When the pandemic hit in March 2020, it prompted a statewide stay-at-home order for everything but essential businesses, and waves of furloughs and layoffs. Last year, the state paid out nearly $19.7 billion in unemployment benefits to about 1.5 million recipients, both annual records for Illinois, according to IDES spokeswoman Rebecca Cisco.
Illinois overpaid millions in unemployment benefits during the pandemic. Now there’s a way for people to keep the money.
