Illinois Unemployment Extension
In recent news it has been revealed that an Illinois unemployment extension has been approved. In February, a new Federal law was enacted in mid November which offers eligible individuals access to an Illinois unemployment extension. The Illinois unemployment extension in question is equivalent to as much as 33 weeks of emergency funds/compensation. Prior to the approval of this latest federal law the maximum benefit one could be eligible for was a period equivalent to thirteen weeks of unemployment; this new law extends benefits for an additional twenty weeks time.
The Illinois unemployment extension can prove amazingly helpful to eligible individuals in these tight economic times. Provided the individual remains eligible for benefits and follows through on certification, the individual who qualifies for an Illinois unemployment extension can continue to receive benefits while seeking gainful employment.
Once an individual’s regular benefits expire and run out, the individual will have an extended benefits claim, also called a EUC 08, automatically processed in most instances. A findings letter will be sent to the individual indicating whether or not one is eligible for extended benefits. There are cases where a person may be required to visit the Unemployment office as well in order to determine continued eligibility for an Illinois unemployment extension: the individual may receive a letter a few weeks before standard benefits are expected to end: the letter requires the individual to report to a local IDES office.
The eligible individual seeking an Illinois unemployment extension will still be required to certify via Tele-serve services on a biweekly basis. The individual must also continue to seek gainful employment while accepting unemployment compensation. Certification can be done via the telephone on the date specified by the IDES office. To certify by phone, the individual will have to call in at 888-337-7234 during call in hours.