CHICAGO – New monthly wage reports will help stop individuals from illegally collecting unemployment insurance benefits while working because officials will have the most up-to-date wage information available, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

The new monthly reports also will help prevent fraud in the Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act programs because the up-to-date wage information will more quickly identify those who make too much money to qualify.

IDES Director Jay Rowell said this first-in-the-nation effort shows Illinois takes seriously its responsibility to guarantee access to crucial safety-net programs while at the same time protecting taxpayer money and leveraging technology to serve employers and workers in the most cost-efficient manner possible.