As COVID-19 restrictions ease in Illinois, the doors of the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) offices remain closed even as fraud claims continue to spike.
Most recently, CBS 2 Chicago reported Illinois ranks among the worst in the nation in reporting unemployment fraud to the federal Department of Labor and elected officials.
The lack of transparency raises questions on what’s being hidden and how large the scope of the problem is.
More than a month ago, lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan resolution calling for the reopening of IDES offices. Four weeks have since passed and no movement has been made on opening the facilities.
Senator Fowler says the situation raises questions on how much money is being siphoned in fraudulent claims and what’s taking so long to rectify the problem for fraud victims.