More Illinoisans Aren't Receiving Debit Cards With Unemployment Benefits, Call On Gov. Pritzker To Take Action
They expected to wait a few weeks for unemployment benefits, but now it has been two months.
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They expected to wait a few weeks for unemployment benefits, but now it has been two months.
On Monday, members of the so-called gig economy were finally able to file for unemployment benefits.
Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday admitted that the Illinois unemployment system is "unfit to handle surge."
"I have a life. I have bills to pay. I'm stuck. I'm really stuck."
They've waited weeks and weeks for help, but starting Monday, Illinois gig workers should start receiving unemployment benefits.
Through CBS 2's commitment to Working for Chicago, we dig into problems Illinoisans face when applying for and receiving unemployment benefits.
Gov. JB Pritzker has said there is no real backlog on jobless claims in Illinois. But on Monday night, our sources said the backlog is real, and getting longer by the day.
The money is still there, but unemployed Illinoisans still can't access it -and bills are piling up.
As we've reported in recent days, penalty weeks have been forcing people to go for months without unemployment benefits – and the matter has become urgent for thousands of people.
When we continued to hear from people who have received unemployment benefits, but no way to access them, our Tara Molina started digging.
In response to multiple complaints, an Illinois state senator is calling for a discussion on penalty weeks preventing people from receiving unemployment benefits.
We exposed Wednesday night how few people are working the phones in Illinois to help those struggling to get through to finish filing for unemployment. On Thursday night, we were happy to report that number is getting a much needed boost.
As CBS 2 Investigator Pam Zekman found out, a simple mistake could mean you can't collect your cash.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) estimates 102,736 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of April 13 in Illinois
People in need of unemployment benefits and their situations are growing direr by the day. We have uncovered what is behind some of the madness, and it's simple.
Workers lose jobs when businesses can't keep their doors open, and the Illinois unemployment system is having a hard time keeping up with claims.
For weeks, we've heard the money coming for unemployment benefits in Illinois and will be there. But that is little consolation to the tens of thousands of jobless in Illinois who still can't file.
The number of people out of work continues to climb amid the coronavirus crisis, and the new numbers issued Thursday reflect that.
With unemployment numbers at an all-time high, the federal government is helping some states process claims faster.
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.
A struggling single mom told us Tuesday night that she is out of cash - but the state is putting her money on hold for months.
Since day one, we have been pushing for answers about the State of Illinois' overwhelmed computer system.
"So many families are hurting at a scale that this country hasn't seen ever in our lifetime, and our state unemployment filing systems – which were built a decade ago for a much lower number of claims – simply haven't kept pace," Pritzker said Monday at his daily COVID-19 briefing.
More than 200,000 people filed first-time unemployment claims in Illinois this week, breaking the record set last week. All those claims in the system also complicates what matters for people already approved.
CBS 2 continues to track issues with the state's unemployment system, which is still overwhelmed by requests amid the coronavirus crash.
There's a new push in Springfield to get gun manufacturers to foot some of the bills for the costs of gun crime; expenses like ambulances, funerals, lost wages, and more.
The Chatham community came together on Wednesday night to honor fallen Chicago police officer Thomas Wortham IV, 16 years after he was shot and killed.
A Chicago police officer's family said he's lucky to be alive after he was attacked on Tuesday night in the McKinley Park neighborhood.
Kyle Harrison struck out 11 in seven dominant innings and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the sloppy Chicago Cubs 5-0 to sweep the first series this season between the NL Central rivals.
A new report on Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke's first 500 days in office shows sharp increases in felony charges and prison sentences in retail theft cases.
There's a new push in Springfield to get gun manufacturers to foot some of the bills for the costs of gun crime; expenses like ambulances, funerals, lost wages, and more.
Former Cuban leader Raúl Castro was indicted by a U.S. grand jury in connection with the Cuban military's fatal downing of two planes in 1996 — an escalation in the U.S. pressure campaign against the Cuban government.
Chicago city leaders on Wednesday announced a new effort to connect people with affordable housing.
Barney Frank, a Democrat who represented Massachusetts in Congress for 32 years, has died. He was 86 years old.
The $1.776 billion fund, which is part of the agreement to settle Trump's lawsuit against the IRS and Treasury Dept., is to be used to compensate those who claim that the government weaponized the legal system against them.
Consumer and environmental advocates said Monday that they found overcharges buried in the most recent rate-hike request by Nicor.
One week away from Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of the summer travel season, with gas prices remaining high, negotiations were set to resume Monday at the largest oil refinery in the Midwest.
Chatham residents say they're losing a vital resource as Walgreen's prepares to close its store near 86th and Cottage Grove.
According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in Chicago was $5.17 on Friday, up from $3.75 a year ago.
Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Company customers are likely to see minor credits on their bills for the next three years, thanks to a $125 million settlement agreement announced Thursday by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
A person suspected of having hantavirus in Winnebago County, Illinois, turned out to be a false alarm, officials said Monday.
The DuPage County Health Department has confirmed its first positive tests for West Nile virus in pools of mosquitoes this year.
The Kane County Health Department was set Monday to offer a free mental health awareness webinar.
At least 80 deaths have been reported in a new Ebola disease outbreak in Congo and Uganda, authorities said.
Engineers at Northwestern University have created a wireless polygraph to detect stress.
The owners of Gene & Georgetti steakhouse are suing a concessions operator over their expansion at Midway International Airport.
DraftKings announced Monday that it is closing its sportsbook operation at Wrigley Field after only about two years.
After more than 80 years, there will be no Ann Sather restaurant location in the 900 block of West Belmont Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview community, effective in June.
Flight attendants at Chicago-based United Airlines have approved a new labor contract, marking their first pay increases in six years.
The Chicago Fire FC announced Wednesday morning that its new stadium in the South Loop will be named McDonald's Park.
Bill Pullinsi, a Chicago-area stage director and producer widely called the "father of dinner theater," has died.
The Chicago-born house music track, which began as a personal poem in 1982 and became a defining anthem of the city's house music scene, has been selected for permanent preservation by the Library of Congress.
The Library of Congress revealed this year's list of 25 recordings to be preserved for future generations on the National Recording Registry.
David Allan Coe also had hits with "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" and "The Ride" among others.
Some youngsters got a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of making opera Sunday at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Meteorologist David Yeomans has the latest First Alert Weather forecast.
There's a new push in Springfield to get gun manufacturers to foot some of the bills for the costs of gun crime; expenses like ambulances, funerals, lost wages, and more.
The Chatham community came together on Wednesday night to honor fallen Chicago police officer Thomas Wortham IV, 16 years after he was shot and killed.
A Chicago police officer's family said he's lucky to be alive after he was attacked on Tuesday night in the McKinley Park neighborhood. Officer Kevin Mangan has a long road ahead because of the injuries he suffered.
Two children and two adults are dead, and two other children are injured after a house fire in Chicago's West Englewood neighborhood early Wednesday morning, Chicago police said.
Antonio Wilson said his parents and two of their four foster children were killed. The two other foster children survived.
A Chicago police officer's family said he's lucky to be alive after he was attacked on Tuesday night in the McKinley Park neighborhood.
There's a new push in Springfield to get gun manufacturers to foot some of the bills for the costs of gun crime; expenses like ambulances, funerals, lost wages, and more.
The Chatham community came together on Wednesday night to honor fallen Chicago police officer Thomas Wortham IV, 16 years after he was shot and killed.
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling put parents on notice about teen takeovers in the city this summer.
Many Metra riders with disabilities have been forced to reroute their trips due to Monday's closure of the only elevator providing access to the Electric Line at Millennium Station in downtown Chicago.
Pothole complaints continue everywhere, but especially on one street in the Pullman neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago.
People in Lincoln Park and Lakeview have rallied against a plan to build a new industrial ComEd electrical substation in their neighborhoods, pushing local and state leaders to get involved.
Monday marks one year since Illinois enacted Karina's Law — legislation aimed at taking firearms out of the hands of people accused of domestic abuse.
Tenants at a South Shore apartment building said they've noticed their rent fluctuating by hundreds of dollars a month due to a change in how their utility billing system is set up.
Kyle Harrison struck out 11 in seven dominant innings and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the sloppy Chicago Cubs 5-0 to sweep the first series this season between the NL Central rivals.
Jhonny Pereda hit his first MLB homer, Randy Arozarena also went deep and scored three runs, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Chicago White Sox 5-4.
Andrew Benintendi drove in the go-ahead run with an infield single in the ninth inning, four Chicago pitchers held Seattle to one hit, and the White Sox beat the Mariners 2-1.
Jacob Misiorowski pitched six scoreless innings, Brice Turang was 3 for 4 with a two-run homer, and the Milwaukee Brewers topped the Chicago Cubs 5-2 to move into first place in the NL Central.
Rickea Jackson's promising first season with the Chicago Sky is over after it barely began after suffering a torn ACL in Sunday's win against the Minnesota Lynx.
Chicago police on Wednesday were searching for seven people in connection with an armed robbery at the Thorndale CTA Red Line stop earlier this month.
A man was shot in the legs early Wednesday morning in Chicago's Irving Park neighborhood.
Three teens were wounded during two separate shootings in Chicago's Austin neighborhood.
A man was shot and killed in the north Chicago suburb of Skokie early Tuesday.
A man is being held in custody on charges that he tricked two young women into believing he was an art student working on a photography project in Chicago's Northalsted district, and went on to sexually abuse one of them.
