Over the past 11 months, the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) has seen a deluge of 1.8 million new unemployment claims brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. With all
Unemployment agency responds to criticism over delays, deficit
Sarah Mansur, Capitol News Illinois
Feb. 12, 2021
FacebookTwitterEmail
Acting Illinois Department of Employment Security Director Kristin Richards speaks at a virtual hearing of the Illinois Senate Labor Committee to answer questions about the department s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.Jerry Nowicki | Capitol News Illinois
Representatives of the Illinois Department of Employment Security testified before the Senate Labor Committee about fraudulent claims, continued delays in responding to unemployment applicants and a multi-billion dollar deficit in the fund that pays out benefits.
Acting Illinois Department of Employment Security Director Kristin Richards and members of the department’s staff fielded questions about the backlog that individuals face when they contact the agency with questions about their claims.
Over the past 11 months, the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) has seen a deluge of 1.8 million new unemployment claims brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. With all of the new claims and people coming into the unemployment system for the first time, the agency has had a tough time keeping up with all of the demand.
This has created many problems, exacerbated by a system that largely cuts down on unemployment agencies like IDES during better economic times, such as the period before the pandemic. States are generally incentivized by the federal government to cut resources during times of low unemployment, said Kristin Richards, acting director of IDES during a Senate Labor Committee hearing Wednesday. In times of low unemployment, agencies tend to not have the resources that they need to plan ahead and plan for large, widespread dislocations.
Nearly $10 billion has been paid out in unemployment benefits across North Carolina since March of last year, but now, a federal program is coming to an end.
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry has provided an update on issues and fixes related to the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program.