State department not paying me my earned wages!

I currently work for the Illinois Department of Human services as a Personal Assistant. I'm a fairly new employee, but I have submitted my time sheets accordingly so that I may be paid on time. The end of my first pay period was December 15th, 2024. I was set to be paid on December 23rd, 2024.

I sent an email a week after my set pay day to the IDHS employee I've spoken to on previous occasions. She said the mail could be slow and that she apologizes. She informed me that they couldn't reissue my check until January 23rd. Something she had also informed me of was that I supposedly did not provide my direct deposit information with my application paperwork. I'm very aware that I provided my account and routing number with my application, because that was the same day I reset my bank login information. She told me I "needed a voided check or a letter from my bank." I know that's a line of garbage. Not once in all my years working has an employer ever asked that of me. I've also set up direct deposit for employees in my past places of work. You only need the account and routing numbers. I told her I'd give it another week for my check to arrive. Before I knew it, several weeks had gone by with no sign of my check.

Feeling beyond frustrated about not being paid to this day, I did some digging. According to the Illinois Department of Labor, an employer is to pay you the wages you've earned no later than 13 days following the end of a pay period. As of Today, it's been 29 days since December 15th, 2024. It's been 21 days since I was set to be paid on December 23rd, 2024.

I went to the Illinois Department of Labor website to file a wage claim against the IDHS, but they aren't able to process wage claims regarding other departments in the state. So I'm lost on how to file a wage claim against the IDHS.

Any help is much appreciated! Thank you!