Dear Friend,

This week, Governor J.B. Pritzker announced the extension of his ongoing "stay-at-home" order amid the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis.

As part of the state-wide order, many businesses have been forced to temporarily shut down and many employees across the state cannot work. In fact, nearly 300,000 workers have been forced to file unemployment claims.

As many have been forced to file unemployment claims, one of the biggest issues I've heard from constituents is ongoing issues experienced while attempting to file their claims. Last week, the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) system crashed and phone lines failed due to heavy traffic.

However, IDES is continuing efforts to address those issues. Recently, IDES announced that they have added new hires, a new server and additional phone lines. Furthermore, IDES announced that they will be implementing a schedule for those filing claims online and over the phone in order to process the high volume of unemployment benefit claims due to COVID-19.

For those filing their claims online, individuals with last names beginning with letters A-M will be asked to file their claims on Sundays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays. Those with last names beginning with letters N-Z will be asked to file their claims on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Saturdays will be available to accommodate those who could not file during their allotted window.

For those filing through the call center, individuals with last names beginning with letters A-M will be asked to call on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Those with last names beginning with letters N-Z will be asked to call on Mondays and Wednesdays. Fridays will be available for anyone to accommodate those who could not file during their allotted window. Hours of operation will be from between 7:30am – 6pm.

Those with questions or in need of assistance with unemployment benefit are encouraged to visit IDES.Illinois.gov.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, call or e-mail my District office. I am here to serve you.

Sincerely,

Dale Righter 
State Senator for the 55th District