Pritzker Plays Catch-Up on Unemployment Comp SNAFU

From the Pritzker Administration:

Gov. Pritzker Outlines Efforts to Expand Access and Eligibility to Unemployment Insurance

Chicago – Building on measures designed to address the unprecedented economic challenges facing Illinois families during the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor JB Pritzker provided an update on the state’s efforts to expand access and eligibility to unemployment insurance.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the United States economy, leading to an unprecedented number of unemployment claims. Through the five weeks from March 1 to April 4, Illinois received 513,173 initial unemployment claims. That is greater than the total number of initial claims for the entirety of 2019 (489,831) and five times greater than the claims filed in the first five weeks of the 2008 great recession.

“The challenges workers and families are facing today is something my whole administration thinks about each day as we are simultaneously attempting to fend off the health consequences of coronavirus,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We are working around the clock at all levels to provide unemployment benefits to the unprecedented number of Illinoisans who have lost their jobs to the spread of COVID-19. I will continue to do everything in my power to get our residents the support they need to get through this crisis.”

The administration moved swiftly to increase capacity on the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) website and ramp up efforts at the IDES call center to meet the unparalleled number of unemployment claims. Since March 1, the IDES website has fielded over 6.5 million sessions and the IDES call center has processed thousands of calls per day.

To meet the needs of applicants and claimants, the administration and IDES overhauled the IDES website infrastructure, expanded the call center capacity and secured private partnerships to expand capacity in its existing systems and implementation of new programs.

Recognizing the immense financial challenges facing working families during this time, the administration filed emergency rules to ease eligibility requirements, waived the waiting week for claimants, acted quickly to implement Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) programs.

Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC)

FPUC provides an additional $600 each week in 100% federally funded benefits to anyone entitled to regular state unemployment benefits. FPUC is available for weeks beginning on or after March 29, 2020 and continuing through the week ending July 25, 2020.

The administration acted immediately to implement this federal program and provide much needed resources to Illinois residents. As a result, IDES began disbursing funds through this program, starting the week of April 5, 2020, which was the first week the federal legislation allowed FPUC to be paid. From March 29, 2020 through the week ending July 25, 2020, benefits will be applied automatically to claimants who qualify

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)

PUA provides 100% federally funded unemployment benefits for individuals who are unemployed for specified COVID-19-related reasons and are not covered through other avenues in the unemployment insurance program, including self-employed sole proprietors and independent contractors. IDES is contracting with Deloitte to implement and maintain a web-based solution for PUA as quickly as possible. IDES will have this program fully implemented by the week of May 11.

Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)

PEUC Provides up to 13 weeks’ worth of 100 percent federally funded benefits to individuals who have exhausted their rights to regular state unemployment benefits of up to 26 weeks in Illinois. PEUC is potentially available for weeks beginning on or after March 29, 2020 and continuing through the week ending December 26, 2020. PEUC will be retroactive once implemented. IDES received USDOL guidelines on April 10 and expects to have the program fully implemented the week of April 20.


Comments

Pritzker Plays Catch-Up on Unemployment Comp SNAFU — 4 Comments

  1. Day late and a dollar short. Just now he’s discovered their computer system is from 2010 and designed in a way that capacity would never exceed the unemployment numbers from the 2008 downturn. Just now he’s figured out they need to bring back retirees to “man the phones” that never get answered, just now he’s figured out we have to outsource to firms to help us through this crisis.

    Dude you shut this State down more than 3 weeks ago–did you not have any foresight into there would be an avalanche on the unemployment system?

    This is an epic fail on his part and its what should be remembered by those effected by it at election time.

    He spent the first 3 1/2 weeks of his press conference attacking and blaming Feds and Trump for not having PPE and Ventilators and Hospital beds.

    He spent nary a second or two on those calls addressing the masses in his State suddenly without a paycheck and a means to buy food.

    I saw the lines at the Food give away at the Algonquin Township Office on Friday–it was frightening in its length.

    Thank you to the Church for Helping the many suddenly impacted by this shutdown.

    Pritzker has failed his States residents in need of unemployment payouts.

    The Trump blame game is over, he needs to do an all out focus on getting his residents paid.

    It sucks.

    Absolute horrid management and leadership on his part.

    He and Lightfoot gleed and grinned each Press Conference at how tough they stuck it to the Feds and Trump, yet never helped folks through the Unemployment web site, unanswered phones, closed offices, or process.

    It took complaining to State Reps and Senators, as well as Investigative Reporting on TV to finally get him off the dime.

    Again a day late and a dollar short.

    Epic Fail that he will be remembered for.

    I thought Pritzker was a businessman by training, he’s nothing more than a Trust Fund baby born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

    NO foresight, contingency planning or effectiveness.

    He’s proved it with this unemployment debacle.

  2. If anyone drives past the Algonquin Township complex and can get a picture of the line, I’d appreciation your sending it to me.

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