CHICAGO (AP) - A new system built to handle unemployment claims from independent contractors and people typically unable to get jobless benefits will be ready to handle expected demand next week, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday.
Illinois and other states have struggled to keep up with the enormous demand placed on unemployment application systems since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Roughly 33 million Americans have filed for jobless aid since businesses have been shut down to curb the spread of the virus.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security said it has processed more than 1 million initial claims since March 1 and paid out more than $2 billion since the start of the year.
States also had to establish a system for claims filed by people who are typically ineligible for unemployment, including contractors and those who are self-employed. That expansion was included in the $2 billion rescue package passed by Congress last month.
Pritzker said Illinois contracted with Deloitte for the contractor-focused system that will be ready to process applications starting Monday.
People who think they may be eligible for the expanded relief should first file a claim through the state’s standard unemployment program and can take that step before Monday, Pritzker said.
Illinois has been under a stay-at-home order since March 21. House Republicans have criticized Pritzker, a Democrat, for failing to do enough for people struggling to file initial unemployment claims and shared residents’ stories of frustrations getting through to the agency by phone.
Pritzker said Thursday that the agency that handles unemployment in the state has been underfunded for years before getting hit with unprecedented demand for its services as the pandemic walloped the U.S. economy.
At the start of the Great Recession in late 2007, Illinoisans filed 180,000 claims for unemployment aid, which is a fraction of the need now, he said.
“The financial toll on the people of Illinois has been breathtaking and it’s unprecedented,” he said.
Pritzker said he was confident that the agency is getting back on track after bringing back retired staff, enlisting outside contractors to overhaul its systems and hiring 200 people to staff a call center intended to help people through the online application processes.
“It’s my promise to every Illinoisan that I wont rest until we get our residents the support they need to get through this battle,” he said.
Public health officials reported Thursday that new COVID-19 cases in the state climbed by 2,641, to 70,873; and 138 more people died, increasing the total to 3,111.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older people and the infirm, it can cause severe symptoms and lead to death.
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