City of Rockford issued the following announcement on March 27.
Illinois residents are filing for unemployment in record numbers as a result of COVID-19, with 115,000 filing during the week of March 21. The volume is straining phone and online systems used by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES).
IDES is taking steps to respond to the volume of unemployment benefit claims and is beefing up both its online and call center infrastructure:
To help, IDES is now asking claimants to follow an alphabetized schedule when filing an unemployment benefit claim online or over the phone. This process mirrors other states, such as Colorado and New York, which are experiencing increased web traffic and high call volumes with their unemployment benefit systems.
Online Filing Schedule:
*Those with last names beginning with letters A-M should file their claims on Sundays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays.
*Those with last names beginning with letters N-Z should file their claims on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays.
*Saturdays will be available for anyone to accommodate those who could not file during their allotted window.
Call Center Filing Schedule:
*Those with last names beginning with letters A-M should call on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 7:30am – 6pm.
*Those with last names beginning with letters N-Z should call on Mondays and Wednesdays between 7:30am – 6pm.
*Fridays (7:30am – 6pm) will be available for anyone to accommodate those who could not file during their allotted window.
The day or time of day in which a claim is filed will not impact whether residents receive benefits or the benefit amount. Additionally, claims will be back-dated to reflect the date in which a claimant was laid-off or let go from their job due to COVID-19.
To file a claim, follow the Last Name Guidelines above and visit www2.illinois.gov/ides or call 800-244-5631.
Original source can be found here.
Source: City of Rockford