UI Benefit Handbook - Introduction

This publication provides detailed instructions on how job seekers can apply for unemployment insurance benefits.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) collects unemployment insurance taxes from the state’s liable employers and returns those dollars to eligible Illinois workers as unemployment insurance benefits. IDES also operates an employment service and other special programs for the unemployed and underemployed and matches employer labor needs with the skills of job seekers.

Where to Find IDES Services
Visit the IDES website at IDES.Illinois.gov for all services. IDES services are also available at IDES offices and Illinois workNet Centers throughout Illinois. To find an office near you, go to the Office Locator from the About menu.
If you have questions about filing a claim, please consult this brochure. You may also call IDES Claimant Services at (800) 244-5631 if you still have questions.
Unemployment insurance benefits recipients are required to actively seek employment. They are also required to register with the Illinois Employment Service systems. Both requirements can be fulfilled by logging in to IllinoisJobLink.com and completing the registration process, creating a resume, and searching for work.
For information on career choices, employment trends, job outlooks, job descriptions and wages, see Jobs & Workforce.

Protect Your Benefits
Many unemployed workers lose their benefits for a week or more because they do not follow the instructions in this booklet. Mistakes in filing claims can delay payment of your benefits. If you do not understand these instructions, call IDES Claimant Services at (800) 244-5631 or ask for assistance at an IDES office or Illinois workNet Center. You are entitled to be represented in all matters relating to your claim by a person or organization of your choice. Information concerning your claim can be given to your representative only if that representative shows evidence of authorization from you.

Unemployment Insurance Benefits
Unemployment insurance is a state-operated insurance program designed to partially compensate you for loss of wages when you are out of work. As with fire, accident, health and other types of insurance, it is for an emergency: when you are temporarily or permanently out of a job or if you work less than full-time due to lack of work.

The program ensures that, if you meet the eligibility requirements of the law, you will have some income while you are looking for a job, up to a maximum of 26 full weeks in a one-year period. However, unemployment insurance cannot and does not protect you against wage losses while you are absent from work due to illness or while you are idle by choice.

Unemployment insurance should not be confused with Social Security, which is a federal program to protect you and your dependents against loss of earnings upon retirement, permanent disability or death. You pay for Social Security partially through payroll deductions; you do not pay any part of your wages, either directly or through payroll deductions, for unemployment insurance in Illinois. Unemployment insurance benefits are funded by tax dollars collected from Illinois employers.

Because employers pay the cost of unemployment insurance (the amount that they pay varies depending on the number of claims charged to their experience), employers have the right to contest claims that they believe are not legitimate.

Insured Work

If you qualify for unemployment insurance, you will receive benefits based on insured work. Insured work is work performed for an employer who is subject to the law — one who is required to make payments to the state
under the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act.

The biweekly payments to you are known as benefits. To qualify for benefits, you must meet eligibility requirements. If you do, benefits will be paid to you as a matter of right. Benefits are not based on need; they are
not charity or welfare.

In Illinois, the unemployment insurance program is administered by IDES; services are provided to the public via the Internet and at IDES offices throughout the state.

If you become unemployed, you may file a claim online or at an IDES office. Office locations can be found online or by calling IDES Claimant Services.

File your claim during the first week after you have become unemployed or as soon thereafter as possible. If you delay filing, you may lose benefits.

Uninsured Work

There are some types of work that may not be insured in Illinois. Wages paid for uninsured work cannot be used as a basis for claiming benefits. Here are some examples:

1. 1. Agricultural workers who are covered are those who worked for an employing unit that paid at least $20,000 in cash wages to these employees during any calendar quarter or employed 10 or more
   individuals within each of 20 or more calendar weeks within either the current or preceding calendar year. Other agricultural workers are not covered.
2. Domestic workers who are covered are those who worked for an employing unit that paid at least $1,000 in cash wages for any domestic services in any calendar quarter in either the current or preceding calendar year. Other domestic workers are not covered.
3. Railroad work covered by the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act is not insured. 
4. Certain family employment, such as a person working for a spouse, a parent working for a son or daughter or a son or daughter under 18 working for a parent, is not covered.
5. Work as an insurance agent or solicitor paid solely on a commission basis is not covered.
6. Some government work in special job situations (elected officials) or those hired to work for a short period following a disaster may not be covered.
7. Federal, state or locally funded work-relief and/or work training are not covered.
8. Direct sellers of consumer products on a buy-sell basis, by direct commission or any similar basis in a home or in an establishment other than a permanent retail establishment are also not covered.

There are some other types of work that are not insured under the Illinois program but may be insured under another state or the federal government. If you have any questions, call IDES Claimant Services.