Originally published on CBS Chicago, February 8, 2021.

CHICAGO (CBS) — Only on 2. It’s yet another unemployment frustration. A suburban woman can’t do her taxes because of how much the state wrongly paid her. The amount has to be reported to the IRS.

CBS 2’s Suzanne Le Mignot has been following the woman’s money troubles for weeks.

We first spoke to Rimma Brodetsky last month.

“It’s a very hard time right now,” Brodetsky said.

Brodetsky said she’d been trying to fix an overpayment by IDES in pandemic unemployment assistance money since July.

Fast forward to this month: She received her form 1099-G Statement of Unemployment Insurance Benefits Paid from IDES for 2020. It shows $31,510 in benefits paid to Brodetsky.

But about $8,000 of that money was an overpayment by IDES.

“I don’t know how to file my taxes now,” Brodetsky said. “I don’t know how to fix this on top of everything else, and I haven’t gotten any clarity, because I haven’t gotten any callbacks from IDES.”

IDES told CBS 2 Brodetsky should contact the IRS about the overpayment.

An IRS publication said in cases like this, a person must report the net amount received after payback and note the amount of benefits repaid.

“This is not a time for government agencies to be pointing fingers at each other,” said Illinois State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-8th District) who said his office has heard from many with similar issues.

“Absolutely, this is by far been the most important and common issue that folks have reached out to my office about,” Villivalam said.

Brodetsky is among the 1.49 million people in Illinois issued a 1099-G. Villivalam recently introduced Senate Bill 4026 to help people like Brodetsky know their rights when it comes to issues like overpayments.

There is an Illinois Senate committee hearing about unemployment Wednesday morning. IDES has been asked to be there. CBS 2 will let you know what happens.