CHICAGO — Gov. J.B. Pritzker discussed at his daily briefing Monday the state’s efforts to expand access and eligibility to unemployment.
Through the five weeks from March 1 to April 4, Illinois received 513,173 initial unemployment claims. The state of Illinois says that is larger than the whole number received in 2019, which was 489,831.
“We are working around the clock at all levels to provide unemployment benefits to the unprecedented number of Illinoisans who have lost their jobs to the spread of COVID-19,” said Pritzker. “I will continue to do everything in my power to get our residents the support they need to get through this crisis.”
The capacity of the Illinois Department of Employment Security website has been increased, and since March 1, the IDES website has fielded over 6.5 million sessions.
In addition to the web, call center capacity has been increased as well. The IDES call center has processed thousands of calls per day.
Pritzker’s administration has also waived the waiting week for claimants as well as filed emergency rules to ease eligibility requirements.
The state has also implemented Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC). FPUC provides an additional $600 each week in 100% federally funded benefits to anyone entitled to regular state unemployment benefits and will be available until July 25, 2020.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Monday announced 1,173 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 74 additional deaths.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 22,025 cases, including 794 deaths, in 87 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years.
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