GENEVA—State Representative Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) is urging Governor JB Pritzker to expand the capabilities of the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“Hardworking residents were laid off in mid-March, when many small businesses were forced to close their doors due to this pandemic,” said Rep. Ugaste. “Now, they are struggling to find the proper resources from IDES, who is simply overrun with requests and can’t adequately handle the magnitude of people who need help.”
Rep. Ugaste’s district office has received many inquiries from constituents and concerned business owners who have had trouble navigating the IDES system for filing unemployment benefits. According to IDES, just last week over 200,000 Illinoisans filed for unemployment, breaking a state record.
“It is crucial that our residents get the benefits that they are owed, which is why I am asking that the Governor do more to help these workers and expand the powers of IDES to do so,” continued the Representative.
Rep. Ugaste would support the hiring of a third party contractor or utilizing state employees from other agencies to assist IDES with processing benefit claims during the ongoing health crisis.
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