Enter your base period wages to estimate your IDES weekly benefit for claims starting in 2026.
Base period: the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before your claim.
| Part time earnings | Benefit paid | Total that week |
|---|
Estimate only, using the IDES benefit table for benefit years from 1 January 2026 (maximum $628, $748 with a nonworking spouse, $859 with a child). IDES makes the official decision.
This Illinois unemployment calculator estimates the weekly benefit, dependent allowance and 26 week total for anyone filing an unemployment insurance claim with the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) in 2026. It uses the 47% formula from the IDES benefit table for benefit years starting on or after 1 January 2026, checks the two wage tests, works out part time pay and shows the figure after federal tax on unemployment is withheld, so you know what will reach your bank account. Figures checked October 2026.
Quick answer: Illinois pays 47% of your average weekly wage, which is your two highest base period quarters added together and divided by 26. The weekly benefit runs from $51 to $628, or up to $859 with a dependent child. The Illinois unemployment calculator shows $530 a week for $21,400 in two quarters with a child.
In This Guide
What Is an Illinois Unemployment Calculator?
An Illinois unemployment calculator is a tool that turns the wages your employers reported to IDES into an estimate of your weekly benefit amount (WBA), dependent allowance and total benefit for the year. Your base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before your claim starts, so a claim filed in October 2026 looks at April 2025 to March 2026.
The formula in plain words: add the wages from your two best quarters, divide by 26 to get your average weekly wage, then take 47% of that figure and round up to the next dollar. A nonworking spouse adds 9% of the average weekly wage (at least $15), and a dependent child adds 17.3% (at least half your WBA, up to $50). The 2026 caps are $628 for a single claimant, $748 with a spouse and $859 with a child. IDES pays up to 26 times that weekly amount in a benefit year.
How to Use the Illinois Unemployment Calculator
Step 1: Enter Your Quarterly Wages
Type your gross wages, before tax, for each of the four base period quarters. The calculator picks the two highest quarters for you, so the order does not matter. If you only know your hourly rate, the hourly to annual salary calculator gives a yearly figure that you can split into four quarters before you enter it here.
Step 2: Choose a Dependent Allowance
Pick Child if you have a child under 18 (or an older child who cannot work), Nonworking spouse if your spouse does not work, or None. IDES pays only one allowance, and it does not rise with the number of children. You give each dependant's name, date of birth and Social Security number when you file.
Step 3: Add Earnings and Tax Withholding
If you work some hours while you claim, enter your gross pay for that week. Then choose whether to show figures after IDES withholds 10% for federal income tax, or 10% federal plus 4.95% Illinois income tax, which are the two rates IDES offers.
Step 4: Read Your Result
The headline is your estimated weekly benefit including any allowance. Below it you see the benefit before the allowance, the allowance itself, the 26 week total and what you would be paid in a week with part time earnings. The green or red box shows whether you pass the $1,600 and $440 wage tests, and the table shows pay and benefit together at five earnings levels.
How Much Unemployment Will I Get in Illinois?
You will get 47% of your average weekly wage from your two best quarters, between $51 and $628 a week, plus any dependent allowance, for up to 26 weeks. The most a single claimant can receive in a 2026 benefit year is $16,328, which is 26 weeks at $628, and the most with a child is $22,334.
Worked example: Darnell is a warehouse supervisor in Joliet with a 7 year old son. His base period quarters were $8,200, $10,400, $9,800 and $11,000. His two best quarters total $21,400, and $21,400 divided by 26 is an average weekly wage of $823. Taking 47% gives $386.81, rounded up to $387. The child allowance is 17.3% of $823, which is $142.38, rounded up to $143, so his weekly benefit is $530. Over 26 weeks that is $13,780. If he asks IDES to withhold 10% federal and 4.95% state tax, each weekly amount drops to about $451.
| Two best quarters | Average weekly wage | Weekly benefit (single) | With nonworking spouse | With child |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $8,000 | $308 | $145 | $173 | $199 |
| $12,000 | $462 | $218 | $260 | $298 |
| $16,000 | $615 | $290 | $346 | $397 |
| $21,400 | $823 | $387 | $462 | $530 |
| $26,000 | $1,000 | $470 | $560 | $643 |
| $30,000 | $1,154 | $543 | $647 | $743 |
| $36,000 or more | $1,385 or more | $628 (maximum) | $748 (maximum) | $859 (maximum) |
The single claimant maximum is reached once your two best quarters total about $34,700. Because only two quarters count, a short spell of overtime or a bonus paid in one quarter can lift your benefit, while a long unpaid gap in another quarter has no effect.
How Do Dependent Allowances Work in Illinois?
A dependent allowance is extra weekly money for a claimant who supports a child or a spouse who does not work, and you can claim one type only. The spouse allowance is 9% of your average weekly wage with a $15 floor, so it lifts the cap from $628 to $748. The child allowance is 17.3% of your average weekly wage, or half your WBA up to $50 if that is higher, and lifts the cap to $859. If you have both a child and a nonworking spouse, the child allowance is the larger one, so pick that.
How Much Can I Earn on Unemployment in Illinois?
You can earn up to half your WBA in a week with no cut to your benefit, and you still get a partial payment as long as your earnings stay below your full WBA (not counting the allowance). Every dollar above the 50% line is taken off your payment. With a $387 WBA, Darnell can earn $193.50 with no reduction. If he earns $250 in a week, $56.50 comes off, so he receives $474 on top of his pay. To total irregular shifts before you certify, the time card calculator adds up hours in 12 or 24 hour time, and you report gross pay for the week you did the work.
Who Qualifies for Unemployment in Illinois?
You qualify on wages if you were paid at least $1,600 in your base period and at least $440 of that came outside your highest quarter. If you fall short, IDES can use the alternate base period, which is the four most recent completed quarters. Other states set different tests: the Texas unemployment calculator divides one quarter by 25, so the same wages give a different result there than in the Illinois unemployment calculator. Beyond wages, you must be out of work through no fault of your own, able to work, available for work and actively looking each week. The first week you claim is an unpaid waiting week, and you certify every two weeks after that.
Is Illinois Unemployment Taxable?
Yes. Unemployment benefits count as taxable income on your federal return and your Illinois return, and IDES reports them on Form 1099-G. When you file, you can ask IDES to withhold 10% for federal tax and 4.95% for state tax, or file Form W-4V for voluntary withholding instead and keep the state tax for your return. On a $530 weekly benefit, withholding both leaves about $451 a week, and withholding only federal tax leaves $477.
When the IDES finding letter arrives, compare the quarterly wages it lists with the figures you entered in this Illinois unemployment calculator. If a quarter is missing or too low, send IDES your pay stubs or W-2 promptly, because a corrected quarter can raise your weekly benefit for the whole claim.
</>Embed this calculator on your website
Add the free Illinois Unemployment Calculator to your own site or blog. Copy the code below and paste it into an HTML block. It resizes itself and works on phones.
How we checked this tool: the Tools Veria Editorial Team built this tool by hand, checked it against the official rules or published standards where they apply, and tested it against worked examples. Results are estimates for planning, not personal financial or tax advice. Read our editorial policy and disclaimer, or report an error.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Illinois unemployment calculated?
IDES adds the wages from your two highest base period quarters, divides by 26 and pays 47% of that average weekly wage, rounded up to the next dollar. For $21,400 in two quarters, that is $823 a week and a benefit of $387.
What is the maximum unemployment benefit in Illinois in 2026?
For benefit years starting on or after 1 January 2026, the maximum is $628 a week for a single claimant, $748 with a nonworking spouse and $859 with a dependent child. The minimum weekly benefit is $51.
How long does unemployment last in Illinois?
Regular Illinois unemployment lasts up to 26 weeks in a benefit year. The total you can receive is 26 times your weekly benefit amount plus any dependent allowance, so a $530 weekly benefit gives up to $13,780.
How much is the dependent allowance in Illinois?
In 2026 a nonworking spouse adds 9% of your average weekly wage, at least $15, and a dependent child adds 17.3%, at least half your benefit up to $50. You can claim only one allowance, and extra children do not add more.
Can I work part time and still get unemployment in Illinois?
Yes, if your weekly earnings are less than your weekly benefit amount. IDES ignores earnings up to 50% of your benefit and deducts every dollar above that, so on a $387 benefit you can earn $193.50 before any reduction.
How much do I need to earn to qualify for unemployment in Illinois?
You need at least $1,600 in wages in your base period, with at least $440 paid outside your highest quarter. If you do not meet this on the standard base period, IDES checks the alternate base period of your last four completed quarters.