McHenry Times

State Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) wants his constituents to know they can finally feel safe about signing up for benefits with the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES).

“Better late than never, IDES is rolling out multi-factor protection for those applying for unemployment benefits,” Ugaste recently posted on Facebook. The link provided by Ugaste goes to a four-page guide that explains how applicants can use ILOGIN securely as they apply for unemployment benefits.

 IDES has been in the news recently for asking that some benefit recipients repay the money that were given during the pandemic. Many legislators, including Rep. Jim Durkin, have sounded the alarms as constituents receive letters saying they owe up to $20,000, according to the Will County Gazette.

“Residents who received unemployment help during the pandemic are now being told they owe thousands of dollars back,” Durkin posted on Facebook. “Struggling Illinois families should not be on the hook for the administration's mistakes. The governor and IDES need to resolve these ongoing issues with the unemployment system.”

State Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Lake Barrington) was one of several to call out the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) for its staggering unemployment case backlog.

"The IDES has failed completely," McLaughlin said in a May 20 news conference. He said he was shocked at the quality of service that Illinoisans out of work have received, according to the Lake County Gazette. "They haven't just failed recently, they've been continually failing."

McLaughlin said his office has been flooded with calls and emails from frustrated constituents desperate for answers on when they will get assistance from the agency.