Illinois unemployment insurance form CLI111L, titled “What Every Worker Should Know About Unemployment Insurance,” is an informational pamphlet the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) requires employers to hand out when a worker is laid off or separated from the payroll. It is not a claim, not an approval, and not a decision about your benefits. It’s a plain-language guide. If you just received it, your next step is to file an unemployment claim at ides.illinois.gov during the first week you are out of work.
Why Your Employer Gave You This Pamphlet
Employers in Illinois must provide CLI111L whenever a worker is laid off for seven days or more or separated from the payroll for any reason. If the employer cannot hand it to you at the work site, they must mail it to your last known address within five calendar days of separation.
The pamphlet explains who qualifies for unemployment, how to file, what documents you’ll need, and your obligations once a claim is open. It contains no information specific to you. No wage figures, no weekly benefit amount, no eligibility ruling. Those personal details come later in a separate document called the UI Finding letter, which IDES mails after you file.
If your employer didn’t give you a copy, you can download it from the forms and publications page on the IDES website.
Whether You Qualify for Benefits
CLI111L lists six conditions you must meet to collect unemployment in Illinois:
- You earned at least $1,600 during your base period (a recent 12-month span of four calendar quarters) and at least $440 outside the quarter where your wages were highest.
- Your employer is covered by the state’s unemployment insurance law.
- You are out of work, or working less than full time because full-time work isn’t available, with earnings below a threshold set when you file.
- Your separation was involuntary. You may be disqualified if you quit without good cause tied to your employer, were fired for work-related misconduct, or are unemployed because of a labor dispute.
- You are physically able to work and available for work each week you claim benefits.
- You are actively looking for work and willing to accept any suitable job offered.
The $1,600 and $440 wage thresholds are set by the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act and have held at those levels for several years.1Illinois Department of Employment Security. Benefit Rights Information for Claimants and Employers If your base period includes a quarter with very low or no wages, the week you file can shift which quarters count, which in turn can decide whether you meet the minimums.
How to File Your Claim
File your initial claim during the first week you are unemployed. IDES recommends filing online at ides.illinois.gov, though you can also file in person at a local IDES office.2Illinois Department of Employment Security. File an Unemployment Claim
Before starting, gather the documents CLI111L asks you to have on hand:
- Social Security number and a government-issued ID such as a driver’s license or state ID.
- Employment history for the last 18 months, including employer names, addresses, and the dates you worked for each.
- Wage records — W-2 forms, pay stubs, or any documentation of gross earnings.
- Dependent information if you plan to claim a spouse or children for additional allowances.
- Pension or retirement payment details if you receive any.
- Alien registration information if applicable.
- Military or federal separation forms (DD-214/215, SF-8, or SF-50) if your most recent employer was the military or federal government.
Finish the application in one sitting. If you step away for more than an hour, the session expires and anything you entered is lost.3Illinois Department of Employment Security. 10 Things You Should Know Report the reason for your separation accurately. Inaccurate information can delay benefits or trigger an eligibility investigation.
You must also register with Illinois Employment Services at IllinoisJobLink.com. Benefits cannot be paid until that registration is complete.3Illinois Department of Employment Security. 10 Things You Should Know
What Arrives Next: The UI Finding Letter
Within seven to ten days of filing, IDES mails your UI Finding letter. This is the document many people confuse with CLI111L, and they do different jobs. The UI Finding is your monetary determination: it tells you whether your base-period wages qualify you and, if so, what your weekly benefit will be.4Illinois Department of Employment Security. Eligibility and Next Steps
The Finding shows the four calendar quarters IDES used as your base period, every employer who reported wages for you and the dollar amount per quarter, your Weekly Benefit Amount, your Maximum Benefit Amount for the year, and the specific day of the week you must certify going forward. It also explains the one-week unpaid waiting period. Your first eligible week after filing is that waiting week; no benefits are paid for it, and benefits begin with the second eligible week.5Illinois Department of Employment Security. Regular Unemployment Insurance Benefit Timeline You can collect benefits for up to 26 weeks in a one-year benefit period.6Illinois Department of Employment Security. Unemployment Insurance Benefits Handbook
When your Finding arrives, compare the employer names and quarterly wages against your own pay stubs and W-2 forms. Missing wages or an omitted employer can drag down your benefit amount or make you appear ineligible.
Certifying Every Two Weeks to Get Paid
Filing a claim only opens the door. To actually receive payments, you must certify your eligibility every two weeks on the certification day assigned in your UI Finding. Certification is where you confirm that during the preceding two weeks you were able to work, available for work, and actively searching for a job.
The easiest way is online at ides.illinois.gov between 3:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on your assigned day, including holidays. You can also certify by phone through Tele-Serve at (312) 338-4337 during the same hours, Monday through Friday.7Illinois Department of Employment Security. Certify for Benefits If you miss your assigned day, Thursday and Friday of that same week are makeup days.8Illinois Department of Employment Security. Teleserve
Missing a certification window costs you benefits for that period. Miss several in a row and IDES may close your claim entirely. Your first payment generally arrives within a few business days after your first successful certification, assuming no eligibility issues are pending.
Keeping a Work Search Log
Illinois requires you to look for work every week you claim benefits and to keep a log of what you did. If your eligibility is ever questioned, IDES may ask you to produce it.1Illinois Department of Employment Security. Benefit Rights Information for Claimants and Employers
The simplest way to track your search is through IllinoisJobLink.com. When you search while signed in there, your activity is logged automatically. For contacts made outside the site — applying directly on a company’s careers page, attending a job fair, networking — record them on the Work Search Record form available on the IDES website.1Illinois Department of Employment Security. Benefit Rights Information for Claimants and Employers For each contact, note the date, employer name, position applied for, and how you made contact.
If Something on Your Finding Is Wrong
If the wage records on your UI Finding are wrong, IDES asks you to send documentation of the work you performed and the payments you received as soon as possible.4Illinois Department of Employment Security. Eligibility and Next Steps
To formally challenge the determination, file IDES Form ADJ024F, the Request for Reconsideration of Claims Adjudicator’s Determination. The form can be faxed to 217-557-4913.9Illinois Department of Employment Security. Request for Reconsideration of Claims Adjudicator Determination Attach W-2 forms, pay stubs with year-to-date totals, or 1099 records that show the correct earnings, and keep copies of everything you submit.
You generally have 30 days from the date on the determination letter to request reconsideration or file an appeal. If reconsideration does not resolve the issue, IDES forwards the case to its Appeals Division, where a Referee conducts a telephone hearing.10Illinois Department of Employment Security. Appeals You will receive a Notice of Hearing with the date and time; any documents you want the Referee to consider must be faxed or mailed to the Referee and all other parties before the hearing. Keep certifying for benefits throughout the appeal.9Illinois Department of Employment Security. Request for Reconsideration of Claims Adjudicator Determination
Taxes on Your Benefits
Unemployment benefits count as taxable income on your federal return. IDES sends you IRS Form 1099-G by January 31 of the following year, showing total benefits paid and any taxes withheld. You can retrieve your 1099-G by logging into your IDES account, by calling Tele-Serve at (312) 338-4337, or by waiting for the mailed copy.11Illinois Department of Employment Security. Retrieve Your 1099-G Tax Form
Taxes are not automatically withheld from your weekly payments. If you want federal income tax taken out, complete IRS Form W-4V and submit it to IDES. The withholding rate is a flat 10%, and no other percentage is available.12Internal Revenue Service. Form W-4V Voluntary Withholding Request If you skip withholding, set aside money for your tax bill or make quarterly estimated payments so you don’t face an underpayment penalty at filing time.