Here’s what you need to know if you’re unemployed because of coronavirus in Illinois

Illinois is expanding its unemployment benefits to people who can’t work because of coronavirus, an effort to help those laid off during a lockdown on restaurants and bars.

The Department of Employment Security adopted emergency rules that make the benefits system “as responsive to the current situation as possible,” according to the agency’s website.

Anyone temporarily laid off due to COVID-19 closures can qualify for benefits. Applicants won’t have to prove they were seeking employment as long as they plan to return to their jobs as soon as their workplace reopens. Nor will applicants face the typical week-long period before qualifying for benefits.

Restaurant owners are adjusting to rules that only allow them to serve customers only through delivery, curbside pickup or drive-thru. Bennie Parr Jr., owner of Bennie’s Pizza Pub in Belleville, said he was “switching gears” to convert his sit-down restaurant.

Parr says he hasn’t had to lay off any workers yet thanks in part to customers buying gift certificates and ordering pickup. Employees were also willing to share hours with those who needed them more, Parr said.

“(The ban) is still going to hurt business, but at least we can operate,” Parr said.

Out-of-work employees can apply for benefits at https://bit.ly/33qI5sx. Illinois Department of Employment Security customer service can be reached at at 1-800-244-5631 or 1-866-488-4016.

State Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) said business owners affected by COVID-19 can apply for a Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster loan. Gov. J.B. Pritzker is working with the federal government to declare a statewide “economic injury declaration” that would make low-interest loans of up to $2 million available to small businesses and nonprofits. Once the federal government approves the declaration, business owners and non-profit leaders will be able to apply for the loans at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

The state Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity is also collecting information about small businesses and nonprofits to use in its disaster declaration. They encourage owners and administrators to fill out a form at https://form.jotform.com/200717156003039.

Meantime, the U.S. Senate awaited the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which would extend two weeks of paid sick leave and 12 weeks of paid family leave to employees who can’t work because of coronavirus. The House of Representatives passed the bill on Saturday and President Donald Trump has expressed his support for it.

But the bill does not mention companies larger than 500 employees, and businesses with fewer than 50 employees can apply for an exemption if providing those benefits would put the company’s survival at risk. Self-employed and gig workers will be eligible for a tax credit worth two weeks of their average pay and two-thirds of that pay for 12 weeks of family leave.

If the bill passes and Trump signs it, workers in the following categories would qualify for benefits:

• Have a current diagnosis of COVID-19
• Quarantined (including self-imposed quarantine) at the instruction of a health care provider, employer or government official, to prevent the spread of COVID19
• Caring for another person who has COVID-19 or who is under a quarantine related to COVID-19
• Caring for a child or other individual who is unable to care for themself due to the COVID-19-related closing of their school, child care facility or other care program

Anyone struggling to pay their utility bills will not have to worry about losing service during the crisis. The Illinois Commerce Commission placed a moratorium on utility shutoffs until the state lifts its state of emergency declaration.

State Rep. Charlie Meier (R-Okawville) said restaurant and bar owners should keep all receipts of sale in case the state or federal government provides stimulus funding to account for losses.

“This temporary policy unfortunately to hurt our local restaurants bottom line and we must do everything we can to help,” Meier said in a prepared statement. “I also want to encourage people to support their local restaurant by ordering delivery and or carry-out if and when it’s available.”

The Illinois Department of Public Health can be reached at 1-800-889-3931 or by email at dph.sick@illinois.gov.

This story was originally published March 18, 2020 at 5:00 AM.