Illinois self-employed will no longer be able to receive unemployment. | Adobe Stock
Illinois self-employed will no longer be able to receive unemployment. | Adobe Stock
Illinois' falling unemployment rate means self-employed workers will no longer be eligible to receive extended benefits; many insist they still need to survive.
Recent data from the federal government shows Illinois' unemployment rate is now below the High Unemployment Period (HUP), meaning individuals classified as self-employed can no longer apply for seven additional weeks of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) still available to others, 25 News Week reported in March.
The maximum number of weeks available to PUA claimants now stands at 50 weeks, while extended benefits for regular state unemployment have decreased from 20 weeks to 13 weeks.
"This is precisely why I've encouraged Congress to set out long-term rules that help the people most hurt by this pandemic, and why it's imperative that they pass something immediately that corrects this gap," Gov. J.B. Pritzker said, 25 News Week reported.
With talk of the federal government possibly extending PUA benefits to those in need, Illinois officials say they are closely monitoring the situation, along with any changes that may be made to the other federal unemployment benefits programs that were set to expire on March 13.
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