How Do I Check the Status of My Unemployment Claim with the Illinois Department of Employment Security?

This article tells you how to check on your application for unemployment benefits with the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Instructions are given provided for checking on your application status by phone and by TTY. Other means of contacting the Illinois Department of Employment Security are given, in case the other contact methods have problems. Unemployment benefit eligibility requirements for Illinois are also given.

Adam Goldkamp is the editor / author responsible for this content.
Apr 28, 2020

The Illinois Department of Employment Security helps eligible unemployed Illinois residents pay their bills while they look for new jobs for up to 26 weeks. After you submit a claim for this financial assistance, you might need to know as soon as possible whether or not you qualify. You might have questions about the process itself, and how it applies to your case. You need to know how to check on the status of your unemployment benefits claim. Read on to find how to check.

Requirements for Receiving Unemployment Benefits in Illinois

  • You must be unemployed because of factors outside of your control. Job loss because of a national disaster like a health crisis qualifies. So does losing your job because of ordinary layoffs.
  • You must actively be seeking a new job. This means that you must either search for a job through IllinoisJobLink.com or you must log searches elsewhere on a Work Search Record.
  • You must meet certain earnings requirements for the previous year.

Checking the Status of Your Claim

After you have filed your unemployment benefits claim, the Illinois Department of Employment Security will examine your claim and mail you their findings. If your claim is approved, this letter will tell you how much you will get in weekly benefits and the maximum benefit level you have qualified for. To check on the status of your claim before you receive the letter, call 800-244-5631 between 8:30 am and 5 pm on weekdays. The TTY number you would use to check on your claim is 800-244-5631.

Other Contact Options

You can also contact the Illinois Department of Employment Security online here. You can also find a map of offices that you can visit to talk to someone in person about your claim here.

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Adam has been tirelessly trying to help customers find the best tips and tricks to get through phone trees and writing many guides for prickly customer service problems. He's been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Inside Edition and Bloomberg.
How Do I Check the Status of My Unemployment Claim with the Illinois Department of Employment Security?

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