(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — State lawmakers are passing along the frustrations of people in their districts to the Illinois Department of Employment Security over the long waits some people are enduring to get their unemployment benefits.
A virtual hearing of the Illinois Senate Labor Committee Wednesday became a chance to ask questions and air grievances about massive delays as the agency juggles unprecedented levels of unemployment claims and benefits fraud.
Democrat Sen. Scott Bennett said residents in his central Illinois district want to know why IDES can't be like the cable company in telling people when they can expect a callback.
IDES Acting Director Kristin Richards said since moving to a callback system in July the agency is regularly making adjustments, like increasing the number of times an agent will attempt to reach a resident and ensuring calls don't show up as "spam."
Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, tried to pin down the scope of benefit fraud, asking how much the state has paid out.
Richards says the agency has stopped 1 million fake claims it has found or that others reported but couldn't say how much has been paid out to fraudsters.
She says they're working with the state attorney general and other law enforcement to find those responsible.
