More Michiganders are still waiting. The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) has begun to notify claimants who are no longer eligible to receive Pandemic Unemployment Assistance(PUA) benefits that overpayments will be waived. The agency said it doesn't know exactly how many claimants received benefits in the pandemic but were later told they were overpaid benefits through no fault of their own. TheU.S. Department of Labor issued guidance to states in February on how to address overpayments when the claimant is not at fault. Meanwhile, apause on"new" wage garnishments and interceptions of state of Michigan tax refundsfor 398,000 claimants expired on May 7. When you file your appeal, ask for a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ). The individual responded no to being unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable or unavailable to work due to the approved coronavirus-related reasons, and the state paid Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. If claimants qualify for a waiver, UIA will notify them through an online message to their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) accounts and by a letter mailed to the address on file. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Waivers will not be applied to claims where UIA has determined fraud is involved and the agency will continue to vigorously pursue restitution of any stolen benefits. UIA has notified claimants who received waivers by posting messages to their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) accounts. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. Dale announced last week waivers on approximately 7,300 overpayment claims that waived $53.2 million in repayments. Julia Dale, the director of the agency, told state lawmakers in early April that the agency expectedto send out waivers over this past weekendto about 382,000 claimants who received overpayment letters. Your next steps will depend on whether you agree or disagree with the UIAs determination letter. The agency also said about $11 million will be refunded to claimants who had been paying back their federal benefits overpaymentor it will be applied to any outstanding debt a claimant may have. Once you have logged into your account, click on the "Determination Status" tab, and then click on "file a protest.". Convenient times and dates are available. Michigan ice A new system will allow for quick analysis of data that is currently not possible for the agency. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. Four PUA COVID-19 eligibility reasons that were included at the beginning of the pandemic were later found by the U.S. Department of Labor to be non-qualifying. Some Michiganders had benefits cut short based on erroneous determinations about whether they lost work due to COVID, whether they were able and available for work, or whether they voluntarily quit their jobs for health and safety reasons. In May, Dale announced that collections on more than 55,000 claims will not have to be paid back, totaling approximately $431 million in overpayments of federal pandemic unemployment benefits. Rebuilt the Trust Fund to $1.5 billion (and growing). Workers with questions about overpayment waivers can go to Michigan.gov/UIA and click on the Schedule an Appointment link to set up an in-person, phone or online meeting with a trained staff member. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters. State unemployment insurance program overpayments. The new press release is lacking in details and reports that during a pause until May 7, 2022 UIA will not issue new wage garnishments or intercept State of Michigan tax refunds. Each letter will have a due date printed on your determination for when the protest is due. In late December 2022, Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) said it would temporarily stop trying to collect overpayments from people who filed for unemployment insurance since March 1, 2020. Roughly 350,000 waivers were distributed in July 2021 so Michiganders would not have to repay overpayments that were received by no fault of their own. If the UIA denies your protest and appeal and still says you owe the money, you can use this waiver process to argue that even if there is an overpayment, you should not have to pay it back. Because those programs were federally funded, the UIA is required to actively collect overpayments, unless specific suspensions are obtained from the federal government. 2023 Blanchard & Walker PLLC. My top priority is to help Michigan families. The suspension through Oct. 31, 2022, halts collections on unemployment benefits programs launched under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and its extensions: Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), Mixed Earnings Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) and federal reimbursement for the first week of benefits. This latest round of waivers adds to our robust work to reform the agency and get money back to Michiganders, while also cracking down on fraud and abuse and holding bad actors accountable at every turn.. May 04, 2022 The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced today that over 55,000 claimants will not have to pay back a total of approximately $431 The agency, in its news releaseFriday, said the issue was due to "unclear instructions regarding gross earnings versus net earnings.". We continue to monitor and advocate as the situation unfolds. All rights reserved. Claims determined to be fraudulent or being investigated for fraud. Around $11 million was refunded to Michiganders who had paid or begun paying back these benefits. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Claimants who received waivers had messages The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Governor Whitmer called on U.S. Department of Labor (U.S. DOL) to expand the eligibility for waivers for Michigan workers who received federal assistance and UIAs Dale proactively advocated for waivers for Michigans workers who followed the rules when they applied for benefits were not negatively affected by decisions the agency made. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced Friday that those who wrongfully received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits will be granted an overpayment waiver allowing them to keep the money, although many may no longer receive aid going forward. PUA benefits are $300 a week on top of maximum state benefits of $362. Some claimants have received a waiver. An individual was eligible for payment and the state issued payment at a higher Weekly Benefit Amount under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program. Were not finished providing substantial relief to Michigan workers, said UIA Director Julia Dale. Boards, Commissions & Councils collapsed link, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs, Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission, Michigan Council for Rehabilitation Services, MiSTEM Advisory Council and MiSTEM Network, Workers' Disability Compensation Appeals Commission, https://dev.michigan.local/som/json?sc_device=json, Go to Bureau of Services for Blind Persons, Go to Michigan Career & Technical Institute, Go to Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Go to Michigan High-Speed Internet Office, Go to Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Go to Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Go to Office of Mobility and Electrification, Requests for Proposals and Qualifications, Go to Workers' Disability Compensation Agency, Go to Michigan Employment Relations Commission, Go to Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs, Go to Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan, Go to Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission, Go to Michigan Community Service Commission, Go to Michigan Council on Future Mobility, Go to Michigan Council for Rehabilitation Services, Go to Michigan Workforce Development Board, Go to MiSTEM Advisory Council and MiSTEM Network, Go to Unemployment Insurance Appeals Commission, Go to Workers' Disability Compensation Appeals Commission, UIA 1554 DUA - Application for Disaster Unemployment Assistance, UIA 1785-DUA - Bi-Weekly Paper Certification for DUA, UIA 6439 - Public Official, Educational Institution or Michigan Works Agency Request for Information, UIA 1299, Waiver for Accommodation Assistance, UIA 1680, Certification of Completion of Approved Training, UIA 1718, Unemployed Worker's Statement of Wages (Fillable), UIA 1729, Notice of Inquiry for Benefits of a Deceased or Mentally Incompetent Claimant, UIA 1733 - Protest of a Determination/Appeal of a Redetermination, UIA 1735 - Certification for Benefits Due Deceased Claimant, UIA 1795 (Spanish) - Request to Waive Repayment of Benefit Overpayment Balance, UIA 1848 - Certification of Agency and Appearance, UIA 1901-S, Beneficios Del Desempleo En Michigan, UIA 1901 - Unemployment Benefits in Michigan, UIA 1920 - Request for Form 1099-G (Fillable PDF), UIA 6349 (Fillable) - Statement of Identity Theft, UIA 1795 - Request to Waive Repayment of Benefit Overpayment Balance, UIA 1925 - Request for Name and/or Address Change, UIA 6102 Authorization for UIA to Release Confidential Information. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced Friday that those who wrongfully received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits will be The Program works with judges, courts, lawyers, bar associations, nonprofit legal aid agencies, legal self-help centers, libraries and many others to promote coordinated and quality assistance for persons representing themselves in civil legal matters in Michigan. This federal action will allow us the time we need to evaluate claims for overpayment waivers, which we will be announcing soon.. If you got unemployment benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, you may have received a notice for overpayment. The waivers will apply to federal benefits received before September 4, 2021, the end date for pandemic unemployment benefits programs under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and its extensions. If you become unemployed and get unemployment benefits while you still owe an overpayment, 50 percent (or 100 percent if fraud was involved in the original overpayment) of your weekly unemployment benefit payment will be taken for repayment. If you cant show good cause, the decision that you were overpaid will become final. If you were overpaid benefits and you are currently employed, contact the UIA Benefit Overpayment Copyright 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. UIA is performing an analysis to determine the total population impacted by this issue.. 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The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. This means the UIA should stop sending collection letters or doing anything else to make people pay these overpayments. Director Dale is committed to ensuring that no Michigan family be forced to repay benefits due to changes that affected their claims after they applied for benefits. News Update: Promised Waivers fall short. Many more have never been told why they werent paid the benefits owed, and they still just wait nearly two years later. New waiver qualifications for Michiganders who received unemployment overpayments More people could qualify for Michigan's unemployment insurance agency A worker files a claim on the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency website. This is a pause on collections only. In the report on Wednesday, the Free Press showed that in at least some of the cases, the mistake was the state's and not the claimants'. Letters will also be mailed to the address on file confirming the MiWAM notification. But the agency continued to fight back against claimants who argued they didn't misreport their income. This latest round of waivers adds to our robust work to reform the agency and get money back to Michiganders, while also cracking down on fraud and abuse and holding bad actors accountable at every turn., Previous: 55,000 Michiganders wont have to pay back $431 million in improperly awarded unemployment benefits. How Do I Join a Class Action and How Does it Work for Me? Michigan can waive more unemployment bills under new federal guidance, Michigan unemployment agency unlawfully demanded money back, class-action lawsuit says, Whitmer signs bill to pour $140M into Michigan unemployment fund. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The UIA waived the repayment of more than $53.2 million in benefits that were received by claimants, providing much needed relief for Michiganders. The announcement came days after the Detroit Free Press reported some workers with overpayment notices were accused of misreporting their income. If your protests were filed on time, the UIA is not allowed to collect money before your case is final. If you got an overpayment notice and disagree with it, you can protest and ask the UIA to look at your claim again. Related: Michigan erases $431M in pandemic unemployment overpayments. What type of federal programs are affected? The agency said in an emailed news release that fewer waivers went out than expected because additional testing over the last weekrevealed that theearly numbers overlapped with waivers issued last fall by the agency. The DOLsEmployment and Training Administrationupdated its waiver guidance to approve five new scenarios under which states who have adopted the federal provisions for consideration of a waiver may use blanket waivers to wipe out overpayments: The Department of Labor has also created a process for states to propose additional categories for blanket waiver treatment. Michigan Legal HelpHelping Michigan residents solve their legal problems. Some examples of good cause include: You can protest online through your Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM). Gretchen Whitmer supported Michigan's use of waivers from the Department of Labor, stressing that, "No one who followed the rules and received benefits through no fault of their own should have to pay back money to the federal government.". Contact us to request a meeting with one of our attorneys. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced that it has issued waivers to approximately 7,300 state and federal COVID-19 jobless claims from workers in Michigan. Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) provides the connections, expertise and innovative solutions to drive continued business growth, build vibrant communities, create affordable housing, generate tourism and attract and retain key talent to fill Michigans vast pipeline of opportunities. UIA 1901 (Spanish) - Unemployment Benefits in Michigan. However, UIA continues to work with their partners at FAST and DTMB to identify other groups of claimants who might also qualify for an overpayment waiver. Boards, Commissions & Councils collapsed link, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs, Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission, Michigan Council for Rehabilitation Services, MiSTEM Advisory Council and MiSTEM Network, Workers' Disability Compensation Appeals Commission, https://dev.michigan.local/som/json?sc_device=json, UIA secures federal approval to suspend overpayment collections for nearly 400,000 claimants, Go to Bureau of Services for Blind Persons, Go to Michigan Career & Technical Institute, Go to Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Go to Michigan High-Speed Internet Office, Go to Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Go to Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Go to Office of Mobility and Electrification, Requests for Proposals and Qualifications, Go to Workers' Disability Compensation Agency, Go to Michigan Employment Relations Commission, Go to Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs, Go to Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan, Go to Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission, Go to Michigan Community Service Commission, Go to Michigan Council on Future Mobility, Go to Michigan Council for Rehabilitation Services, Go to Michigan Workforce Development Board, Go to MiSTEM Advisory Council and MiSTEM Network, Go to Unemployment Insurance Appeals Commission, Go to Workers' Disability Compensation Appeals Commission. 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