Illinois Administrative Code › Title 56 - LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT › Part 2830 - PAYMENT OF BENEFITS › Subpart B - PAYMENT TO DECEASED CLAIMANTS › Section 2830.200 - Payment of Benefits Due a Deceased or Comatose Claimant

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 28, July 12, 2024
a) When the Department becomes aware that a
				claimant has died or become comatose before receiving benefits to which the
				claimant is entitled, the Department will make payment to the account
				designated by the individual for direct deposit or the debit card assigned to
				the claimant by the Department. If the Department is unable to make payment to
				the deceased or comatose claimant's direct deposit account, the Department will
				make payment by debit card, or, if at the time of such payment, the payment
				cannot be made by way of debit card then the benefits will be paid by way of a
				paper check that will be made payable to the order of "The Estate or Heirs of"
				the claimant. However, any benefit checks previously issued to the individual
				that have not been presented for payment must be returned to the Director, or
				an affidavit must be submitted stating that the benefit checks were lost,
				stolen, or destroyed. In the event of a benefit payment to a deceased or
				comatose claimant, under no circumstances will a check be made payable to the
				order of more than one payee nor to a named individual.
b) In the case of a claimant who became and
				remains comatose or who died prior to certifying for benefits, a completed
				certification form must be submitted by an individual with first-hand knowledge
				of the matters asserted in the certification, together with an affidavit
				attesting that the individual has first-hand knowledge and that the matters
				asserted are true to the best of that individual's knowledge. The completed
				certification form must be submitted within nine months after the date of death
				or entry into the comatose state. Unless the certification form is received
				within nine months after the date of death or entry into the comatose state,
				any benefits due the deceased or comatose claimant shall revert to and be
				returned to the State's unemployment trust fund. The certification form shall
				be submitted to a local unemployment office either in person or by certified
				mail, shall be supported by an affidavit setting forth the relationship to the
				deceased or comatose claimant, and shall be accompanied by a certified copy of
				the death certificate for the deceased claimant or, in the case of a comatose
				claimant, the statement of a licensed and practicing physician indicating the
				date as of which the claimant became comatose. The forms required to certify
				for a deceased or comatose claimant are available at local unemployment offices
				or by calling Claimant Services. The telephone number for Claimant Services is
				800-244-5631 and is available on the Department's website (ides.illinois.gov).
				Under no circumstances shall the claimant's eligibility extend beyond the date
				that the claimant died. Under no circumstances shall a claimant be eligible for
				benefits for the period during which the claimant was in a comatose
				state.