The department has now processed 1,302,154 claims
for unemployment benefits from March 1 through May 23. This amount
is nearly 12 times the number of claims the department processed
over the same period last year, when IDES processed just 102,000
claims for regular unemployment benefits.
The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program has processed
88,965 initial claims in its two weeks. PUA provides 100%
federally-funded unemployment benefits for individuals who are
unemployed for specified COVID-19-related reasons and are not
eligible for the state’s regular unemployment insurance program, the
extended benefit (EB) program under Illinois law, or the Pandemic
Emergency Unemployment Compensation program (PEUC), including
independent contractors and sole-proprietors. Up to 39 weeks’ worth
of benefits are potentially available under the program for
COVID-19-related unemployment claims.
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IDES processed 39,414 Pandemic Emergency Unemployment
Compensation claims (PEUC), which provides up to 13 weeks’ worth of
100% federally funded benefits to individuals who have exhausted
their regular state unemployment benefits. PEUC is potentially
available for weeks beginning on or after March 29, 2020 and
continuing through the week ending December 26, 2020.
Statewide unemployment claims data, which reflects activity for the
week prior, is made available on the IDES website every Thursday
afternoon. Previous initial claims data has undergone a revision to
properly account for the number of successfully processed claims.
Those with questions or in need of assistance with unemployment
benefits at this time are encouraged to visit IDES.Illinois.gov.
[Illinois Office of Communication and
Information] |