State Rep. Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) | Courtesy Photo
State Rep. Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) | Courtesy Photo
The horror stories keep on coming from Illinois residents stemming from their experiences with the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
Hairstylist Brittany Welch told 25 News Week she received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) last year. But now, she learned she owes approximately $5,000 back to the government. The waiver requested was denied. Welch claimed she still doesn’t know why the state said she owes money or why her appeal was denied.
All across the state, lawmakers said they are bombarded with stories like Welch’s.
State Rep. Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) said the only answer is for lawmakers to get back to Springfield and begin working on real solutions.
“These people weren’t trying to create insurance fraud they were people who at no fault of their own were put out of work by the governor,” Chesney told 25 News Week. “They were put in a system that didn’t work, and now we’re slapping them with an outrageous bill. The state should come up with a way to abate that. We can do better than this.”
Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) told 25 News Week that while it is hard for those facing unemployment issues, it is also difficult for the government to figure out how to navigate it.
“People are just trying to figure out how to pay their bills; they don’t have the time or the patience to deal with government bureaucracy and how to navigate it,” Stadelman said. “It’s hard. It’s hard for lawmakers to figure out and navigate it, let alone [be] someone in their position.”
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