More Illinoisans Aren't Receiving Debit Cards With Unemployment Benefits, Call On Gov. Pritzker To Take Action
They expected to wait a few weeks for unemployment benefits, but now it has been two months.
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They expected to wait a few weeks for unemployment benefits, but now it has been two months.
On Monday, members of the so-called gig economy were finally able to file for unemployment benefits.
Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday admitted that the Illinois unemployment system is "unfit to handle surge."
"I have a life. I have bills to pay. I'm stuck. I'm really stuck."
They've waited weeks and weeks for help, but starting Monday, Illinois gig workers should start receiving unemployment benefits.
Through CBS 2's commitment to Working for Chicago, we dig into problems Illinoisans face when applying for and receiving unemployment benefits.
Gov. JB Pritzker has said there is no real backlog on jobless claims in Illinois. But on Monday night, our sources said the backlog is real, and getting longer by the day.
The money is still there, but unemployed Illinoisans still can't access it -and bills are piling up.
As we've reported in recent days, penalty weeks have been forcing people to go for months without unemployment benefits – and the matter has become urgent for thousands of people.
When we continued to hear from people who have received unemployment benefits, but no way to access them, our Tara Molina started digging.
In response to multiple complaints, an Illinois state senator is calling for a discussion on penalty weeks preventing people from receiving unemployment benefits.
We exposed Wednesday night how few people are working the phones in Illinois to help those struggling to get through to finish filing for unemployment. On Thursday night, we were happy to report that number is getting a much needed boost.
As CBS 2 Investigator Pam Zekman found out, a simple mistake could mean you can't collect your cash.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) estimates 102,736 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of April 13 in Illinois
People in need of unemployment benefits and their situations are growing direr by the day. We have uncovered what is behind some of the madness, and it's simple.
Workers lose jobs when businesses can't keep their doors open, and the Illinois unemployment system is having a hard time keeping up with claims.
For weeks, we've heard the money coming for unemployment benefits in Illinois and will be there. But that is little consolation to the tens of thousands of jobless in Illinois who still can't file.
The number of people out of work continues to climb amid the coronavirus crisis, and the new numbers issued Thursday reflect that.
With unemployment numbers at an all-time high, the federal government is helping some states process claims faster.
CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov on Tuesday uncovered the reason why one woman is not getting any unemployment money, and on Wednesday, others reached out.
A struggling single mom told us Tuesday night that she is out of cash - but the state is putting her money on hold for months.
Since day one, we have been pushing for answers about the State of Illinois' overwhelmed computer system.
"So many families are hurting at a scale that this country hasn't seen ever in our lifetime, and our state unemployment filing systems – which were built a decade ago for a much lower number of claims – simply haven't kept pace," Pritzker said Monday at his daily COVID-19 briefing.
More than 200,000 people filed first-time unemployment claims in Illinois this week, breaking the record set last week. All those claims in the system also complicates what matters for people already approved.
CBS 2 continues to track issues with the state's unemployment system, which is still overwhelmed by requests amid the coronavirus crash.
Woodstock Willie did not see his shadow this Groundhog Day, predicting the arrival of an early spring.
A suspected electrical fire left a house severely damaged early Monday in the South Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side.
A semi-trailer truck rolled on its side in a multi-vehicle crash on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway in Hoffman Estates, Illinois early Monday morning.
Officials said a water main was repaired Monday morning after the latest break in the south Chicago suburb of Dixmoor.
A fire broke out early Monday in a home in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood.
Bad Bunny used his Grammy acceptance speech on Sunday to denounce U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and call for the end of the ongoing immigration crackdown.
Complete closure of the performing arts center in Washington, D.C., will start on July 4, Mr. Trump said in a social media post.
Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father were released from ICE custody on Sunday, a day after a federal court ordered their release.
Funding for many federal agencies expired on Saturday after Congress failed to pass half a dozen spending bills before the deadline, prompting a partial government shutdown.
The Justice Department released more new documents Friday from the Jeffrey Epstein files, more than a month after the DOJ's original deadline to do so.
This week marks Identity Theft Awareness Week, and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza emphasized some safety tips Monday for avoiding and dealing with identity theft.
A controversial data center in Naperville, Illinois, could be the cause to pack a city council meeting there on Tuesday night.
Police in the west Chicago suburb of Geneva are warning of a scam involving spoofed phone numbers.
Protesters on Tuesday were cranking up the heat on Peoples Gas over a recently proposed rate hike that would add an additional $10 to $11 a month to utility bills.
A lawsuit filed late last month took Chicago-based McDonald's to task over the McRib sandwich, calling its name a form of false advertising.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital announced this week that it is planning to open a new pediatric hospital in the west Chicago suburb of Downers Grove.
It has been nearly six years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the many questions doctors are still working to answer concerns the long-term effects.
Leaders from Cook County, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository denounced changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Wednesday.
The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center has received a grant from The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation for a new cancer center.
Chicago's Lurie Children's Hospital said Tuesday that it is no longer initiating gender-affirming medical treatment for minors.
January may be the coldest time of the year, but Chicago is already looking forward to summer farmers' markets.
A development proposal issued this month calls for the replacement of a building housing a Giordiano's pizzeria in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood with a new mixed-use building with 28 residential units.
United Airlines flight attendants picketed outside Chicago's Willis Tower Thursday morning as they fought for a new contract.
WSCR-AM, 670 The Score, will begin a simulcast on 104.3 FM next month.
Does the Chicago Bears' dramatic improvement this season, culminating in their first playoff run in five years, change the discussion about where they will build a new stadium?
Bad Bunny used his Grammy acceptance speech on Sunday to denounce U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and call for the end of the ongoing immigration crackdown.
The 2026 Grammy Awards recognized the best of the best in music from last year, with big wins for Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny. Here's the full list of winners and nominees.
Complete closure of the performing arts center in Washington, D.C., will start on July 4, Mr. Trump said in a social media post.
Music's biggest night returned Sunday with the 68th annual Grammy Awards. Here is how to watch and stream and what to know.
Catherine O'Hara was best known for her comic performances in projects including "Home Alone," "Beetlejuice," and "Schitt's Creek."
Tim Matheson, a star of Harold Ramis’ first feature film “Animal House” and the master of ceremonies for the event at Navy Pier, joins Audrina Sinclair with a look back at the movie and Ramis’ legacy.
The fire broke out around 2:30 a.m. on Haddon Avenue near Central Avenue.
In the Chicago, Woodstock Willie has yet to make his prediction as of this posting.
Ted Dabrowski is running in the Republican primary for Illinois governor. He joins Dana Kozlov to outline his policies on immigration enforcement, property taxes, education funding.
Silence can be a helpful way of recharging in today’s world. Julie Thornton, director career management at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, joins Marie Saavedra to explain how.
Woodstock Willie did not see his shadow this Groundhog Day, predicting the arrival of an early spring.
A semi-trailer truck rolled on its side in a multi-vehicle crash on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway in Hoffman Estates.
Officials said a water main was repaired Monday morning after the latest break in the south Chicago suburb of Dixmoor.
Bad Bunny used his Grammy acceptance speech on Sunday to denounce U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and call for the end of the ongoing immigration crackdown.
Russell was the music director behind Kendrick Lamar's politically symbolic halftime show at last year's Super Bowl.
Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel no longer will have to testify about an alleged "code of silence" at the Chicago Police Department, after a federal judge reversed an earlier ruling that would have required him to take the stand in a lawsuit over a botched police raid.
John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, the busiest trauma center in Illinois, is sounding an alarm, as doctors brace for an influx of patients because of federal funding cuts under the Trump administration's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act."
A Lake County woman has a warning for other homeowners, after she said a contractor took thousands of dollars, destroyed part of her home, and then vanished, even leaving his tools behind.
The crash on June 7, 2024, killed 76-year-old Bernice Pawilan. The driver had a history of traffic offenses, and, in fact, wasn't supposed to be on the road at all.
A town hall meeting on Monday night addressed the concerns of residents paying higher water bills after being forced to use a private utility company.
Bam Adebayo and Pelle Larsson each score 20 points as the Miami Heat dominate the Chicago Bulls 134-91.
The Fighting Illini, who haven't lost since falling 83-80 at home to Nebraska on Dec. 13, held the Huskers to four field goals in the first 13 minutes of the second half.
The former UIC Flames coach is back leading young men at the high school level, this time at Lincoln-Way East in the south Chicago suburb of Frankfort.
Ayo Dosunmu scored a season-high 29 points and the short-handed Chicago Bulls topped the Miami Heat 125-118 on Saturday night.
The Sacramento Kings are acquiring De'Andre Hunter from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a deal that sends forward Dario Saric and two future second-round picks to the Chicago Bulls, according to a league source.
Chicago police issued an alert on Sunday about a pattern of ATM thefts and an armed robbery that transpired on the city's Northwest Side in December and January.
Chicago police last week issued an alert about two instances of thieves swiping people's cellphones from tables at restaurants in fashionable areas.
One person has been arrested, and another remained on the loose Sunday, after a burglary on a train had police in Chicago's south suburbs asking residents to stay in their homes.
Chicago police were in a standoff Sunday morning in the South Shore neighborhood.
It was Thanksgiving Eve 2020, and Melissa Lamesch was excited about the upcoming birth of her first child. Investigators would learn there was someone who was not as enthused — the expectant father, firefighter Matthew Plote.
