State Representative Mike Marron says he is scheduled to meet with the director of the Illinois Department of Employment Security on Friday to address problems the agency has had in processing unemployment applications and pandemic aid.
Marron traveled to Springfield on his own Monday and Tuesday, standing in front of the IDES headquarters as well as the State Capitol and the Governor’s Mansion, posting hourly updates on Facebook that he would continue to stay there until he heard from the director of the agency.
He tells Vermilion County First News that his main concern is that local residents in his district are unable to get a hold of people in the agency to claim pandemic unemployment assistance.
“These aren’t rich business owners, they’re small business owners struggling to survive,” he said.
He also pointed to letters some of the applicants have received in recent weeks which told them they would have to repay some of the money back to the state because they had been given too much. IDES also suffered a data breach in July, and its system has been rife with fraudulent claims.
Marron says he tried to contact IDES before this week and was unable to get a hold of anyone.
He says he is set to have a conversation with Acting Director Kristin Richards on Friday, which he says he hopes will lead to a positive outcome.
“I’m just frustrated that they can’t get a hold of anybody,” he said of his constituents. “We’re nine months into this.”
