Illinois Unemployment Teleserve
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) has made it easier for those receiving unemployment insurance to certify their claims through Teleserve, the department’s telephone call-in system for recipients. The hours that Teleserve now operates are from 5 am to 9 pm CST Monday through Friday. This biweekly certification process is for those who have already filed a claim. You can also check the status of your unemployment claim as well as obtain other IDES information through Teleserve.
This certification process is mandatory; those who do not call in through Teleserve will not receive their benefits. Once you have applied for unemployment insurance in Illinois, you will receive a letter from IDES informing you of the day of the week you are to call in to Illinois Unemployment Teleserve. You will need to create a personal identification number or PIN, the first time you call. You will then need this PIN on subsequent calls so you will want to write this number down and keep it handy.
In order to use Illinois Unemployment Teleserve services, you will also need to have your social security number nearby and the amount of any wages you have earned in the current certification period. You will be asked the amount of gross earned wages so if you may want to have any check stubs with you as well when you call in to Illinois Unemployment Teleserve. Regular call in days are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, but if you do miss your regular call in date, you can still call in on Thursday or Friday of the same week, however, your benefits may be delayed.
To make Illinois Unemployment Teleserve easier you may want to visit the IDES website where you will find a Teleserve brochure that explains all the necessary steps and the questions you will be asked. Knowing the questions ahead of time can help you to be better prepared during the call. Be aware also, that you should never hang up until the Teleserve system has notified you that your claim has been accepted.