Prairie State Wire

Republican House Leader Jim Durkin (R-Burr Ridge) is concerned over the way the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) is re-victimizing residents on the COVID-19 front.

“They're insulting Illinois residents by saying, 'pay us back money because of the error that we made,'” Durkin told ABC7 News. “I think it's just morally wrong."

Durkin is concerned that state residents are now receiving notice from the IDES that they owe as much as $20,000 for overpaid unemployment benefits they received at the height of the pandemic.

“Residents who received unemployment help during the pandemic are now being told they owe thousands of dollars back,” Durkin recently posted on Facebook. “Struggling Illinois families should not be on the hook for the administration's mistakes. The governor and IDES need to resolve these ongoing issues with the unemployment system.”

While state and federal programs were put in place to aide most people who received overpayments by granting them forgiveness, ABC7 reports more than a few locals are now insisting they're either being denied those requests or they're just not getting a clear answer.

"It's incredibly frustrating, it's very stressful," said John Sweeney, who was laid off from an educational non-profit. "A lot of representatives aren't able to assist me. I've been told a couple of times that a supervisor would give me a call back and that's just never happened. There was no information about how to appeal or if there was a waiver program.”

Chicago Public Schools bus driver Lavinia Redmond, who was laid off during the crisis, hasn’t fared much better.

"I, like many people, was hit hard and I can't take another hit like that," she said.

Both Sweeney and Redmond argue they were told they qualified for the benefits they received, only to receive letters months later that leave them collectively on the hook for a shade just under $40,000.

Durkin said his office is still getting calls from people likewise receiving threats  such as "we're going to garnish your wages, we're going to put a lien, we're going to put a claim on whatever type of job you have right now."