State took unemployment back from 87 year old woman!!
I was on unemployment due to the COVID and was receiving weekly unemployment benefits starting in April of 2020 shortly after the pandemic started. In July of 2021 I received a notice stating they “overpaid” me, but I submitted my weekly input into the IDES system as required and payments were made to me. I was informed that I had to pay back $4,752.00 its my understanding the Gov. Pritsker advised that you were not responsible for paying this money back. Just to note I did send them a check prior to hearing this. What happens to that money I paid, can I get it back. I do have a note from my primary Dr. that due to my age 87 that he would not want me to return to work, I did send this into the IDES as well. I’m just not understanding how they can say I was overpaid, when I submitted my information on a weekly basis, as required, I have a note from my Dr., which they received, and then to say I owe an amount that at my age, is a large amount.
Appreciate your time to let me know what I can do, or what can be done.
Terry Says
Oh, I wish you had written before you sent the money. The Federal government had specifically stated that overpayments of benefits did not have to be repaid. But Illinois pushed ahead demanding repayment. And good citizens like yourself sent the money back.
It will be very difficult, if not impossible to get this money back! But you can ask the Unemployment Dept for a “waiver” of that request and repayment.
In fact at age 87 you really don’t have time to work through the bureaucracy. So, here’s an idea:
Send me an email to Terry@TerrySavage.com. Write this whole story to me in the email, and give me the date you repaid the money, your full name and address, but NOT your SS number. Please include your unemployment account number. Also include a phone number where they can reach you. I will make every effort to get this to the Governor’s attention. No promises. They ignore me too! But this should be a special case.
