You are only eligible to receive a limited amount of unemployment compensation per benefit year -- 365 days following the Sunday of the week of your initial claim. Upon reaching your benefit year maximum, your claim closes. If you’re claiming Illinois unemployment, you receive a notice of your balance at the start of the claim. You can also check your balance by accessing the claims website or claims phoneline.

By Internet

Access the Illinois unemployment claims website. Select “See My Benefit History” under the heading “How Do I” and “Go.”

Enter your Social Security number and the PIN you created when you applied for your benefits to log into the system.

View the details of your claim, including previous payments and the balance left on your claim.

By Telephone

Call the claims line and use the phone keypad to select option number three.

Use your Social Security number and the PIN you created when you applied for benefits to log into the system.

Listen to the details of your claim, including the last payment and the balance on your claim.

Tip

The Illinois Department of Employment Security, or IDES, recommends you avoid using a cellular or cordless phone to call the claims line to prevent dropped calls.

The personal identification number, or PIN, you're using to access your account is the one you set up when you started your claim. If you forget your PIN, you must call the claims line and select the option to speak to a representative. You will need to verify your personal information, such as your Social Security number and home address, before the representative will reset your PIN.

Warning

To view your claim online, you need Windows XP or higher as well as Windows Explorer 6.0 or higher. If you don’t have access to those programs, consider calling the claims line to check on your claim.