I recently found myself in a tough situation when my spouse unexpectedly lost his job. He was working as a contractor doing marketing and website-related tasks for a single business owner, and he was paid on a 1099. He worked full-time, about 40 to 45 hours a week, and followed the owner's instructions closely. Unfortunately, the owner decided to end the working relationship due to rising business expenses. Now, we're trying to figure out if he can qualify for regular unemployment benefits in Illinois, despite being classified as an independent contractor. I've been researching the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) website and learned that just because he received a 1099 doesn't automatically disqualify him from unemployment benefits. In fact, IDES states that many workers may have been misclassified and should apply anyway. I'm reaching out to see if anyone has had a similar experience in Illinois. Specifically, I'm curious if anyone who was paid on a 1099 successfully received unemployment benefits after being deemed misclassified by IDES. How long did the process take for you? What kind of documents did they ask for? If your initial determination showed $0, were you able to get it reviewed? Any insights or tips would be greatly appreciated, as we're trying to understand what to expect and if filing a claim is worth it. Meanwhile, my spouse has started applying for new jobs.