Stimulus Jobs Program Not Paying Workers

Chicago - Federal stimulus dollars put thousands of Illinois residents to work, but FOX Chicago News has learned not all of the people working are getting paid.

The program is called "Put Illinois to work" and is part of the massive federal economic stimulus package passed in 2009.

Illinois got a cut of more than $200 million, and that created 23,000 temporary jobs paying $10 an hour.

But while the program is fully funded not all of the people who got jobs are getting paid.

The state said the temp workers are employed as clerks and security guards, in restaurants -- all different types of jobs.

But for more than two months now some have not seen their first paycheck.

That means a program designed to teach skills and help put people back on their feet has actually put some of them in a deeper financial hole.

So what's the problem?

The company contracted by the state to administer the program said while the vast majority of participants are getting paid there have been a number of data entry errors, missing timesheets and all sorts of technical gremlins associated with starting up such a massive enterprise on short notice.

"In general the system works well," Said Joseph Antolin of Heartland Human Care Services. "We have an error rate of less than one percent. But when you're talking about 23,000 people that's still a significant number of people."

FOX Chicago News gave Antolin the names of four people we talked to who haven't yet been paid.

He says they should all get their first checks tomorrow.

There is so much demand for work in Illinois, the program is no longer taking applications, and at this point those jobs are only funded through the end of September.