CHICAGO (WLS) A year after the pandemic, there s a new problem in Illinois embattled unemployment system: extended benefits. Some people are having trouble getting renewed.
With no work prospects during the pandemic, initial benefits for some people have stopped. They say they can t get through to unemployment, so they reached out to the ABC7 I-Team for help. I haven t had benefits, going on three months now, says Alexander Flores, who worked at McCormick Place.
Due to the coronavirus, conventions started canceling in early March. Soon after, it shut down completely. Flores received unemployment benefits until November. He has been trying to re-apply ever since.
Some filing for Illinois unemployment extended benefits report having trouble getting through to IDES, and so their payments have stopped while they're unable to find work.
CHICAGO (WLS) The Illinois Department of Employment Security said it has caught or stopped nearly 1 million fraud cases since March 2020.
Now they re warning that if you receive a 1099-G form but didn t file for Illinois unemployment benefits, you may be a victim of fraud.
The 1099 G form is filled out when filing your taxes if you ve gotten money from a government agency like IDES. These forms are an indication of what income the department has had to report to the IRS, explained the Acting Director of IDES, Kristin Richards.
Richards said people could also get this form if they have been a victim of the unemployment scam, where a fraudster filed for benefits in your name. If you receive it and you didn t file for unemployment, you need to report the fraud.