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 near whether you're eligible for unemployment benefits read our COVID-xix Unemployment Benefits and Insurance FAQ and check out Illinois's claimant handbook.

A guide to unemployment benefits in Illinois

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) is the state bureau that oversees the administration of Illinois unemployment benefits, provides employment services and analyzes and disseminates labor market information for Illinois residents and employers.

The bureau collects Illinois unemployment insurance taxes from state employers and then returns those dollars to workers who are eligible for Illinois unemployment insurance benefits.

Unemployed workers who want to collect Illinois unemployment benefits must register with IDES and see other specific requirements to be eligible.

How practise I file an unemployment merits in Illinois?

To avoid any delays in receiving benefits, file a merits for unemployment benefits during the first week you go unemployed. You lot can file for benefits online through the IDES website or past visiting i 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 tin log into IllinoisJobLink.com and complete the registration procedure, create a resume and begin searching for work.

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

  • Your Social Security number and your name every bit information technology appears on your Social Security card.
  • Your driver's license or country ID.
  • If you lot are claiming a spouse or children as dependents, y'all volition need their Social Security numbers, names and dates of birth.
  • Employer information for the past 18 months, including names, mailing addresses, phone numbers, dates of employment and reasons for separation.  Wage records in the form of pay stubs or West-2 forms may besides exist required.
  • If you worked since Sunday of the week you are applying for benefits, you will need to written report all gross wages.
  • Any alimony payment information you are receiving, not including Social Security.
  • Conflicting registration information if yous are not a U.S. denizen.
  • A Member iv copy of the DD class 214/215 if you are a recently separated veteran.
  • A copy of your Standard Course 8 and Personnel Action Grade 50 if you have been separated from work every bit a civilian employee of the federal government.

Be aware that many people lose unemployment benefits for a week or more than 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 (800) 244-5631 or visit an IDES part to seek assistance — you can determine your closest Illinois unemployment office hither.

Too, if yous submit false or misleading data in an attempt to draw benefits that you lot are not entitled to, you can be prosecuted under Illinois law. Penalties include fines, jail time, as well every bit a non being eligible to describe unemployment benefits in Illinois until after you accept served as much as ii years in penalisation weeks and you lot have repaid the Illinois unemployment amount of benefits you received due to your human activity of fraud.

Newly unemployed?

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How unemployment works in Illinois

Here'due south a quick overview of how the unemployment insurance process works in Illinois.

  1. Make sure yous run across all do good requirements before y'all apply. You must meet all requirements to be eligible to collect unemployment insurance in Illinois. Some of these requirements include being unemployed through no fault of your own, that y'all were paid at least $one,600 in wages during your base period, and that you were paid at least $440 of your base period wages at any fourth dimension during the base period outside the calendar quarter when your wages were the highest.
  2. Apply for unemployment insurance if yous run across all the requirements. You tin can File a Merits Online for unemployment benefits during the beginning calendar week you go unemployed or by visiting one of the Illinois unemployment part locations throughout the state.
  3. Make up one's mind the amount and duration of your benefit. Your benefits are generally determined by the amount of wages y'all earn during your base catamenia. Your base of operations period is based on the first four of the terminal five completed agenda quarters immediately preceding the beginning of your benefit year.  To determine the verbal amount and duration of your Illinois unemployment compensation, go to the benefit tabular array on the IDES website.
  4. Know how and when you lot will be paid. Benefits are paid for calendar weeks that begin on Lord's day and end on Sat. You cannot be paid until you take certified that you have met all eligibility requirements during that week. Claimants tin can choose to receive benefits by direct deposit or by the use of a debit card.
  5. Conduct an ongoing job search. You are required to expect for full-time work on a weekly basis while drawing benefits. You must certificate your efforts and you must besides register for piece of work with IDES.
  6. You can file an appeal if yous are denied benefits. If yous file an Illinois unemployment application and are denied, you take the correct to file an appeal. Yous must file your appeal inside xxx days afterwards you receive your letter of denial.  Appeals are heard past an Administrative Constabulary Judge.

Illinois Unemployment Requirements

To exist eligible to receive state of Illinois unemployment benefits, y'all must meet all eligibility requirements each week to receive benefits.

In general, you meet Illinois unemployment eligibility requirements if…

  • You are unemployed through no fault of your ain.
  • You lot were paid at least $i,600 in wages for insured work during your base menstruum.
  • You were paid at to the lowest degree $440 of your base of operations flow wages at whatsoever fourth dimension during the base menstruum outside the calendar quarter when your wages were the highest.
  • You are registered for work with IDES, the Illinois unemployment section.

Each calendar week, you are eligible if…

  • You file your Illinois unemployment weekly claims as scheduled
  • Yous have served 1 waiting week.
  • Yous were able, bachelor and actively looking for work.

How you can exist disqualified from receiving benefits

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

  • Y'all quit your job without skilful cause.
  • You were fired due to misconduct continued to your work.
  • You lot did not have a good reason to apply for Illinois unemployment or did non accept a suitable job offered to you lot. A chore may be accounted not suitable if the opening is due to a labor dispute, your health, condom or morals may be at risk, you would take to resign from or be prevented from joining a union, or the wages and working conditions were not every bit good as those for the same kind of work elsewhere in your community.
  • You lot were fired because you committed a felony or a work-related theft.
  • Yous are already receiving benefits from another source.
  • You will be paid wages in the form of holiday pay or other similar types of wages for a particular week.
  • You are receiving workers' compensation for a disability that is more the unemployment benefit y'all are entitled to.
  • You are receiving pension payments greater than the unemployment do good you are entitled to.
  • You lot are a teacher, researcher or ambassador working for an educational establishment and y'all are between academic terms.
  • You are a professional person athlete between sports seasons.

Insured vs. uninsured work

Who tin 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 land as part of the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act.

While near types of work falls under this police, there are some types of piece 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:

  • Agricultural workers are covered but if they worked for an employer who paid at least $xx,000 in greenbacks wages to employees during any calendar quarter or employed at to the lowest degree x employees during each of twenty or more than agenda weeks during the current or preceding calendar year. All others are not covered.
  • Domestic workers who did not earn at least $1,000 in any calendar quarter in any quarter in the current or preceding calendar twelvemonth.
  • Railroad workers covered past the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Human action.
  • Certain types of family employment are not covered.
  • Work equally a solicitor paid solely on a committee ground is not covered.
  • Some government work in special situations such as elected officials or those hired for short periods following a disaster may not be covered.
  • Federal, country or local relief workers or work training employees are not covered.
  • Straight sellers of consumer products, including those who are domicile based or whatever establishment that is not a permanent retail business are not covered.

Determining your Illinois unemployment amount

Your benefits are generally determined past the amount of wages you earn during your base of operations period.  This applies to both part-time work and full-time work. Your base catamenia is based on the first 4 of the final 5 completed agenda quarters immediately preceding the beginning of your do good twelvemonth.

Unemployed workers who do not take sufficient wages to qualify for benefits using the standard base of operations period may be eligible to use an alternate base menses.

If your benefit twelvemonth begins:

Your base of operations menses will be:

Your alternate base period will exist:

This year between January 1 and March 31

Concluding twelvemonth betwixt January 1 and September 30 and the year earlier between Oct one and December 31

Final year betwixt January 1 and December 31

This year betwixt Apr one and June 30

Last year between January ane and December 31

Terminal year between April i and Dec 31 and this year between January 1 and March 31

This year betwixt July ane and September xxx

Terminal year between April 1 and December 31 and this year between January 1 and June 30

Last year betwixt July 1 and December 31 and this year between Jan 1 and June 30

This yr between October 1 and December 31

Last year between July i and December 31 and this yr between Jan ane and June xxx

Last year betwixt October 1 and December 31 and this year betwixt January 1 and September 30

The size of your weekly benefit corporeality will depend on the amount of wages paid to yous for insured work during the two calendar quarters of your base period when your wages were the highest.  If you lot have a dependent child or a spouse who does not work, you will receive an boosted allowance.

To determine the verbal corporeality of your Illinois unemployment compensation, get to the benefit table on the  IDES website.

The total corporeality you will exist paid during your benefit year is 26 times your weekly benefit, including whatsoever allowances for spouses and dependents. In most cases, Illinois unemployment extensions are rare, so it is of import to ensure you find suitable work before your benefit twelvemonth ends. In situations where the Illinois unemployment charge per unit is higher than normal during an economic downturn, extensions may be granted.

You may be able to claim some benefits if yous piece of work less than full-fourth dimension work during a benefit week, and the amount you lot earn is less than the weekly benefit amount you would receive if you lot were completely unemployed for the week.

IMPORTANT!When you become back to piece of work, you must written report that data to IDES immediately. Failure to do and so could event in an overpayment of benefits, potential criminal charges of fraud, an cess of penalty weeks, and a state comptroller's offset of state payments such as state income revenue enhancement refunds.  The state too requires all employers to written report new hires to IDES then that individuals collecting unemployment benefits tin be identified.

FAQs

When and how will I be paid?

Benefits are paid for calendar weeks that begin on Sunday and end on Sat. You will be assigned a call mean solar day, certification twenty-four hours or engagement later on the stop of a calendar week and yous cannot exist paid until you lot have certified that yous have met all eligibility requirements during that week. Certification takes place by telephone through an Illinois unemployment number or online on a bi-weekly basis. You must certify every two weeks to receive your benefits.

Claimants tin choose to receive benefits by direct eolith or by the use of a debit bill of fare.  Payments are typically deposited into a specified account two business days later on the claimant has certified for benefits. Claimants automatically receive benefits past debit menu unless they register for straight deposit at IDES.Illinois.gov.

What if I am denied benefits?

If you lot file an Illinois unemployment awarding and are denied, you have the right to file an entreatment. Yous must file your entreatment within 30 days afterward you receive your letter of denial. Your appeal will be heard past an Administrative Police Guess where you will be given the opportunity to present your case. You do have the option of using an chaser or another representative to aid y'all in your entreatment. The state contracts with police force firms who can also give you limited legal advice at hearings. For more information about highly-seasoned a decision regarding Illinois unemployment, contact (800) 884-6591 (if your Social Security number ends in 0 to 4) or (888) 430-1776 (all others) to explore this option.

If your appeal is denied, Illinois unemployment laws guarantee your correct to entreatment to the Board of Review, an independent v-person body, who will besides review your case.  If you are rejected at this level, your final option is to file an appeal with the Circuit Courtroom of the county where you alive.

Eligibility Team

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