Department of Employment Security Waiving Penalty for Employers

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) today announced that employers will not face a penalty fee for filing their February 2020 wage reports late. The emergency rule was electronically filed with the Secretary of State on April 7, 2020 and becomes immediately effective.

Wage reports are filed by employers and businesses on a monthly basis and document the number of workers and the wages each worker is paid during that month. These reports, which reflect employment and wages for the previous month, are used to determine whether a claimant is monetarily eligible for unemployment benefits and the amount of benefits for which the claimant is eligible. The timely filing of these reports is vital to integrity of the unemployment trust fund, out of which unemployment benefits are paid.

Employers are still encouraged to file their February 2020 wage reports, which were due to the department on March 31, 2020, as soon as possible. This will assist with department in making monetary eligibility determinations for workers who have been impacted by layoffs and job losses as a result of COVID-19 and are currently filing unemployment benefit claims.

IDES is continuing to work through and process an unprecedented number of unemployment benefit claims and questions, both online and through the call center. Over 300,000 unemployment claims were filed in the month of March, compared to the just over 36,000 claims filed in March 2019.

Workers who have experienced layoffs, job losses, and business closures due to COVID-19 should visit IDES.Illinois.gov for more information about how they could qualify for unemployment benefits or to file a claim.

Anyone with a question or in need of assistance with unemployment benefits at this time is encouraged to visit our website. For those in need of technical assistance or without the capability to file a claim online, please call the customer service center at 800.244.5631.

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