My first unemployment payment still has not arrived after 11 years as an HR coordinator

I applied for unemployment in Chicago 19 weeks ago and the status page still says pending. The page shows my claim as open but no payment date. What would you check first?

Keep certifying every week even while you wait. If they find you eligible, the weeks you certified are the ones that count.

When I finally got through, the agent said my employer had responded late. Once that cleared, back pay came in one payment.