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Illinois state Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) recently fired off an open letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, pressing him about self-employed workers still not being able to apply for unemployment benefits on the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) website.
“When can we tell our constituents they will be able to apply for these crucial resources?” Brady quizzed the governor.
Since the governor imposed his stay at home order in late March, ordering all businesses not deemed to be essential by the government closed as a way of mitigating the spread of COVID-19, the state’s unemployment rate has skyrocketed. More than 1.07 million claims for regular unemployment benefits were filed from March 1 through May 9.
“Residents throughout Illinois impacted by the economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak are struggling to pay their rent and feed their families,” Brady added in his letter. “During these unprecedented times, we must do everything we can to ensure they are getting the help they need as soon as possible.”
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