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Fraudulent Unemployment Claims in Illinois Soar During Pandemic, Officials Say
Fraudulent unemployment claims have soared in Illinois with scammers directing jobless benefits to their own accounts even as record numbers of residents sought relief due to the coronavirus pandemic, state officials said.
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More than 200K Unemployment Fraud Complaints Identified in Illinois Since March
Fraudulent unemployment claims filed in Illinois continue to clog the state’s system designed to provide financial assistance to people who recently lost their jobs. NBC 5’s Chris Coffey reports.
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IDES Employees Receiving Threats, Pritzker Says
Employees at the Illinois Department of Employment Security have been receiving threats as the state continues to battle record unemployment levels during the coronavirus pandemic. “The people who work at IDES have been receiving literally threats,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday, adding that the threats have made opening some offices challenging. Pritzker did not specify the nature of...
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NBC 5 Responds: Residents Ask Why IDES Offices Remain Closed As State Reopens
As the state of Illinois continues to plan for reopening, many ask why Illinois Department of Employment Security offices remain closed while others have opened for in-person help. NBC 5’s Lisa Parker responds.
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Pritzker Ramps Up Measures to Help Residents File Unemployment Claims
As the IDES prepares to handle both the growing number of standard unemployment claims as well as additional independent and gig worker claims next week, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker detailed the effort the state has made Thursday in response to technical issues residents have reported while attempting to file for benefits. NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern reports.
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Battle For Benefits in Illinois: Viewers Say Preloaded Debit Cards Don't Work
When NBC 5 Responds last left Orland Park viewer Nikki Martinez, all fingers were crossed. The dental office manager and mom of three was laid off in mid-March and says she has been battling since then to get registered for benefits with the Illinois Department of Employment Security. After logging close to 1,000 calls and trying to register online more…
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Battle For Benefits in Illinois: Viewers Say Preloaded Debit Cards Don't Work
Just getting registered for unemployment was hard enough for thousands in Illinois who say they tried for weeks. But once in the system, it wasn’t always the smooth sailing they hoped for. NBC 5 Responds’ Lisa Parker follows the continuing struggling of one suburban viewer.
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Illinois Mayors Urge Pritzker to Reopen Businesses as Unemployment Claims Surpass 1 Million
The metrics for Illinois to shift to phase three of the reopening plan are trending in the right direction and while Gov. J.B. Pritzker encouraged residents to stay patient in his daily press briefing on Thursday, suburban mayors are saying they can’t wait much longer. NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern reports.
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Illinois to Offer Free Virtual Job Training to Unemployed Residents
On the same day Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Illinois has processed over one-million traditional unemployment claims, the governor launched a new online initiative aimed at getting residents back to work through virtual job training. At Thursday’s coronavirus update press briefing, Pritzker announced the launch of a new online portal called “Get Hired Illinois” that he hopes will serve as...
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Suburban Mayors Urge Pritzker to Reopen Amid Dire Unemployment Numbers
On Thursday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the IDES has processed over one-million traditional unemployment benefits claims, and while that number has never been higher, Pritzker insists it’s still not safe to reopen the state. NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern reports.
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Pritzker Gives Update on Unemployment Claims in Illinois
The number of Illinoisans who have filed for unemployment has skyrocketed since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, and those hitting roadblocks in the filing process are frustrated. NBC 5 political reporter Mary Ann Ahern reports on how the governor said he’s found help.
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Pritzker Details How to File For Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Benefits
The state will begin processing claims for independent contractors and gig workers next week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced during his daily coronavirus press briefing on Thursday. As unemployment claims in the state of Illinois reach historic numbers amid the coronavirus pandemic, Pritzker said those not eligible for traditional benefits will soon see relief as the state plans to begin...
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Illinois Paid Over $2B in Unemployment Claims in First 4 Months of 2020
Historic numbers of unemployment claims filed in Illinois since March has led to a historic amount of benefits being paid out over the first four months of the year, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said on Thursday. The Illinois Department of Employment Security says they’ve processed 1,006,925 initial unemployment claims from March 1 to May 2. “That’s over 1 million claims in…
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Illinois Paid Over $2B in Unemployment Claims in First 4 Months of 2020: Pritzker
May 7, 2020: Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday focused on unemployment during his daily coronavirus briefing, running down the number of processed claims, a new system to handle them and the process for filing the next batch.