IDES Taking Steps to Address
Unprecedented Volume of Unemployment Claims
Improved Processes to Help Streamline
Increased Need for Benefits
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[April 23, 2020]
SPRINGFIELD
– Thursday, Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of
Employment Security (IDES) announced they are taking additional
steps to address the unprecedented volume of unemployment benefit
claims the department has fielded as a result of COVID-19.
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To date, the department has taken several steps to
improve the unemployment benefit claims process via the online
portal and the call center.
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The website has been moved to new hardware infrastructure to
handle the increased demand
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Web, storage, and processing capacity has been increased to meet
needs of increased traffic
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Methods have been implemented to track COVID-19-related claims
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Call center capacity has been increased
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Daily call center hours have been extended to respond to those
waiting in the queue after closure
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Call center staff has been supplemented by 40% to cut down on
wait times
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Both the website and the call center will continue to be
monitored for improvements in functions and abilities
In addition to these measures, IDES is now asking
individuals to adhere to an alphabetized schedule when filing an
unemployment benefit claim online and over the phone. This process
mirrors other states, such as Colorado and New York, who are
experiencing increased web traffic and high call volumes with their
unemployment benefit systems.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2020/Mar/27/images/ads/current/maskeauction_sda_022614.png)
Online Filing Schedule:
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Those with last names beginning with letters A-M will be
asked to file their claims on Sundays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays.
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Those with last names beginning with letters N-Z will be
asked to file their claims on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays.
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Saturdays will be available for anyone to accommodate those who
could not file during their allotted window.
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![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2020/Mar/27/images/ads/current/Powell_sdadaily_SFARM_2019.png) Call Center Filing Schedule:
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Those with last names beginning with letters A-M will be
asked to call on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 7:30am – 6pm.
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Those with last names beginning with letters N-Z will be
asked to call on Mondays and Wednesdays between 7:30am – 6pm.
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Fridays (7:30am – 6pm) will be available for anyone to
accommodate those who could not file during their allotted
window.
The day or time of day in which a claim is filed
will not impact whether you receive benefits or your benefit amount.
Additionally, claims will be back-dated to reflect the date in which
a claimant was laid-off or let go from their job due to COVID-19.
IDES is currently working through an unparalleled number of
unemployment benefit claims and questions, both online and through
the call center. Over the first three weeks of March, IDES has
received over 130,000 unemployment benefit claims, an increase of
close to 400% compared to the corresponding weeks the prior year.
The department received close to 115,000 claims for the week of
March 21 alone, an increase of nearly 1,400% compared to the
corresponding week the prior year. Additionally, the call center
continues to field hundreds of calls per minute, per day.
The administration and the department understand and empathize with
the heightened level of frustration this crisis has had on those
wishing to file a claim. IDES is doing everything possible to
support our customers and meet the demand for unemployment benefit
inquiries and claims.
Those with questions or in need of assistance with unemployment
benefit at this time are encouraged to visit IDES.Illinois.gov.
[Illinois Office of Communication and
Information] |