IDES Announces Progress in
Implementing Continued Assistance Act
Revisions Impacting, FPUC, PUA, PUA
Overpayments, PEUC, MEUC
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[February 04, 2021]
The Illinois Department of
Employment Security (IDES) today announced programmatic updates and
changes to several unemployment programs contained within the
Continued Assistance Act (CAA), signed into law on December 27,
2020, and the progress the Department is making in implementing the
wide-ranging changes to these programs. These updates and changes,
outlined below, will impact the Federal Pandemic Unemployment
Compensation (FPUC) program, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
program, PUA overpayments waivers, and the Pandemic Emergency
Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, in addition to the
creation of the Mixed-Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC)
program.
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Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC):
The CAA provides an additional $300 per week in supplemental
benefits to claimants who receive at least $1 of regular or federal
unemployment benefits per week. This additional supplemental benefit
applies between the week ending January 2, 2021 and the week ending
March 13, 2021. IDES began paying the $300 FPUC benefit for all
programs beginning January 4, 2021.
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
o Continued Claimants: IDES is instructing all PUA claimants who
applied and were approved for PUA benefits prior to the week ending
December 26, 2020, and had not exhausted benefit eligibility, to
continue to certify to avoid an interruption in benefit payment. The
PUA system is undergoing technical updates and testing to add the
new 11 weeks of eligibility authorized under the CAA.
The CAA requires PUA claimants to verify employment or
self-employment. During the week of February 1, 2021, notices will
be sent to inform claimants of the additional 11 weeks of
eligibility, in addition to requests to verify employment or
self-employment. The notification will include a deadline to provide
information to the Department, along with what information may be
submitted to meet the employment or self-employment verification
requirement.
o Claimants Who Had Exhausted PUA Benefits: PUA claimants who
had exhausted benefit eligibility prior to the week ending December
26, 2020 may remain eligible under the extension provided in the CAA
and will be notified by IDES of the additional weeks added to their
claim based on the method the claimant selected to receive
correspondence from the Department.
The CAA requires PUA claimants to verify employment or
self-employment. During the week of February 1, 2021, notices will
be sent to inform claimants of the additional 11 weeks of
eligibility in addition to requests to verify employment or
self-employment. The notification will include a deadline to provide
information to the Department, along with what information may be
submitted to meet the employment or self-employment verification
requirement.
o New Claimants: The PUA system is undergoing technical
changes to move new PUA claimants to pay status and begin the
process of verifying wage and employment or self-employment
information supplied by the claimant. The CAA also includes a
limitation on backdating new PUA claims. Per the CAA, in most cases
claimants filing a new PUA claim after December 27, 2020 can
backdate to December 6, 2020.
o Documentation Requirements: The CAA includes a new
requirement for individuals to submit documentation verifying their
prior employment or self-employment. Individuals filing a new PUA
claim on or after January 31, 2021 (regardless whether the claim is
backdated), are required to provide this documentation within 21
days of application or the date determined by IDES. Individuals who
applied for PUA before January 31, 2021 and receive(d) a payment of
PUA on or after December 27, 2020, are required to provide
employment or self-employment documentation, or documentation
demonstrating the beginning of employment or self-employment, within
90 days of application or the date determined by IDES. These
deadlines may be extended if the individual shows good cause, and
deadlines will be communicated on verification requests provided by
the Department.
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Documentation can include, but is not limited to,
paycheck stubs, earnings and leave statements showing the employer’s
name and address, W-2 forms when applicable, state or federal
employer identification numbers, business licenses, tax returns,
business receipts, signed affidavits from persons verifying the
individual’s self-employment, letters offering employment,
statements or affidavits by individuals verifying an offer of
employment, written business plans, or a lease agreement.
o Overpayment Waivers: IDES has reached out to the U.S.
Department of Labor (USDOL) for additional direction on the process
of addressing waivers on a case-by-case basis, as required by
federal guidance. The Department is in the process of identifying
which PUA overpayments are subject to waiver, creating a notice and
questionnaire for PUA claimants with an overpayment to request a
waiver and supply the information needed to make determinations, and
drafting determination notices regarding waivers.
This is a new process provided for in the CAA. The Department is
aware this population is seeking quick resolution on any request
made to waive an overpayment, and has a set goal of moving through
this process in a manner that provides clarity for claimants and
allows the Department to efficiently review requests for waiver,
while following the federal requirement that each case be reviewed
on an individual basis.
Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC): The CAA
provides an additional 11 weeks of PEUC benefits. However, claimant
transition to PEUC will vary based on how and when claimants exhaust
eligibility for benefits within the various regular and federal
unemployment programs. Transition will be evaluated and determined
on a claimant-by-claimant basis, and claimants will be notified of
their transitions.
Transition Language Between Programs or with a New Benefit Year:
The Department’s subject-matter experts are working through the
transition language necessary to maintain eligibility for claimants
who may exhaust various programs. This involves programming and
testing changes within all programs.
Extended Benefits (EB): According to unemployment rate data
published by the federal government, the Illinois unemployment rate
has fallen below the threshold established by law for the additional
7 weeks of EB to be available in Illinois. Illinois remains
triggered onto the standard 13 weeks of EB, and is available to
claimants who have exhausted the allotted 26 weeks of regular state
unemployment benefits, the 13 weeks of Pandemic Emergency
Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) benefits, and (in some cases) the
additional 11 weeks of PEUC benefits established under the CAA.
Claimants who received 13 or more weeks of EB will transition to the
maximum 11 additional weeks of PEUC.
Mixed-Earning Unemployment Compensation (MEUC): States have
prioritized managing through CAA changes related to existing
programs but intend to move quickly to build the program necessary
to implement MEUC. The Department will partner with stakeholders to
publicize the program, including eligibility requirements.
[Illinois Office of Communication and
Information] |