taxed at the same rate by the state. No Illinois cities charge a local income tax on top of the state income tax, though.
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How Much Will You Receive In Unemployment Benefits In Illinois
Your weekly benefit is based on your earnings during the two calendar quarters of the base period in which you were paid the most. You may also receive an additional allowance if you have a dependent child or nonworking spouse.
No matter how much you earned, you won’t receive more than the maximum benefit amount, which changes each year. In 2021, the maximum was $505 without an extra allowance for a dependent.
Normally, unemployment benefits in Illinois are limited 26 weeks’ worth of compensation. During periods of high unemployment in the state, extended benefits might be available .
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What Are The Eligibility Requirements
You must be unemployed through no fault of your own. You also must:
Undocumented immigrants are not eligible at this time. To be eligible, you must be authorized to work in the U.S.
If you have reduced hours which results in your wages being less than what your unemployment benefit would be, you may qualify for some assistance.
For a full listing of eligibility requirements please review pages 4 through 6 of the IDES Unemployment Insurance Handbook at .
COVID-19: There are different eligibility requirements if you were temporarily laid-off due to COVID-19 .
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Base Period: Calendar Quarters
Enter your total wage earnings for each of the four calendar quarters listed, which are the first four of the most recent five completed calendar quarters. You must have earned at least $1,600 combined in order to qualify for benefits. After excluding your highest-earning quarter, you must also have earned at least $440 combined, in order to qualify for benefits.
The two quarters with the highest earnings will then be used to calculate your WBA.
If you do not qualify under the standard base period, you may be able to use the most recent four completed quarters as an alternate base period.
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Can I Claim A Child On Unemployment In Illinois
Illinois unemployment benefits are based on your previous salary during the 15 to 18 months before you filed for benefits. You can receive additional money for each week of benefits if you qualify for a dependents allowance because you have a financially dependent spouse or child. A child brings in more allowance than a spouse, but you may have to prove your relationship to the child to receive the money.
How To Apply For Unemployment
Enter your zip code to get started.
In areas where there are high levels of unemployment, unemployment extensions are enacted to further support you as you search for employment. In Illinois, you can receive both Emergency Unemployment Compensation and Extended Benefits after you’ve exhausted your normal benefits. Illinois Department of Employment Security runs both extension levels, it also manages your eligibility and distributes your payments. You’ll receive the same amount of payments as normal benefits only that the time is extended to 66 weeks of these extra benefits through extensions.
Illinois unemployment insurance laws oversee how much you can receive in compensation as well. The current amount is 50 percent of the total covered wages you earned during your two highest earning base period quarters. The law also dictates that no more than $330 per week should be paid. The total amount you can receive per claim is one-third of your total base period wages, but the law limits that to 26 times your weekly benefit amount.
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Personal Liability Of Responsible Parties
The Unemployment Insurance Act was recently amended to provide for the personal liability of any officer or employee of an employer who has control, supervision or responsibility for the filing of reports or the payment of contributions, payments in lieu of contributions, penalties or interest for the employer and who willfully fails to file the reports or make the payments. The courts have interpreted similar provisions broadly with respect to both who is a responsible party and what constitutes a willful failure to report or to pay. Beginning with the reports and payments for the first quarter of 2012, if an employer fails to file a report of fails to pay any contributions, payments in lieu of contributions, penalties or interest, when due, the Department will be looking to corporate officers and other responsible individuals for payment and, if such payments are not made, liens on home, autos, boats and other property and levies on personal bank accounts may follow.
Every business with employees in Illinois must register with IDES and file unemployment insurance contribution reports each quarter. Employers who are subject to the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act supply the funds IDES uses to pay benefits to the unemployed.
How Do I Apply For Federal Unemployment Benefits
You donât. Even though new federal statutes affect unemployment benefits, each state still manages and administers unemployment benefits, including the $300 in supplemental relief. Find your state unemployment office here.
Be Patient and PersistentBecause so many people are filing, and this is a new program, new unemployment claims across the country are coming in at an unusually high volume. For the first round of stimulus in March 2020, direct deposits began arriving around 2 weeks after the program began, but due to outdated and backed up computer systems, some states were slower to pay them, and even slower to pay through other means. State websites may be slow and phone lines may be tied up. Donât give up! You may have to try refreshing the web page or continue to call back in order to file your claim.
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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 .
Employer Basics: Unemployment Insurance In Illinois
Many new business that hire the first employee are surprised to learn about all the new expenses that come with him or her. There are FICA taxes to be paid, and workers compensation and unemployment taxes. Of the all the new taxes you get the pleasure of paying, your unemployment tax rate is the only one you can control.
The obligation to pay unemployment taxes in Illinois are triggered by any one of the following:
- The employer pays $1,500 in wages in a single calendar quarter, or employed one or more persons for 20 weeks in a given calendar year or
- The employer pays $1,000 in cash wages in one calendar quarter for domestic work or
- The employer pays $20,000 in cash wages in one calendar quarter or employed 10 or more workers for 20 weeks in a given calendar year for farm work or
- A nonprofit organization acquires four or more employees during each of 20 weeks in a given calendar year or
- A local governmental organization pays any wages at all.
Once you qualify you face numerous obligations. But the issue of interest here is the rate of tax you pay and how a small business with the help of its attorney can control that cost and minimize it..
How is Your Unemployment Tax Calculated
The new employer rate is 3.55% for 2016 . This new employer rate is in effect for three years, but it can increase..
How is the Unemployment Rate Determined
For more information or any questions about unemployment insurance in Illinois, contact Maduff & Maduff today.
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Covid 19 Enhanced Benefits
Under the CARES act, there are three types of federal unemployment assistance now available: Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation : provides an additional $600 per week, on top of regular benefits, to all recipients of Unemployment Insurance retroactive to the week ending April 6, 2020. They will see the additional supplemental income applied to their weekly benefit amount. This increase is available through the week ending July 25, 2020. Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation : provides an additional 13 weeks of Unemployment benefits to all recipients. If you have exhausted regular unemployment benefits, a Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation claim will be filed for you and up to 13 additional weeks of PEUC benefits will be added to your balance. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance : expands eligibility for individuals who are typically ineligible forUnemployment benefits, for example independent contractors, and self-employed and gig workers. IDES began accepting applications for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program beginning on May 11. Here are the steps to follow to apply:
1. Apply for regular unemployment before you apply for PUA
2. If you applied for regular unemployment and have been denied between April 1, 2019 and today, do not reapply. Go into your regular unemployment account and set up direct deposit for payment.
3. Have your 2019 tax return or proof of income ready and available
4. Be prepared to certify
How Have Unemployment Benefits Changed
The coronavirus pandemic and unprecedented public health measures implemented in most states have had a massive impact on the United States economy. Record numbers of Americans have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic began. If you are unemployed, you will likely want to know what benefits and support are available to you until you find your next job.
On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law, extending sections of previous pandemic-related plans Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021) and adding some new provisions. The Act provides additional benefits for workers affected by the pandemic.
Beginning in early May 2021, some states announced that they would opt out of pandemic-related unemployment insurance programs early.
Each state has its own unemployment insurance system and will be responsible for administering both state benefits and supplemental federal benefits. We are here to help you understand how the Act affects the benefits you can claim.
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What Makes You Ineligible For Unemployment Benefits In Illinois
You will be ineligible for benefits in Illinois if you don’t meet the eligibility criteria detailed above. You will also be disqualified if you were dismissed because you committed a crime.
You can also lose your benefits eligibility if you fail to meet the weekly requirements during your claim period. Failing to certify weekly by phone or online could result in you losing your benefits for that week. You could also lose eligibility if you don’t accept a suitable job offer or aren’t available or able to work. Illinois will consider you unavailable or unable to work if:
- You need to stay at home to care for dependents
- You go on vacation
- You are too sick to work
- You relocate to an area with poor employment opportunities compared to your previous location
- You have unreasonable job requirements, such as insisting on restricted hours
You have the right to appeal if your benefits application is denied. You should appeal in writing within 30 days of being told that your claim was unsuccessful.
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
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Is Illinois Going To Extend Unemployment
You should continue to file your weekly claim for benefits as you normally would as long as you remain unemployed. The additional weekly payment of $300 under the FPUC program will be extended through September 4, 2021 as well. Claimants on extended state benefits as of March 11, 2021 will remain on EB.28 juil. 2021
How Much Will I Be Paid
IDES bases your weekly benefit payments on your base period earnings. It does this by calculating the amount you were paid in the two quarters when you earned the most and multiplying it by 0.47. This figure is then divided by 26 to give a weekly amount. Like most U.S. states, Illinois pays benefits for a maximum of 26 weeks except during national emergencies, when the period may be extended.
You may receive a higher amount than your base rate if you have dependents. The maximum weekly benefits you can receive are:
- No dependents: $484
- One or more dependent children: $669
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Unemployment Benefits Comparison By State
The Unemployment Insurance benefits are given to those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Though the U.S. Department Of Labor oversees the UI program and ensures compliance within each state, the state governments administer and determine the eligibility criteria, benefit amount and duration.
In this post, we will tell you how much UI benefits each state offers and for how long. Before we get to the details, you can now check your eligibility and determine if you qualify for unemployment benefits in your state.
