Illinois unemployment benefits pay 47% of your average weekly wage in the two highest quarters, plus a dependents allowance. — up to $628 (no dependents) / $859 (with maximum dependents allowance) per week for up to 26 (uniform) weeks, for the period January 1, 2026 (DOL table); next scheduled reset January 2027.
This guide gives the exact Illinois unemployment benefits figures with the date we verified them, shows how your own weekly amount is calculated with a worked example, and explains when the first payment arrives and how it is taxed.
Figures are from the United States Department of Labor’s state-law tables effective January 1, 2026, read October 2026; confirm the current amount with Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) before you rely on it.
Illinois Unemployment Benefits at a Glance
| Maximum weekly benefit | $628 (no dependents) / $859 (with maximum dependents allowance) (January 1, 2026 (DOL table); next scheduled reset January 2027) |
| Minimum weekly benefit | $51 |
| How the amount is set | 47% of your average weekly wage in the two highest quarters, plus a dependents allowance. |
| Duration | up to 26 (uniform) weeks |
| Waiting week | Yes — first eligible week unpaid |
| Base period | The first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the week you file. |
| Statute | 820 ILCS 405 |
In This Illinois Unemployment Benefits Guide:
How Much Are Illinois Unemployment Benefits?
47% of your average weekly wage in the two highest quarters, plus a dependents allowance. A dependents allowance raises the amount; the higher figure is the maximum with the most dependents. The minimum weekly payment is $51 and the maximum is $628 (no dependents) / $859 (with maximum dependents allowance).
Those are the numbers that matter: most claimants land between them, and nobody is paid above the cap no matter how much they earned.
Want an estimate for your own wages in Illinois?
Illinois Unemployment Benefits at a Glance
Figures are from the United States Department of Labor’s state-law tables effective January 1, 2026, read October 2026; confirm the current amount with Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) before you rely on it. The statute column is where to check it yourself.
| Maximum weekly benefit | $628 (no dependents) / $859 (with maximum dependents allowance) |
| Effective period | January 1, 2026 (DOL table); next scheduled reset January 2027 |
| Minimum weekly benefit | $51 |
| Formula | 47% of your average weekly wage in the two highest quarters, plus a dependents allowance. |
| Dependents | A dependents allowance raises the amount; the higher figure is the maximum with the most dependents. |
| Duration (weeks) | 26 (uniform) |
| Waiting week | Yes |
| Base period | The first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the week you file. |
| Alternate base period | Yes |
| To qualify | $1,600 in base-period wages with $440 outside the high quarter. |
| Partial-week earnings | 1/2 of the weekly benefit amount |
| Agency | Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) |
| File online | https://ides.illinois.gov/unemployment.html |
| Statute | 820 ILCS 405 |
How Illinois Unemployment Benefits Are Calculated
Illinois adds up the wages from the two highest-paid quarters of your base period and divides by 26 to get your average weekly wage. The weekly benefit amount is generally 47% of that average, rounded up to the next whole dollar (820 ILCS 405/401). If you have a dependent child under 18 or a spouse who doesn’t work, an allowance may be added on top.
You can claim for a child or a spouse but not both, and more than one child does not raise the allowance.
$1,600 in base-period wages with $440 outside the high quarter.
Illinois Unemployment Benefits: A Worked Example
Say a worker earned 10000 in their highest quarter and 9500 in their next-highest. Together that’s 19500, and 19500 divided by 26 is 750 a week. 47% of 750 is 352.50, which rounds up to 353. This is only an example of the formula, not anyone’s actual award. Confirm your figure on the IDES finding letter.
The estimate is illustrative; Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) computes the official amount from your wage records.
How Long Illinois Unemployment Benefits Last
Regular Illinois unemployment benefits run up to 26 (uniform) weeks in a benefit year. No Extended Benefits program is active in Illinois. Illinois’s last EB period ended September 11, 2021, and the U.S. Department of Labor trigger notice effective September 13, 2026 does not show Illinois as on. Only regular state benefits are available.
The first eligible week is a waiting week: you file for it but it is not paid.
📨 Get Free Unemployment And Workplace Rights Guides Alerts
Free · No spam · Unsubscribe anytime
Working Part-Time While Claiming Illinois Unemployment Benefits
If you work part time, earnings above half of your weekly benefit amount are subtracted from that week’s payment. If the reduced amount isn’t a whole dollar, it is rounded up, and any dependent allowance is added after the earnings deduction. 1/2 of the weekly benefit amount Report every dollar on the weekly claim — unreported earnings are the most common route to an overpayment.
Under Illinois rules, severance pay generally does not reduce benefits (56 Ill. Adm. Code 2920.45). One exception: a lump sum you could have taken as a periodic retirement payment counts as retirement pay. Vacation and holiday pay are deducted in full for the weeks they cover.
A pension paid for in part by a base-period employer reduces benefits by 50% of the weekly pension amount, and by 100% if the employer paid the whole cost. Report all such payments when you certify.
When and How Illinois Unemployment Benefits Are Paid
After you file, IDES mails a UI Finding Letter with your benefit amount and your first certification date, which is about 2 weeks after filing. If you’re eligible, direct deposit payments generally arrive 2 to 3 business days after you certify. Most claimants see a first payment about 2 to 3 weeks after filing. Delays can happen if an eligibility issue needs review.
Since July 8, 2026, IDES no longer pays by paper check. You can choose direct deposit, which IDES strongly recommends and charges no fees for, or a debit card. Anyone who was getting paper checks was moved to the debit card unless they enrolled in direct deposit. To set up direct deposit, log into your IDES account with ILogin; updates can take up to 24 hours.
Illinois claimants certify every two weeks, online or by phone through Tele-Serve, on the day assigned in their finding letter. Each certification covers the two weeks just ended, and you report gross wages for the week you earned them. Online certification is open 3:00am to 7:30pm. Thursdays and Fridays are make-up days. IDES says late certifications are not accepted and may lead to a denial or delay.
Taxes on Illinois Unemployment Benefits
Unemployment benefits are taxable for both federal and Illinois income tax. Withholding is optional, at fixed rates of 10% federal and 4.95% Illinois, and you elect it on Form TAX-2. A change only applies to weeks not yet paid, and IDES cannot refund tax it has already withheld. Each January, IDES issues a Form 1099-G showing benefits paid and tax withheld, available in your IDES account or through Tele-Serve.
The dependent allowance is for either a child or a non-working spouse, never both. It is added after earnings deductions, so part-time pay does not reduce it. Illinois has also stopped paper checks entirely, so claimants need to pick direct deposit or the debit card. If tax withholding is more than what’s left of a week’s benefit, the withholding still applies, and no payment may be sent for that week.
Next step: the amount only matters if you qualify. Our Illinois eligibility guide covers the fired-vs-quit rules and the work-search count, and the application guide walks through filing.
Illinois — the bottom line
- The Illinois unemployment benefits amount is a share of your base-period wages up to a dated cap — check the period on the figure before you trust it.
- Illinois unemployment benefits are paid weekly for a set number of weeks; a missed weekly claim is a lost week.
- Part-time earnings reduce Illinois unemployment benefits but rarely erase them — report everything and keep claiming.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is unemployment in Illinois?
The weekly amount is 47% of your average weekly wage in the two highest quarters, plus a dependents allowance. The current maximum is $628 (no dependents) / $859 (with maximum dependents allowance) for the period January 1, 2026 (DOL table); next scheduled reset January 2027.
How long does unemployment last in Illinois?
Regular benefits run up to 26 (uniform) weeks in a benefit year, depending on your base-period wages. Extended benefits only switch on when the state unemployment rate crosses a trigger.
Does Illinois have a waiting week?
Yes — the first eligible week is not paid, but you must still file for it.
Are Illinois unemployment benefits taxable?
Unemployment benefits are taxable for both federal and Illinois income tax. Withholding is optional, at fixed rates of 10% federal and 4.95% Illinois, and you elect it on Form TAX-2. A change only applies to weeks not yet paid, and IDES cannot refund tax it has already withheld. Each January, IDES issues a Form 1099-G showing benefits paid and tax withheld, available in your IDES account or through Tele-Serve.
Official Illinois Sources & Resources
- Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES): https://ides.illinois.gov/unemployment.html
- Illinois unemployment statute: 820 ILCS 405
- U.S. Department of Labor — Unemployment Insurance: dol.gov
- DOL Significant Provisions of State UI Laws (Jan 2026): https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/content/sigpros/2020-2029/January2026.pdf
- DOL Comparison of State UI Laws — Appeals: https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2023/appeals.pdf
- DOL Comparison of State UI Laws — Monetary Entitlement: https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2021/monetary.pdf
- CareerOneStop (DOL) — state benefit finder: careeronestop.org
- IRS — Form 1099-G: irs.gov
This Illinois unemployment benefits guide was last verified against official Illinois sources in October 2026. Rules change — confirm the current figure with the state agency or a licensed attorney.
More Illinois Unemployment Guides
- Illinois Unemployment Eligibility: Who Qualifies
- How to Apply for Unemployment in Illinois
- Illinois Unemployment Appeal: Deadline and Hearing
- Unemployment Guides for All 50 States
Disclaimer: This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. My Unemployment Rights is an independent educational resource, not a government agency and not a law firm. Unemployment benefit amounts, deadlines and rules change — every figure here carries the date we verified it. Confirm the current figure and any deadline with your state unemployment agency before you act.