Sangamon Sun

Illinois Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield) is curious to see what changes the Department of Employment Security (IDES) might plan after speaking with officials about users' concerns.

After weeks of not failing to connect with the IDES, McClure recently visited both of the agency's offices in Springfield, looking for answers people in his district are demanding.

"I've got constituents that have been waiting since November to get benefits that they are entitled to," McClure told the Sangamon Sun. "They've filled out all the paperwork but haven't gotten any response. Meanwhile, they can't pay their bills, and the hole is only getting deeper."

While IDES officials insist wait times for the callback system to respond is no more than two weeks, ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, users have complained of slow response times. They have also bemoaned the reportedly faulty phone system that has almost made it impossible for them to get benefits promptly or speak to a representative.

When McClure traveled to the Springfield offices, he at first was unable to speak with anyone after being told no one qualified to talk with him was available, he said.

"I tried everything, calling IDES for weeks, calling the legislative liaison and even the governor's liaison," McClure said before making his Jan. 26 trip.

In time, someone from IDES called the veteran lawmaker back, and he's now hoping his pressure will be enough to shock the agency back into reality.

"Hopefully, they know how important it is to get cases handled so all these unemployed people can get taken care of after being put it this tragic position through no fault of their own," he said. "We've all got to do what we can to get people the help that they need."