§ 401 — Weekly Benefit Amount - Dependents' Allowances

(I) A. With respect to any week beginning in a benefit year beginning prior to January 4, 2004, an individual's weekly benefit amount shall be an amount equal to the weekly benefit amount as defined in the provisions of this Act as amended and in effect on November 18, 2011. B. 1. With respect to any benefit year beginning on or after January 4, 2004 and before January 6, 2008, an individual's weekly benefit amount shall be 48% of the individual's prior average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar; provided, however, that the weekly benefit amount cannot exceed the maximum weekly benefit amount and cannot be less than $51. Except as otherwise provided in this Section, with respect to any benefit year beginning on or after January 6, 2008, an individual's weekly benefit amount shall be 47% of the individual's prior average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar; provided, however, that the weekly benefit amount cannot exceed the maximum weekly benefit amount and cannot be less than $51. With respect to any benefit year beginning on or after January 1, 2027 and before January 1, 2028, an individual's weekly benefit amount shall be 40.6% of the individual's prior average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar; provided, however, that the weekly benefit amount cannot exceed the maximum weekly benefit amount and cannot be less than $51. 2. For the purposes of this subsection: An individual's "prior average weekly wage" means the total wages for insured work paid to that individual during the 2 calendar quarters of the individual's base period in which such total wages were highest, divided by 26. If the quotient is not already a multiple of one dollar, it shall be rounded to the nearest dollar; however if the quotient is equally near 2 multiples of one dollar, it shall be rounded to the higher multiple of one dollar. "Determination date" means June 1 and December 1 of each calendar year except that, for the purposes of this Act only, there shall be no June 1 determination date in any year. "Determination period" means, with respect to each June 1 determination date, the 12 consecutive calendar months ending on the immediately preceding December 31 and, with respect to each December 1 determination date, the 12 consecutive calendar months ending on the immediately preceding June 30. "Benefit period" means the 12 consecutive calendar month period beginning on the first day of the first calendar month immediately following a determination date, except that, with respect to any calendar year in which there is a June 1 determination date, "benefit period" shall mean the 6 consecutive calendar month period beginning on the first day of the first calendar month immediately following the preceding December 1 determination date and the 6 consecutive calendar month period beginning on the first day of the first calendar month immediately following the June 1 determination date. "Gross wages" means all the wages paid to individuals during the determination period immediately preceding a determination date for insured work, and reported to the Director by employers prior to the first day of the third calendar month preceding that date. "Covered employment" for any calendar month means the total number of individuals, as determined by the Director, engaged in insured work at mid-month. "Average monthly covered employment" means one-twelfth of the sum of the covered employment for the 12 months of a determination period. "Statewide average annual wage" means the quotient, obtained by dividing gross wages by average monthly covered employment for the same determination period, rounded (if not already a multiple of one cent) to the nearest cent. "Statewide average weekly wage" means the quotient, obtained by dividing the statewide average annual wage by 52, rounded (if not already a multiple of one cent) to the nearest cent. Notwithstanding any provision of this Section to the contrary, the statewide average weekly wage for any benefit period prior to calendar year 2012 shall be as determined by the provisions of this Act as amended and in effect on November 18, 2011. Notwithstanding any provisions of this Section to the contrary, the statewide average weekly wage for the benefit period of calendar year 2012 shall be $856.55 and for each calendar year thereafter, the statewide average weekly wage shall be the statewide average weekly wage, as determined in accordance with this sentence, for the immediately preceding benefit period plus (or minus) an amount equal to the percentage change in the statewide average weekly wage, as computed in accordance with the first sentence of this paragraph, between the 2 immediately preceding benefit periods, multiplied by the statewide average weekly wage, as determined in accordance with this sentence, for the immediately preceding benefit period. However, for purposes of the Workers' Compensation Act, the statewide average weekly wage will be computed using June 1 and December 1 determination dates of each calendar year and such determination shall not be subject to the limitation of the statewide average weekly wage as computed in accordance with the preceding sentence of this paragraph. With respect to any week beginning in a benefit year beginning prior to January 4, 2004, "maximum weekly benefit amount" with respect to each week beginning within a benefit period shall be as defined in the provisions of this Act as amended and in effect on November 18, 2011. With respect to any benefit year beginning on or after January 4, 2004 and before January 6, 2008, "maximum weekly benefit amount" with respect to each week beginning within a benefit period means 48% of the statewide average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar. Except as otherwise provided in this Section, with respect to any benefit year beginning on or after January 6, 2008, "maximum weekly benefit amount" with respect to each week beginning within a benefit period means 47% of the statewide average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar. With respect to any benefit year beginning on or after January 1, 2027 and before January 1, 2028, "maximum weekly benefit amount" with respect to each week beginning within a benefit period means 40.6% of the statewide average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar. C. With respect to any week beginning in a benefit year beginning prior to January 4, 2004, an individual's eligibility for a dependent allowance with respect to a nonworking spouse or one or more dependent children shall be as defined by the provisions of this Act as amended and in effect on November 18, 2011. With respect to any benefit year beginning on or after January 4, 2004 and before January 6, 2008, an individual to whom benefits are payable with respect to any week shall, in addition to those benefits, be paid, with respect to such week, as follows: in the case of an individual with a nonworking spouse, 9% of the individual's prior average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar, provided, that the total amount payable to the individual with respect to a week shall not exceed 57% of the statewide average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar; and in the case of an individual with a dependent child or dependent children, 17.2% of the individual's prior average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar, provided that the total amount payable to the individual with respect to a week shall not exceed 65.2% of the statewide average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar. With respect to any benefit year beginning on or after January 6, 2008 and before January 1, 2010, an individual to whom benefits are payable with respect to any week shall, in addition to those benefits, be paid, with respect to such week, as follows: in the case of an individual with a nonworking spouse, 9% of the individual's prior average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar, provided, that the total amount payable to the individual with respect to a week shall not exceed 56% of the statewide average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar; and in the case of an individual with a dependent child or dependent children, 18.2% of the individual's prior average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar, provided that the total amount payable to the individual with respect to a week shall not exceed 65.2% of the statewide average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar. The additional amount paid pursuant to this subsection in the case of an individual with a dependent child or dependent children shall be referred to as the "dependent child allowance", and the percentage rate by which an individual's prior average weekly wage is multiplied pursuant to this subsection to calculate the dependent child allowance shall be referred to as the "dependent child allowance rate". Except as otherwise provided in this Section, with respect to any benefit year beginning on or after January 1, 2010, an individual to whom benefits are payable with respect to any week shall, in addition to those benefits, be paid, with respect to such week, as follows: in the case of an individual with a nonworking spouse, the greater of (i) 9% of the individual's prior average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar, or (ii) $15, provided that the total amount payable to the individual with respect to a week shall not exceed 56% of the statewide average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar; and in the case of an individual with a dependent child or dependent children, the greater of (i) the product of the dependent child allowance rate multiplied by the individual's prior average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar, or (ii) the lesser of $50 or 50% of the individual's weekly benefit amount, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar, provided that the total amount payable to the individual with respect to a week shall not exceed the product of the statewide average weekly wage multiplied by the sum of 47% plus the dependent child allowance rate, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar. With respect to any benefit year beginning on or after January 1, 2027 and before January 1, 2028, an individual to whom benefits are payable with respect to any week shall, in addition to those benefits, be paid, with respect to such week, as follows: in the case of an individual with a nonworking spouse, the greater of (i) 9% of the individual's prior average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar, or (ii) $15, provided that the total amount payable to the individual with respect to a week shall not exceed 49.6% of the statewide average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar; and in the case of an individual with a dependent child or dependent children, the greater of (i) the product of the dependent child allowance rate multiplied by the individual's prior average weekly wage, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar, or (ii) the lesser of $50 or 50% of the individual's weekly benefit amount, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar, provided that the total amount payable to the individual with respect to a week shall not exceed the product of the statewide average weekly wage multiplied by the sum of 40.6% plus the dependent child allowance rate, rounded (if not already a multiple of one dollar) to the next higher dollar. With respect to each benefit year beginning after calendar year 2012, the dependent child allowance rate shall be the sum of the allowance adjustment applicable pursuant to Section 1400.1 to the calendar year in which the benefit year begins, plus the dependent child allowance rate with respect to each benefit year beginning in the immediately preceding calendar year, except as otherwise provided in this subsection. The dependent child allowance rate with respect to each benefit year beginning in calendar year 2010 shall be 17.9%. The dependent child allowance rate with respect to each benefit year beginning in calendar year 2011 shall be 17.4%. The dependent child allowance rate with respect to each benefit year beginning in calendar year 2012 shall be 17.0% and, with respect to each benefit year beginning after calendar year 2012, shall not be less than 17.0% or greater than 17.9%. For the purposes of this subsection: "Dependent" means a child or a nonworking spouse. "Child" means a natural child, stepchild, or adopted child of an individual claiming benefits under this Act or a child who is in the custody of any such individual by court order, for whom the individual is supplying and, for at least 90 consecutive days (or for the duration of the parental relationship if it has existed for less than 90 days) immediately preceding any week with respect to which the individual has filed a claim, has supplied more than one-half the cost of support, or has supplied at least 1/4 of the cost of support if the individual and the other parent, together, are supplying and, during the aforesaid period, have supplied more than one-half the cost of support, and are, and were during the aforesaid period, members of the same household; and who, on the first day of such week (a) is under 18 years of age, or (b) is, and has been during the immediately preceding 90 days, unable to work because of illness or other disability: provided, that no person who has been determined to be a child of an individual who has been allowed benefits with respect to a week in the individual's benefit year shall be deemed to be a child of the other parent, and no other person shall be determined to be a child of such other parent, during the remainder of that benefit year. "Nonworking spouse" means the lawful husband or wife of an individual claiming benefits under this Act, for whom more than one-half the cost of support has been supplied by the individual for at least 90 consecutive days (or for the duration of the marital relationship if it has existed for less than 90 days) immediately preceding any week with respect to which the individual has filed a claim, but only if the nonworking spouse is currently ineligible to receive benefits under this Act by reason of the provisions of Section 500E. An individual who was obligated by law to provide for the support of a child or of a nonworking spouse for the aforesaid period of 90 consecutive days, but was prevented by illness or injury from doing so, shall be deemed to have provided more than one-half the cost of supporting the child or nonworking spouse for that period. (II) (Blank).

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 102-671, eff. 11-30-21; 102-700, eff. 4-19-22; 102-1105, eff. 1-1-23; 103-1059, eff. 12-20-24.)