Peoria Woman Receives Unemployment Benefits Card For Mom Who's Been Dead Two Years
"If we're just wasting more money by creating these beautiful IDES, cards and mailing them out across our state, it's ridiculous," Cindy Pille said.
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"If we're just wasting more money by creating these beautiful IDES, cards and mailing them out across our state, it's ridiculous," Cindy Pille said.
As many wait for unemployment benefits or the debits cards they need to access that money, it turns out some people are getting those cards in the mail when they never even applied for unemployment.
Many jobless Illinois workers have taken advantage of the state's new feature in which they can skip countless calling and long hold times and let someone from the state's Department of Employment Security call them back. The problem is, some wait times have turned into days.
CBS 2's dozens of reports raised questions about IDES' overwhelmed system and uncovered how, in case after case, people were unable to successfully file for unemployment or get their benefits for months
The state system built to offer lifelines to those who are out of work is riddled with gaffes, according to one worker empathizing with people waiting months for unemployment money.
"We are still clearly not out of the weeds."
CBS 2 is Working for Chicago by getting advice from our career coach every Thursday.
Imagine taking the time to certify for unemployment benefits almost 20 times and still not seeing a dime. CBS 2 is Working for Chicago with reporting that uncovers failures by the state.
When Trump last campaigned in the state in January, the unemployment rate was 3.5%; now, 12% of workers are jobless.
CBS 2 is Working for Chicago as we continue to hear that many people are waiting to receive benefits they are owed. Some are struggling to get simple answers from the state.
Hundreds of phone calls, but no solution – we continue to hear from people who can't get through for help with unemployment claims or the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.
Audits are holding up the federal money they're desperate for - that's what some gig workers tell CBS 2.
We're getting answers to your unemployment questions as CBS 2 continues Working For Chicago.
Just in the past week, we've heard from dozens of people who are still waiting on unemployment benefits – some since March.
There were 1,542,000 new claims filed across the country last week.
Around 2.5 million people got jobs in May, dropping the unemployment rate to 13.3%. More than half of those jobs added were at food and drinking establishments, but the overall unemployment numbers are still staggering.
The unemployment rate took a surprising drop, but while hope exists the road to recovery remains uncertain.
Are you thinking about changing industries during this difficult time?
"It's still difficult to get through and the websites don't work."
The Illinois Department of Public Health on Tuesday announced 1,614 new cases of COVID-19, and 113 additional deaths.
Felice had just started a new job in March, then the pandemic hit.
We have taken the allegations made by IDES workers to Gov. JB Pritzker to see how he plans to address the concerns they brought up.
CBS 2's extensive reporting as part of its "Working for Chicago" series continues to uncover how the state's system for applying for and processing unemployment claims is not only overwhelmed, but incapable of handling the extraordinary number of new claims from the beginning.
But for every 10 layoffs, three new jobs are created. CBS 2 is still tracking new openings in the Chicago area.
Munetaka Murakami hit his majors-leading 13th homer of the season to highlight a six-run second inning, Colson Montgomery added his ninth home run, and the Chicago White Sox beat the San Diego Padres 8-2 for their fourth straight win.
Thought you knew everything about Chicago? So did we, but wait until you see what new things we learned thanks to the help of the Chicago History Museum.
According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in Chicago was $5.17 on Friday, up from $3.75 a year ago.
The woman who was pistol-whipped during an armed robbery at a Family Dollar store in Albany Park last weekend said she was horrified to learn one of the two men who were arrested was also accused of later shooting two Chicago police officers, killing one of them.
More than four months after a Chicago woman battling ALS was told she couldn't get a disabled parking placard in front of her home, the sign is up and her life is about to change.
Elmwood Park, Center Cass, Oak Lawn Hometown, and Atwood Heights are among the Illinois districts being investigated by the Justice Department over classroom instruction on gender and sexuality.
Negotiations over a $500 million dollar government aid package for Spirit stalled after bondholders balked at the terms.
The longest shutdown of a federal department in U.S. history came to an end on Thursday when President Trump signed a bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security following a breakthrough on Capitol Hill.
The Coast Guard will run out of funding to pay personnel on May 1, with the first missed paychecks expected May 15.
Illinois lawmakers are not planning to pursue a constitutional amendment on redistricting after a key U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday.
According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in Chicago was $5.17 on Friday, up from $3.75 a year ago.
Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Company customers are likely to see minor credits on their bills for the next three years, thanks to a $125 million settlement agreement announced Thursday by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
Chicago gas prices are spiking as the war with Iran drags on, with regular gas nearing $6 in some spots and premium already selling for more than $7 in some places.
In the legal venue of anti-trust enforcement, the state is not taking on the Trump administration, but rather filling a void that state officials say the Trump administration has vacated.
A passenger on an American Airlines flight from New York to Chicago has been charged with making a false bomb threat that forced an emergency landing at Detroit Metro Airport last month, according to a federal criminal complaint.
The second-largest physicians' group in the U.S. has issued a surprising switch in breast cancer screening recommendations.
A new $48 million wellness center opened Thursday in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. The goal is to improve the health and quality of life for people on the West Side of Chicago.
La Rabida Children's Hospital went all out for Earth Day on Wednesday, with volunteer cleanup efforts by staffers and activities for patients and families.
It has been several weeks since West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, Illinois, abruptly shut down — and then on Wednesday, it just as swiftly partially reopened, with some services available.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 80% of deaths related to pregnancy are preventable, and Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
Thousands of people marched from the West Loop to Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago on Friday for May Day, with activists calling for workers' rights, stronger labor protections, and increased school funding.
A $170 million-plus plan announced this week will redevelop the Water Tower Place mall on the Magnificent Mile.
The Holiday Club in Chicago's Buena Park neighborhood will soon be going out of business, as the building that houses the popular bar is set to be torn down.
At a meeting on Tuesday, the Lincolnwood Village Board approved a pre-development agreement with the mall, providing a roadmap with the property owner for further preparations and government approvals for redevelopment.
The only remaining location of Pal Joey's pizzeria in Batavia, Illinois, will soon be going out of business, its owner announced this week.
David Allan Coe also had hits with "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" and "The Ride" among others.
Some youngsters got a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of making opera Sunday at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Matt DeCaro, an actor who was a familiar face on the Chicago stage for many years, died this weekend.
Jake was at the funeral for one of his closest friends when he learned of his parents' deaths, he said.
Tickets for the 2026 Ravinia Festival season went on sale Thursday morning.
Chief meteorologist Albert Ramon has the latest First Alert Weather forecast.
Thought you knew everything about Chicago? So did we, but wait until you see what new things we learned thanks to the help of the Chicago History Museum.
A sharp uptick in gas prices has pushed the cost of an average gallon of regular in Chicago to more than $5. According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in Chicago was $5.17 on Friday, up from $3.75 a year ago.
The woman who was pistol-whipped during an armed robbery at a Family Dollar store in Albany Park last weekend said she was horrified to learn the man who was arrested was also accused of later shooting to Chicago police officers, killing one of them.
More than four months after a Chicago woman battling ALS was told she couldn't get a disabled parking placard in front of her home, the sign is up and her life is about to change.
The woman who was pistol-whipped during an armed robbery at a Family Dollar store in Albany Park last weekend said she was horrified to learn the man who was arrested was also accused of later shooting to Chicago police officers, killing one of them.
According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in Chicago was $5.17 on Friday, up from $3.75 a year ago.
Thought you knew everything about Chicago? So did we, but wait until you see what new things we learned thanks to the help of the Chicago History Museum.
More than four months after a Chicago woman battling ALS was told she couldn't get a disabled parking placard in front of her home, the sign is up and her life is about to change.
Clerical workers at the Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) have ratified a new contract agreement with the company, and will return to work next week, ending a monthlong lockout.
More than four months after a Chicago woman battling ALS was told she couldn't get a disabled parking placard in front of her home, the sign is up and her life is about to change.
An elderly woman has essentially abandoned her home of three decades because of constantly broken elevators at her high-rise condo building on the Southwest Side of Chicago.
Violent retail crime is on the rise in Illinois, according to a new report from the Illinois Organized Retail Crime Association.
A top administrator in the Libertyville school district has been placed on leave after a fiery school board meeting focused on how the district handled allegations of grooming leveled against a former teacher.
Potholes along one stretch of road in Chicago's Pullman neighborhood are so bad, people say they damage their cars just getting to work.
Munetaka Murakami hit his majors-leading 13th homer of the season to highlight a six-run second inning, Colson Montgomery added his ninth home run, and the Chicago White Sox beat the San Diego Padres 8-2 for their fourth straight win.
Michael Busch had two hits and two RBIs, helping Colin Rea and the Chicago Cubs top the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5.
The Kentucky Derby will see a field of 19 horses today in the first leg of the 2026 competition for horse racing's Triple Crown.
Seven-time All-Star Skylar Diggins has only been with the Sky for about three weeks, but it's clear she's already one of the leaders of the team.
The Cubs have won 12 of their last 15 games.
Chief Geoff Guttschow, who has an autistic child who drives, says the Blue Envelope Program gives officers a tool to recognize when a driver may need additional communication support.
A woman has been charged with shooting a 15-year-old boy outside an indoor track facility near Gately Park in Chicago in 2024, after getting into a fight with another woman during a back-to-school event in the Pullman neighborhood.
Sexual abuse charges were filed this week against a Park City, Illinois, police officer.
Attorneys for the man convicted of the murders of two girls in Delphi, Indiana, have filed a new brief with the Indiana Court of Appeals to overturn his case.
Attorneys for a woman convicted of killing her 69-year-old landlord in Chicago's Arcadia Terrace community have filed an appeal.
