In the case of Mellody Estella Maria Williams-Huntley versus Illinois Department of Employment Security, Director of Illinois Department of Employment Security, Board of Review, and Social Security Administration, filed in the Appellate Court of Illinois (case ID: 1-23-0979) on March 22, 2024, Williams-Huntley appeals against the decision affirming her appeal's dismissal due to lack of jurisdiction. The plaintiff's appeal was dismissed as it was filed after the statutory 30-day time limit.
Williams-Huntley applied for unemployment insurance benefits in September 2019. After review, a Department claims adjudicator deemed her ineligible for benefits as she was receiving monthly retirement payments from a previous employer. In early 2022, Williams-Huntley appealed this decision but it was dismissed by a referee citing untimeliness.
The Board of Review affirmed the referee’s decision upon review. They noted that the adjudicator’s decision was mailed to Williams-Huntley on December 17, 2019, her appeal was due on January 16, 2020, but she did not file an appeal until January 29, 2022.
Williams-Huntley seeks judgment against the defendants for dismissing her appeal due to lack of jurisdiction. She argues that the Board erred in affirming the referee’s dismissal and seeks administrative review of the Board’s decision.