More Unemployed Illinoisans Come Forward After Single Mom Is Denied Benefits Due To Past Overpayment
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Every day, we have been bringing you stories about the 500,000 workers in Illinois who are now unemployed.
On Thursday, we will learn how much higher that number will go when the unemployment numbers come out.
CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov on Tuesday uncovered the reason why one woman is not getting any unemployment money, and on Wednesday, others reached out.
We're talking about people who qualify for unemployment benefits, but are now stuck waiting for months for any money because of a past overpayment issue and state law. It amounts to something of a benefits black hole.
We asked Gov. JB Pritzker if something needs to change during this unprecedented coronavirus pandemic.
"What if it were you? What if it was a situation where you paid them back, and honestly, you just can't see why they just don't have a bit of compassion," said single mom Marissa Strickland, "a little bit of, like, OK, some form of compromise."
Strickland is in a desperate financial situation. We introduced her to you on Tuesday night.
She was laid off March 21 due to the stay-at-home order, and she qualified for unemployment benefits. The bad news? Because of a past benefit overpayment – one she had already paid back fully – an Illinois Department of Employment Security worker told her she would not get any more money for 20 weeks – called penalty weeks.
Making matters direr, Strickland will not get her federal unemployment stimulus money either.
"I asked them, you know, is there something I could do? Is there a way for me to appeal? Are they going to give me some money, just not all of it? And basically, no, they're not giving me anything," Strickland said.
Since then, several other people have reached out to us in the same situation – no benefits until penalty weeks are up, even though they paid the money back.
"We've got to make sure that everybody has the ability to maintain support for them and their families, no matter who they are," Pritzker said.
But an Illinois Department of Employment Security spokeswoman said the weeks are levied because of a fraud determination, and it is required by state statute.
Kozlov asked the governor, "Is there anything you can do on an emergency capacity to potentially discuss deferring those penalty weeks, and if not, because it is a law, is there something you can do to urge lawmakers to potentially review this and step in?"
Pritzker replied, "It sounds like kind of a peculiar space that they fall into, and we should be looking for how to rescue them out of that."
Pritzker said he does not have the power to change the law, but whether it is a law that needs to be put on the legislative agenda is certainly something that needs to be discussed, he said.
The Illinois General Assembly has not been in session for about a month because of COVID-19, but Pritzker said there are discussions about how the body can begin meeting again and possibly soon.
CBS 2 is committing to Working For Chicago, connecting you every day with the information you or a loved one might need about the jobs market, and helping you remove roadblocks to getting back to work.
We'll keep uncovering information every day to help this community get back to work, until the job crisis passes. CBS 2 has several helpful items right here on our website, including a look at specific companies that are hiring, and information from the state about the best way to get through to file for unemployment benefits in the meantime.
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