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As of July 8, 2026, IDES will no longer send benefit payments via paper check.  You may select direct deposit or debit card as your method for receiving benefit payments.  If you were receiving paper checks, you will be switched over to debit card payments unless you choose to enroll in direct deposit.

Filing unemployment claims will be unavailable Sunday, July 26th from 12:00 a.m. until noon for a scheduled system upgrade.  Access for claimants will resume Sunday afternoon.

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Veterans' Priority Statement

The U.S. Department of Labor provides grant funds to the State of Illinois to provide employment and training services to eligible residents and workers. As a condition to receiving those funds, priority of service will be given to qualified veterans when referring individuals to job openings, DOL funded training programs or related services. In accordance with the implementation of the Veterans' Priority Provisions of the ""Jobs for Veterans Act"" (PL 107-288), qualified veterans will receive priority referral to services over non-veterans as determined by each program's mandatory eligibility criteria.

Information and assistance will be provided by One-Stop and Workforce Development Center staff regarding available employment programs, training opportunities and services, eligibility requirements, and veteran's priority. The Illinois JobLink registration process has been developed to determine veterans' eligibility, and an American Flag identifies veterans' resumes listed on Illinois JobLink for employers. Veterans are encouraged to avail themselves of these opportunities.

For more information on program eligibility and Veteran Priority details visit or contact your local One-Stop or Workforce Development office. Veteran Employment and Training staff and One-Stop staff are available to explain program mandatory eligibility and veterans' priority. A list of centers is available in Illinois.