Release date: Friday, July 30, 2021. This round of waivers accounts for 96% UIA has notified claimants who received waivers by posting messages to their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) accounts. Rebuilt the Trust Fund to $1.5 billion (and growing). If you cant show good cause, the decision that you were overpaid will become final. Letters will also be mailed to the address on file confirming the MiWAM notification. A new system will allow for quick analysis of data that is currently not possible for the agency. Related: Unemployment waivers bring relief to thousands. If you lose your appeal in front of an ALJ and you do not want to appeal your case again, you will need to repay the overpayment amount or ask for a waiver. Read Appealing a Protest above to learn more. If the UIA tries to collect from you during the pause, you can try contacting the UIA's Benefit Overpayment Collection unit at 1-866-500-0017. Dale said the agency is still working hard to identify workers who qualify for the next round of waivers. People who were paid on regular UI will still be eligible for waivers under the narrower state standards, and any applications will have to be individually determined by the Agency. Dale is also going after bad actors who steal money from workers, striving for exemplary customer service, and leading the effort to replace the Agencys decade-old computer system with a user-friendly, state-of-the-art interface for claimants and businesses. Once you have logged into your account, click on the "Determination Status" tab, and then click on "file a protest.". According to recent reporting, the waiver program was much smaller than promised. All rights reserved. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Waivers will be granted to the initial group of approximately 350,000 non-responses, many of whom may no longer be collecting benefits. That's an average of about $7,800 per claimant that was waived. instructionalvideos posted by the agency, Michigan Unemployment agency says claimants made big mistake. Implemented new policies for employees and contractors, including fingerprinting, criminal background checks, and an updated ethics policy. It further states that a "state may authorize a waiver when or if the overpayment was not the fault of the claimant and UIA 1901 (Spanish) - Unemployment Benefits in Michigan. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. Because those programs were federally funded, the UIA is required to actively collect overpayments, unless specific suspensions are obtained from the federal government. We do not know how long this pause will last or when the UIA will start trying to collect these overpayments again. If you run into problems, you may want to try to contact a lawyer. What type of federal programs are affected? Interest accumulates very quickly on unemployment overpayments. A worker files a claim on the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency website. WebYou can request a waiver from your state if repaying the overage will cause a financial hardship if the overage is not the result of fraud. Unemployment waivers bring relief to thousands. Michigan has yet to adopt this standard, but it now seems poised to do so. Since July 2021, the UIA has waived more than $4.35 billion in overpayment debt related to federal pandemic jobless benefits programs on more than 407,300 claims. More Michiganders are still waiting. Unfortunately, the new guidance from the DOL applies only to CARES Act funded benefits (PUA, FPUC, MEUC, PEUC). In some situations, the UIA may send you actual bills for an overpayment. 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'. Each letter will have a due date printed on your determination for when the protest is due. "We wont stop fighting until weve corrected past mistakes made by this agency so that not one innocent Michigander will face consequences as a result of asking for help they needed,"Julia Dale, thedirector of Michigan's UIA, said in the release. 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 No Michigander who did the right thing when applying for benefits should be required to pay anything back resulting from errors at the federal level. The UIA must get your appeal within 30 days from the date it is issued. Last year, the Michigan UIA retroactively determined nearly 700,000 people were ineligible for a federal pandemic unemployment program that extended benefits to part-time and gig workers. If this happens, you will get a Notice of Adjustment to Income Tax Refund. 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Previously, a February 7, 2022 press announcement, the Governor and Unemployment Agency Director Julia Dale announced that the States Unemployment Agency intends to act quickly to halt collections and issue overpayment waivers. An earlier suspension expired in May. 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. State There is no application process. The waivers will apply to state and federal benefits that claimants received between March 15, 2020, and May 30, 2021, under a state jobless claim, extended benefits, or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC). More rounds of waivers expected, offering relief to workers. I want to thank the Governor for her proactive efforts to seek federal guidance on issuing waivers for overpayments to claimants who did the right thing when the applied for benefits, Dale said. The Michigan Legal Help website and affiliated local self-help centers are part of the Michigan Legal Help Program. We wont stop fighting until weve corrected past mistakes made by this agency so that not one innocent Michigander will face consequences as a result of asking for help they needed, said Michigan UIA director Julia Dale in a statement. In February, the request for expanded waivers was granted. In addition, approximately $2.4 million will be refunded to claimants who were paying back benefits received or applied toward overpayments not covered by the waivers. Disclaimer & Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Sitemap. Video of the Day At the hearing you will be able to explain why you believe you are eligible for the benefits you received and any good cause that you relied on. Reassigned staff and resources to address the largest categories of claims that are contributing to the agencys case backlog. But the agency continued to fight back against claimants who argued they didn't misreport their income. There is not an application for this on MiWAM, but you can ask for the waiver by going to your main account page and finding the link "Send Unemployment a Message". New waiver qualifications for Michiganders who received unemployment overpayments More people could qualify for Michigan's unemployment insurance agency Were not finished providing substantial relief to Michigan workers, said UIA Director Julia Dale. Blanchard & Walker PLLC 221 North Main St., Suite 300 Ann Arbor, MI 48104, UIA CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AND WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Discrimination, PROFESSIONAL LICENSING AND DISCIPLINARY REVIEW, BW Wins Approval for $1.95M Delivery Driver Settlement. The individual submitted required proof of earnings used to calculate Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Weekly Benefit Amount and the state incorrectly processed the calculation, resulting in a higher WBA under the PUA program. Those 350,000 people wont be able to keep collecting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits in the future, however. There are other penalties for fraud, too. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. 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. Readers can follow our Facebook page for developments on the UIA waiver program and the UIA class-action lawsuit. Regular unemployment benefits paid during the pandemic are unaffected by this announcement. 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. WebEligible Unemployment Claimants Granted Overpayment Waivers. Michigan Rehabilitation Services new layout, Michigan Council for Rehabilitation Services (MCRS), Executive Order 2020-107 established Michigan Workforce Development Board, Unemployment Insurance Appeals Commission, formerly MI Compensation Appellate Commission. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced Friday that those who wrongfully received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits will be The agency said it continues to work with its software vendor FAST Enterprises and the Michigan Department of Technology, Managementand Budget toidentify other groups of claimants who might also qualify for an overpayment waiver. Due to the intense volume, we are not able to answer individual questions or provide individual representation on UI matters. You can appeal online through your MiWAM account. The move came twodays after the Detroit Free Press highlighted that certain peoplewho received Pandemic Unemployment Assistancebenefits were accused of misreportingtheir income and were to repay the excess benefits they had received. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. The U.S. DOL authorized a pause on certain collection activity through May 7, 2022. (WXMI) Relief could soon be coming for Michiganders who were told they would have to pay back unemployment money. They can also contact the UIA by phone at 866-500-0017 or schedule a telephone, virtual or in-person appointment with an agent. What is an Overpayment Waiver? It is very important to read the notices, and protest or appeal on time using the process below if you disagree with the UIA's decision. He's been with WDIV since 2013. Related: Michigan erases $431M in pandemic unemployment overpayments. 2023 Blanchard & Walker PLLC. Support for Michigan Legal Help is provided by: Copyright 2023 Michigan Legal Help. It has detailed information about the refund. Some claimants have received a waiver. Additionally, roughly $11 million will be refunded to claimants who had been paying back their federal benefits overpayment, or it will be applied to any outstanding debt a claimant may have. 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