Illinois Unemployment Benefits: Who Qualifies, How Much, and How to Apply
Illinois unemployment: can you get benefits if fired or you quit, weekly benefit amounts, how many weeks, work search rules, how to apply and appeal.
Quick answers for Illinois
- If you were fired
- You are disqualified if you were discharged for misconduct connected with your work. You stay ineligible until you find another job, earn at least your weekly benefit amount in each of four calendar weeks, and then lose that job through no fault of your own. Illinois Department of Employment Security, Unemployment Insurance Benefits Handbook, Disqualifications
- Weekly benefit amount
- Your weekly benefit is 47% of your average weekly wage in the two highest-paid quarters of your base period, plus a dependent allowance if you have a non-working spouse or dependent child. IDES, Table 1 of Weekly Benefit Amounts (applies to benefit years beginning on or after 1/1/2026)
- How many weeks
- Up to 26 full weeks in a one-year benefit year; total benefits are 26 times your weekly benefit amount plus any dependent allowance. Illinois Department of Employment Security, Unemployment Insurance Benefits Handbook
- How to apply
- File during the first week after you become unemployed, online at IDES.Illinois.gov or at an IDES office, and register at IllinoisJobLink.com. Have records of pension payments and your work history ready. Illinois Department of Employment Security, Unemployment Insurance Benefits Handbook
Last verified: 2026-10-27
Who qualifies
| If you were fired | You are disqualified if you were discharged for misconduct connected with your work. You stay ineligible until you find another job, earn at least your weekly benefit amount in each of four calendar weeks, and then lose that job through no fault of your own. If you were discharged for a felony or theft connected with your work, you may be denied all benefits based on wages paid up to the discharge. |
|---|---|
| If you quit | You are disqualified if you quit without good cause attributable to your employer, unless you quit because of health, sexual harassment, domestic violence, unsuitable work, accepting another job, not exercising bumping privileges, or to go with a military spouse or a spouse relocating for work. A disqualification lasts until you earn at least your weekly benefit amount in each of four calendar weeks in a new job and then lose that job through no fault of your own. |
| Layoffs and reduced hours | You may be eligible if you are unemployed through no fault of your own. If you work less than full time because of lack of work, you may claim partial benefits for any week in which your earnings are less than your weekly benefit amount. Vacation pay, vacation allowance or stand-by pay for an announced shutdown can make you ineligible for the weeks it covers. |
| Earnings needed to qualify | You must have been paid at least $1,600 in insured wages during your base period, with at least $440 of it paid outside the calendar quarter in which your wages were highest. The standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. You must also register for work with IDES. |
| Self-employed, 1099 and gig workers | A worker who gets a 1099 may still be eligible for regular unemployment, because a "1099 employee" is not the same as an independent contractor under the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act. IDES says anyone who is unemployed or underemployed should file a claim, even if told they are not covered because they are an independent contractor or gig worker. If IDES decides you were covered, you can qualify even if the employer did not pay unemployment taxes on your wages. For partly unemployed contractors, IDES decides whether the work is covered, sets a weekly benefit from past covered wages, and pays for a week only if current income does not exceed that amount. |
How much and how long
| Weekly benefit amount | Your weekly benefit is 47% of your average weekly wage in the two highest-paid quarters of your base period, plus a dependent allowance if you have a non-working spouse or dependent child. For benefit years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, the maximum is $628 for an individual, $748 with a non-working spouse, and $859 with a dependent child; the minimum is $51. The U.S. Department of Labor's July 2026 summary of state laws lists Illinois at $51-$77 minimum and $628-$859 maximum. |
|---|---|
| How many weeks | Up to 26 full weeks in a one-year benefit year; total benefits are 26 times your weekly benefit amount plus any dependent allowance. |
| Waiting week | Yes. You must serve one unpaid waiting week, usually the first week for which you claim. |
| Working part-time on benefits | You may claim partial benefits for a week in which your earnings are less than your weekly benefit amount. Your partial benefit is your weekly benefit amount minus the part of your earnings above 50% of your weekly benefit amount, rounded up to the next dollar; any dependent allowance is added afterward. Holiday or vacation pay is deducted in full. |
| Severance and vacation pay | Vacation pay, holiday pay, wages in lieu of notice and back-pay awards can make you ineligible for (or are deducted from) the weeks they cover. A retirement pension from a base period or chargeable employer reduces your weekly benefit by 50% of the weekly pension amount if you contributed to it, or 100% if the employer paid for it all; Social Security is not counted. |
Applying and keeping benefits
| How to apply | File during the first week after you become unemployed, online at IDES.Illinois.gov or at an IDES office, and register at IllinoisJobLink.com. Have records of pension payments and your work history ready. After filing, certify every two weeks online or through the Tele-Serve phone system, answering questions about availability, earnings, vacation or holiday pay, and work search. IDES Claimant Services: (800) 244-5631. |
|---|---|
| Work search requirements | You must actively look for work on your own initiative and register with the Illinois Employment Service at IllinoisJobLink.com (or at an IDES office). Keep a record of when and where you apply; searches on IllinoisJobLink.com are recorded there, or you can use IDES's Work Search Record form. Keep written work search records for 53 weeks after each week claimed. IDES may ask what you are doing to find work and the kind of work you are seeking. |
| Appealing a denial | You must file your appeal within 30 days after the denial letter was mailed to you. An Administrative Law Judge (referee) holds a hearing. If the referee rules against you, you can appeal to the Board of Review within 30 days, and then to Circuit Court. Continue to certify every two weeks while your appeal is pending if you remain unemployed. |
| Logging in and filing weekly claims | Illinois unemployment claimants certify for benefits through their IDES online account (sign in with ILogin, which all new and existing claimants must create). Certify on your designated certification day, online 3 a.m.-7:30 p.m. including holidays, or by Tele-Serve at (312) 338-4337, Mon-Fri 3 a.m.-7:30 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays are make-up days if you miss your day. IDES encourages direct deposit as the payment method, and a separate IDES page handles document uploads. Account sign-in linked from IDES: https://benefits.ides.illinois.gov |
Where to get help in Illinois
Unemployment Benefits FAQ
Can you get unemployment if you were fired in Illinois?
You are disqualified if you were discharged for misconduct connected with your work. You stay ineligible until you find another job, earn at least your weekly benefit amount in each of four calendar weeks, and then lose that job through no fault of your own. If you were discharged for a felony or theft connected with your work, you may be denied all benefits based on wages paid up to the discharge.
Can you get unemployment if you quit in Illinois?
You are disqualified if you quit without good cause attributable to your employer, unless you quit because of health, sexual harassment, domestic violence, unsuitable work, accepting another job, not exercising bumping privileges, or to go with a military spouse or a spouse relocating for work. A disqualification lasts until you earn at least your weekly benefit amount in each of four calendar weeks in a new job and then lose that job through no fault of your own.
Can you get unemployment if your hours were cut in Illinois?
You may be eligible if you are unemployed through no fault of your own. If you work less than full time because of lack of work, you may claim partial benefits for any week in which your earnings are less than your weekly benefit amount. Vacation pay, vacation allowance or stand-by pay for an announced shutdown can make you ineligible for the weeks it covers.
How much do you need to have earned to get unemployment in Illinois?
You must have been paid at least $1,600 in insured wages during your base period, with at least $440 of it paid outside the calendar quarter in which your wages were highest. The standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. You must also register for work with IDES.
How much is unemployment in Illinois?
Your weekly benefit is 47% of your average weekly wage in the two highest-paid quarters of your base period, plus a dependent allowance if you have a non-working spouse or dependent child. For benefit years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, the maximum is $628 for an individual, $748 with a non-working spouse, and $859 with a dependent child; the minimum is $51.
How long can you get unemployment in Illinois?
Up to 26 full weeks in a one-year benefit year; total benefits are 26 times your weekly benefit amount plus any dependent allowance.
Is there a waiting week for unemployment in Illinois?
Yes. You must serve one unpaid waiting week, usually the first week for which you claim.
What are the work search requirements for unemployment in Illinois?
You must actively look for work on your own initiative and register with the Illinois Employment Service at IllinoisJobLink.com (or at an IDES office). Keep a record of when and where you apply; searches on IllinoisJobLink.com are recorded there, or you can use IDES's Work Search Record form. Keep written work search records for 53 weeks after each week claimed. IDES may ask what you are doing to find work and the kind of work you are seeking.
Does severance pay affect unemployment in Illinois?
Vacation pay, holiday pay, wages in lieu of notice and back-pay awards can make you ineligible for (or are deducted from) the weeks they cover. A retirement pension from a base period or chargeable employer reduces your weekly benefit by 50% of the weekly pension amount if you contributed to it, or 100% if the employer paid for it all; Social Security is not counted.
How do I apply for unemployment in Illinois?
File during the first week after you become unemployed, online at IDES.Illinois.gov or at an IDES office, and register at IllinoisJobLink.com. Have records of pension payments and your work history ready. After filing, certify every two weeks online or through the Tele-Serve phone system, answering questions about availability, earnings, vacation or holiday pay, and work search. IDES Claimant Services: (800) 244-5631.
How do I appeal an unemployment denial in Illinois?
You must file your appeal within 30 days after the denial letter was mailed to you. An Administrative Law Judge (referee) holds a hearing. If the referee rules against you, you can appeal to the Board of Review within 30 days, and then to Circuit Court. Continue to certify every two weeks while your appeal is pending if you remain unemployed.
Can you work part-time and collect unemployment in Illinois?
You may claim partial benefits for a week in which your earnings are less than your weekly benefit amount. Your partial benefit is your weekly benefit amount minus the part of your earnings above 50% of your weekly benefit amount, rounded up to the next dollar; any dependent allowance is added afterward. Holiday or vacation pay is deducted in full.
Can self-employed or gig workers get unemployment in Illinois?
A worker who gets a 1099 may still be eligible for regular unemployment, because a "1099 employee" is not the same as an independent contractor under the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act. IDES says anyone who is unemployed or underemployed should file a claim, even if told they are not covered because they are an independent contractor or gig worker. If IDES decides you were covered, you can qualify even if the employer did not pay unemployment taxes on your wages. For partly unemployed contractors, IDES decides whether the work is covered, sets a weekly benefit from past covered wages, and pays for a week only if current income does not exceed that amount.
Where do I log in to my unemployment claim in Illinois?
Illinois unemployment claimants certify for benefits through their IDES online account (sign in with ILogin, which all new and existing claimants must create). Certify on your designated certification day, online 3 a.m.-7:30 p.m. including holidays, or by Tele-Serve at (312) 338-4337, Mon-Fri 3 a.m.-7:30 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays are make-up days if you miss your day. IDES encourages direct deposit as the payment method, and a separate IDES page handles document uploads.
Unemployment Benefits in other states
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