I Filed My Claim What Happens Now? (BPP001F) (English)

State of Illinois

Department of Employment Security

I Filed My Claim

What Happens Now?

UI Finding

Within 7-10 days of filing your claim you will receive a UI Finding in the mail (see

sample below). Among other things, the UI Finding shows your base period wages,

your weekly benefit amount, and your bi-weekly certification day.

Certification Requirements

• Certify every two weeks to receive benefits.

o You may certify online via the IDES website OR by phone using the Tele-

Serve system.

• Certify on your assigned certification day: Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.

o If you miss your regular certification day, you may certify on Thursday or

Friday of that week.

• Report all gross wages earned during the weeks covered by the certification.

o Gross wages are the amount you earn before taxes and other deductions

are taken from the paycheck.

o Wages must be reported for the week when they are earned, not the week

when you receive payment.

• Even if you have a pending adjudication interview, you should continue to certify

as normal.

Online Certification

Monday through Friday 3:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

• The best way to certify for benefits is online at www.ides.illinois.gov/certify.

• Follow the instructions to certify in your unemployment insurance account.

Certification Questions

When you certify every two weeks, you will be asked the list of questions below. It may

help to prepare your answers before you certify. Your answers to the questions will

determine your eligibility for benefits. Depending on the program from which you are

receiving benefits, you may also be asked additional questions.

1. Have you received or will you receive holiday pay during the period of Sunday

through Saturday (week 1 beginning date through week 2 ending date)?

• If yes, enter the gross amount of your holiday pay (before deductions) for

each week.

2. Did you work during the period of Sunday (week 1 beginning date) through

Saturday (week 2 ending date)?

• If yes, enter the total amount of earnings (before deductions) for each

week.

3. Has your dependency status changed during this certification period?

4. Were you able and available to work each day during your normal work week?

• If no, enter the number of days you were unavailable for work in each of the

weeks.

5. Did you actively look for work for the week of Sunday (week 1 beginning date)

through Saturday (week 2 ending date)?

6. Other than Social Security, are you receiving or have you applied for a retirement

or disability pension?

• If yes, has the amount changed?

7. Did you attend school or receive training?

• If yes, did you attend all scheduled training courses?

• If no, enter the number of days that you did not attend class.

8. Do you have a current workers’ compensation claim or do you expect to receive

workers’ compensation for a temporary disability?

9. Has your phone number changed?

• If yes, enter your new ten-digit telephone number.

10. Has your mailing address changed?

Tele-Serve

Monday through Friday 3:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

(312) 338-IDES / (312) 338-4337

Illinois Relay: (800) 526-0844 TTY or 711

Illinois Relay: (800) 526-0857 Voice or 711

Tele-Serve is an automated phone system that allows you to:

• Certify for unemployment insurance benefits;

• Check the status of your unemployment claim, and more.

The first time you call, you will create a personal identification number (PIN). Keep your

PIN safe and secure. You will need your PIN every time you call. When you call, have

the following information available:

1. Your Social Security number and your PIN;

2. Any gross wages you earned (before taxes and other deductions) during the

certification period;

3. Paper and pencil to record any information given to you during your call.

After dialing Tele-Serve, enter your PIN and answer the automated questions. Do not

hang up until Tele-Serve tells you your claim has been accepted.

Tele-Serve Menu:

Press 1: To claim weeks of unemployment (certify)

Press 2: To file an additional claim or to reopen a claim for unemployment insurance

benefits

Press 3: To check the status of your claim (also to request Federal Income Tax form

1099-G)

Press 4: Establish or change your PIN

Press 5: Obtain general information

Additional Information

Employment Service Registration Requirement

You must register with IllinoisJobLink.com to receive unemployment insurance benefits. To

IllinoisJobLink.com will help you find available jobs and training. IDES will inform you if you fit

into one of the narrow exceptions to this legal requirement.

Work Search Requirement

You must be actively seeking employment to claim benefits. If you search for work at

IllinoisJobLink.com, your work search efforts will automatically be maintained. Work search

conducted outside of IllinoisJobLink.com may also be logged on a Work Search Record form

(ADJ034F), which can be found at ides.illinois.gov.

Keep your work search records. You may be asked to share your work search records from

prior weeks. Keep your written work search records for at least one year. If you have a

pending appeal, keep your written work search records until the appeal is resolved.

Temporary Help Firms

If you were last employed by a temporary help firm, be sure to contact that firm each week for

work to maintain your eligibility for benefits.

Return to Work

You must report your return to work to IDES immediately. Employers are required to report all

new hires to IDES. These reports are used to identify individuals who are collecting

unemployment insurance benefits after they have returned to work. Failure to report your

return to work or all gross wages earned during weeks covered by your certification will result

in an overpayment of benefits and possibly a determination of fraud. If fraud is determined,

consequences could include the imposition of penalty weeks, and prosecution for state

benefit fraud. You can report your return to work when you certify.

Waiting Week

The first eligible week of a new benefit year claim is a waiting week. No benefits are paid for

the waiting week.

Partial Benefits

If your gross wages in any week are less than your weekly benefit amount, you may still be

eligible to receive partial benefits.

Payment Methods

You can receive benefits via paper check (default method) or direct deposit. You are strongly

encouraged to choose direct deposit. You can enroll in direct deposit when you file your

claim. After certifying, please allow up to 8 days to receive your payment via check, or 2-3

days for direct deposit.

Re-Employment Services

Under federal guidelines, you may be identified as eligible for Re-Employment Services

offered by various state and local organizations. If you are referred by IDES to any of these

reemployment services, you are required to participate in those services. If you do not

participate, your benefits may be suspended.

Adjudication Interviews

An adjudication interview may be required to determine your eligibility for benefits. If

necessary, you will receive a notice by mail with the date and time of a telephone interview.

Failure to be available for the interview may affect your eligibility for benefits. If you cannot be

available at the date and time of the scheduled interview, it is your responsibility to contact

IDES using the change of interview form included with the notice.

Appeals

You have the right to appeal any decision denying your benefits. If you have any questions

about your appeal rights, contact IDES. If you filed an appeal, continue to certify for your

weeks of unemployment even though you may not receive benefits until the appeal is

decided.

Mailing Addresses

The U.S. Postal Service will not forward IDES mail. You may change your address, name or

other information online at ides.illinois.gov or you may call IDES Claimant Services at (800)

244-5631.

State and Federal Taxes

Unemployment insurance is subject to state and federal income taxes. You may voluntarily

elect to have either or both state and federal income taxes deducted and withheld from your

benefit payments. Withholding is pre-set at 10% for federal and 4.95% for State of Illinois.

Confidentiality

Your claim information is confidential under the law. We cannot give claim information to your

spouse or other family members. However, pursuant to Section 1900 of the Unemployment

Insurance Act, any information that you provide to the Department of Employment Security in

connection with your claim may be shared with your former employers or their

representatives.

Claimant Services: (800) 244-5631 TTY: (866) 488-4016

Important Notices

Why IDES Collects and Uses Social Security Numbers

The Illinois Department of Employment Security collects and uses social security numbers (SSNs) in the administration of

the unemployment insurance and employment service programs. State and federal law require the Department to use

SSNs for the purpose of verifying the identity of unemployment benefit claimants. SSNs are used in the administration of

the employment service program to verify that unemployment benefit claimants have registered for work with the

employment service, as required by law. The Department also uses SSNs in the development of aggregate statistics. The

aggregate statistics do not identify individuals or disclose any SSNs. The Department complies with the strict

requirements set forth in federal and state law for maintaining the confidentiality of SSNs and protecting against their

unauthorized disclosure.

TRA Assistance Benefits

Workers who lose their jobs or who experience reduced work hours and wages as a result of increased imports or the

shifting of their jobs to other countries may qualify for additional benefits under the federal Trade Act of 1974 and its

amendments (Trade Act of 2002 or Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act 2009 or Trade Adjustment

Assistance Extension Act of 2011 or Trade Adjustment Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2015.) The worker group must

be certified as eligible by the United States Department of Labor. The benefits administered by IDES include income

support, the Health Coverage Tax Credit and reemployment wage supplement for older workers.

Equal Opportunity is the Law

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) administers programs authorized under the Wagner-Peyser Act

(Employment Service) and Unemployment Insurance programs authorized under Title III of the Social Security Act. It is

against the law for the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), a recipient of federal financial assistance, to

discriminate on the following bases: Against any individual in the United States, on the basis of race, age, color, religion,

sex, national origin, disability, political affiliation or belief; and against any beneficiary of programs financially assisted

under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), on the basis of the beneficiary’s citizenship/status as a

lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to work in the United States, or his or her participation in any WIA Title I-financially

assisted program or activity.

IDES Must Not Discriminate in Any of the Following Areas:

Deciding who will be admitted, or have access, to any WIA Title I-financially assisted program or activity; providing

opportunities in, or treating any person with regard to, such a program or activity; or making employment decisions in the

administration of, or in connection with, such a program or activity.

What To Do If You Believe You Have Experienced Discrimination:

If you think that you have been subjected to discrimination under the “Employment Service” or “Unemployment Insurance”

programs or activity, you may file a complaint within 180 days from the date of the alleged violation with either: The IDES

Equal Opportunity Officer, Office of Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action, 33 S. State Street, Chicago, Illinois

60603- 2803 or: The Director of the Civil Rights Center (CRC) U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW,

Room N-4123, Washington, DC 20210

If you file your complaint with IDES, you must either wait until IDES issues a written Notice of Final Action, or until 90 days

have passed (whichever is sooner), before filing with the Civil Rights Center (see address above).

If IDES does not give you a written Notice of Final Action within 90 days of the day on which you filed your complaint, you

do not have to wait for IDES to issue that Notice before filing a complaint with CRC. However, you must file your CRC

complaint within 30 days of the 90- day deadline (in other words, within 120 days after the day on which you filed your

complaint with IDES).

If IDES does give you a written Notice of Final Action on your complaint, but you are dissatisfied with the decision or

resolution, you may file a complaint with CRC. You must file your CRC complaint within 30 days of the date on which you

received the IDES Notice of Final Action.

IDES is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all state and federal nondiscrimination laws in the administration

of its programs. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Contact the Office

Manager of the IDES office nearest you or the IDES Equal Opportunity Officer at (312) 793-9290 or TDD (888) 340-1007.

Printed by the authority of the State of Illinois Rev. 05/2022