FOIA Request to Illinois Department of Employment Security regarding unemployment insurance records on January 22, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) by Prairie State Wire, a media organization dedicated to reporting on local governmental affairs. The request seeks access to records related to unemployment insurance benefits for the three most recently completed fiscal years.
The specific information requested includes reports, datasets, or statistical summaries detailing the total amount of unemployment insurance benefits paid by IDES, broken down by fiscal year. Additionally, the request seeks data on unemployment insurance overpayments and repayments collected during the same period. For each fiscal year, documents showing the total number of claimants who received benefit payments and those from whom repayments or recoveries were collected are also requested.
Prairie State Wire has emphasized their role in gathering and disseminating news to the public as a basis for requesting a fee waiver under FOIA provisions. They have expressed willingness to discuss any part of the request that may be unclear or overly broad.
The requester is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that assists media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws. More information about this coalition can be found at https://stopsecrecy.org/about/.
Our team will continue to keep you updated as we gather and report news related to this request and other matters of public interest. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further clarification regarding this matter.
