Are you Claimant in Illinois? If so, having proper representation at your Hearing is the KEY to winning your appeal. We not only provide representation but we will also handle every aspect of your hearing - we even file the initial appeal from a denial of benefits for you.
We offer free consultations and can answer most (if not all) Illinois Unemployment Questions.
Call or contact us today concerning your Illinois Unemployment Compensation problems.
The Unemployment Help Center, Ltd, represents Illinois Claimants at Unemployment Compensation Hearings and Appeals. We provide highly experienced Hearings Representatives who can, and will, fight for your Illinios Unemployment Compensation benefits
Contact use using the form below
For Sample Appeals Letters click here: http://uchelpcenter.com/content/services
From a Hearing Officer's point of view.....
Hearing officers usually conduct between 40 to 50 hearings per week. At times, it can become overwhelming. With that in mind, there are a few key points to remember to ensure the hearing runs smoothly as possible since most officers allot approximately 45 minutes for each hearing.
1) Only answer the question that has been asked - avoid giving extra information unless you are asked by the hearing officer to give further information.
2) Never interrupt the other party's testimony - this is disruptive for the hearing and will cause confusion since all hearings are recorded and it is important for the officer to know who is giving testimony at all times.
3) Only provide witnesses that actually have first hand knowledge of the incident(s) that caused your separation. It is not necessary to have a witness that will only repeat your testimony.
4) Always remain courteous. Since these are generally telephonic hearings, your attitude is extremely important. Although hearing officers are to remain bias free and render a fair decision bases on the evidence and facts presented during the hearing, an irate claimant who chooses to use profanity and show disrespect during the hearing, is usually considered as someone who does not wish to participate in the hearing. And as such, without the claimant's testimony, the final decision will more than likely be adverse if the claimant is no longer permitted to participate in the hearing if they have been disruptive.
5) Your appeal hearing is the opportunity for you to tell your side of the story. It is not uncommon for your ex-employer to give a distorted version of the incident that caused your separation - however, remain calm. If you have carefully prepared with your representative prior to the hearing, and you stick to your truth, although there will be a conflict in testimony, the hearing officer is aware of what to look for during testimony to determine who is more credible, so remain calm and stick to your truth, follow the guidance of your hearing representative and the evidence will speak for itself
Illinois Unemployment Compensation NEWS:
Temporary Extension through February Passed by Congress and Signed by President Obama
Unemployment insurance benefits will continue. Congress passed, and the President signed into law, legislation that temporarily extends the benefits through the end of February. The action was part of the two-month renewal of the payroll tax cut.
The decision means that individuals who have collected unemployment insurance benefits from Illinois for fewer than 99 weeks will continue to do so. The decision does not add additional weeks to programs.
Under current law, the number of weeks of unemployment benefits available to an Illinois claimant will generally range from a minimum of 25 to a maximum of 99; however, not everyone will be entitled to the maximum number of weeks. The number of payable weeks of emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) and extended benefits (EB) depends on whether an individual meets the EB and EUC eligibility criteria, when an individual's claim was initially filed and the federal phase out rules.
The maximum 99 weeks of benefits include
- 26 weeks of regular state benefits,
- 53 weeks of EUC, in four separate tiers of 20, 14, 13 and 6 weeks,
- 20 weeks of EB.
The legislation has established the following cutoff dates for the EUC and EB programs;
EUC - Must have exhausted regular benefits by 2/25/12 to be placed on EUC.
What information do I need to file an Illinois Unemployment Insurance claim online?
- Social Security Number and Name as it appears on your Social Security card,
- If claiming your spouse or child as a dependent, the Social Security Number, Date of Birth and name of dependent(s),
- Employer's name, mailing address, phone numbers, employment dates, and separation reason for all the employers you worked for in the last 18 months,
- If you are not a United States citizen, your Alien Registration Information,
- If you worked since Sunday of this week, the amount of gross wages earned this week. (You must report all gross wages for any work performed, full or part-time. Gross wages are the amount earned before any deductions, not "take home pay". Wages in the form of lodging, meals, merchandise or any other form should be included. Gross wages must be reported the week in which they are earned, not the week in which you receive the wages. If your gross wages earned in any week are less than your weekly benefit amount, you still may be eligible to receive a full or partial benefit payment), and,
- If you are a recently separated veteran, bring in the Member 4 Copy of the DD form 214 / 215.
What information do I need to file an Illinios Unemployment Insurance claim at my local office or WorkNet center?
- In addition to everything listed above, you will need to bring two forms of identification, at least one containing your Social Security number.
http://www.ides.illinois.gov/page.aspx?item=868
Gov. Pat Quinn got a very rosy employment report heading into next month's election, with Illinois second only to Texas in new jobs in September.
But there was plenty of fodder for Bruce Rauner, Mr. Quinn's GOP challenger, in the last state employment report before the Nov. 4 vote. The Winnetka investor can point to the long-term trend for Illinois jobs.
Illinois gained 19,300 jobs in September, better than any state in the nation except Texas, which picked up almost twice as many jobs. And it had the biggest drop in the unemployment rate over the past year.
That gives Illinois the sixth-best month for job growth in the past decade, according to Michael Lucci, director of jobs and growth at the Illinois Policy Institute, a conservative think tank aligned with Mr.Rauner, who has funded the organization in the past.
“It's a strong report going into the election,” Mr. Lucci said. However, Illinois is still well below its pre-recession employment level, particularly in manufacturing jobs, he noted.
As of September, the state's 6.6 percent unemployment rate ranked 34th, down from 9.1 percent a year ago. That drop of 2.5 percentage points was a bigger improvement than any other state saw in the past 12 months. In 2013, the Illinois unemployment rate averaged 9.2 percent, third-highest in the nation.
“Today's news shows that the Illinois economy is making a comeback,” the governor said in a statement. “We are making the tough decisions necessary to drive economic growth, and the statistics released today show that Illinois is moving in the right direction.”
“It is clear that Illinois' economy is growing stronger every day, and we have more work to do,” he added. “Let's keep our shoulder to the wheel.”