About 327,000 fewer than expected claimants received a waiver. 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. Release date: Friday, July 30, 2021. In some cases, the UIA might send a refund of payments you have already 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. If you run into problems, you may want to try to contact a lawyer. The UIA has said it is reviewing how the categories would apply to claims in Michigan and is determining how quickly the waivers could be issued.. The federal waiver standard allows a state to waive benefit overpayments if: The May 2021 guidance from the Department of Labor also created two specific circumstances when states may use the standard to issue blanket waivers and waive overpayments automatically, when: In a letter sent to the Michigan Governor in December 2021, advocates for UI claimants urged the administration to adopt this standard, as many other states such as Illinois and Wisconsin already have. What type of federal programs are affected? Of the roughly 690,000 claimants that were asked to requalify, about 241,000 responded to the UIA's request. If the UIA doesnt get your appeal within 30 days, you must show good cause why it was late. 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. 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. If you dont repay an overpayment, the UIA may: Unlike most other types of debt, the UIA can do all of these things without going to court. For those people, a waiver still is not the same as a determination that they are eligible and entitled to receive unpaid benefits. Claimants also can schedule an in-person, phone or online appointment. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. This means the UIA should stop sending collection letters or doing anything else to make people pay these overpayments. 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. If you want the ALJ to see any documents, you will need to send it to the judge before the hearing. Please note that contacting us does not create any attorney-client relationship between you and our firm. Around $11 million was refunded to Michiganders who had paid or begun paying back these benefits. Michigan erases $431M in pandemic unemployment overpayments. 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. In some situations, the UIA may send you actual bills for an overpayment. If you owe past income taxes or money to the UIA, the Michigan Department of the Treasury can take all or part of your federal and/or state income tax refund to pay the debt. Waivers issued earlier this month erased overpayments for 55,000 people caught in an agency mistake. If the UIA later decides that you still owe the overpayment, they might start trying to collect from you again. After the notifications were issued, Gov. UIA has notified claimants who received waivers by posting messages to their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) accounts. 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. To date, the agency said it has waived more than $4.3 billion in overpayment debt for more than 400,000 claimants. 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. There is no application process. Those with questions about the suspension or overpayments can go to Michigan.gov/UIAand click on the Schedule an Appointmentlink to speak with a trained staff member either in person, by phone or online. Unemployment waivers bring relief to thousands. UIA will continue to look at COVID-19 pandemic claims to identify others that may qualify for waivers. Readers can follow our Facebook page for developments on the UIA waiver program and the UIA class-action lawsuit. Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com. How Do I Join a Class Action and How Does it Work for Me? Issuing waivers is a cornerstone of Director Dales reform of the UIA. 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. 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 LANSING, MI More Michiganders who asked to repay their pandemic jobless aid will soon have their overpayments erased. They can also contact the UIA by phone at 866-500-0017 or schedule a telephone, virtual or in-person appointment with an agent. 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". Ask the UIA to issue a determination to tell you if the overpayment is the result of the UIAs error. Claimants who receive waivers were sent a message in their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) online accounts. The UIA waived the repayment of more than $53.2 million in benefits that were received by claimants, providing much needed relief for Michiganders. New wage garnishments, state tax return intercepts halted while Agency prepares to apply more waivers beyond 62,000 already granted. Claimants with questions about todays announcement are urged to call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. 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. Interest accumulates very quickly on unemployment overpayments. 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. But the agency continued to fight back against claimants who argued they didn't misreport their income. According to recent reporting, the waiver program was much smaller than promised. 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. The agency, in its news releaseFriday, said the issue was due to "unclear instructions regarding gross earnings versus net earnings.". State If you got an overpayment notice and disagree with it, you can protest and ask the UIA to look at your claim again. This most recent round of waivers provides relief to Michiganders who, during the height of the pandemic, followed the rules as they navigated an overburdened unemployment benefits system. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced today that it has issued another round of waivers to approximately 7,300 state and federal COVID-19 jobless claims from workers in Michigan. If the UIA denies your Financial Hardship Waiver, you can appeal to an ALJ. WebEligible Unemployment Claimants Granted Overpayment Waivers. instructionalvideos posted by the agency, Michigan Unemployment agency says claimants made big mistake. Each letter will have a due date printed on it for when the appeal is due. Lynda Robinson, a spokesperson for the agency, said she didn't have any estimates on how many claimants may also qualify for a waiver and when they might receive one. The number of claimants receiving waivers this weekend is lower than the conditional number UIA Director Dale provided in recent testimony. Monday's letter added five "blanket waiver" criteria for a total of seven that would automatically exempt overpayments related to a federal CARES Act unemployment program. Three months after the U.S. Department of Labor guidance was issued, the first group of blanket waivers went out to Select Your County for Lawyers and Other Housing Help, An administrative or clerical error is discovered, You had a legitimate inability to act earlier, The notice or decision arrived late in the mail and you could not respond sooner, You were misled by incorrect information from the UIA, Take your federal and/or Michigan income tax refund. More Michiganders are still waiting. 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. On April 8, 2022 the Unemployment Insurance Agency announced a new promise to halt new collections activity and waive overpayments. Your next steps will depend on whether you agree or disagree with the UIAs determination letter. Ken Haddad is the digital content and audience manager for WDIV / ClickOnDetroit.com. Three months after the U.S. Department of Labor guidance was issued,the first group of blanket waivers went out to 55,000 claimants. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced that it has issued waivers to approximately 7,300 state and federal COVID-19 jobless claims from A motion for preliminary injunction to suspend collections on these overpayments is currently being considered by Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Brock Swartzle. Many more have never been told why they werent paid the benefits owed, and they still just wait nearly two years later. Built a new, user-friendly website that is more responsive to those using a mobile phone or tablet to access services. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. Each letter will have a due date printed on your determination for when the protest is due. Convenient times and dates are available. 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. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Awarding waivers is a cornerstone of Director Dales reform of the UIA, including chasing down 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. Unfortunately, the new guidance from the DOL applies only to CARES Act funded benefits (PUA, FPUC, MEUC, PEUC). Letters will also be mailed to the address on file confirming the MiWAM notification. If you have supporting evidence, like a doctor's note or proof of earnings, include them along with the protest. If you need the advice and counsel of a knowledgeable employment law attorney who can best protect your rights and help you pursue your legal interests. 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 waives $431M in federal pandemic overpayments, 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. The individual submitted proof of self-employment earnings to establish eligibility for Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation Program and the state incorrectly processed the information, resulting in overpayment. Under federal law, UIA had to re-evaluate PUA eligibility for individuals who selected one of the non-qualifying reasons. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced Friday that those who wrongfully received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits will be Those 350,000 people wont be able to keep collecting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits in the future, however. The ETA Handbook 401 defines a Waiver as a "non-fraud overpayment for which the state agency, in accordance with state law, officially relinquishes the obligation of the claimant to repay." 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. The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) is now reviewing the categories added Monday and determining how many other claims might qualify for waivers under 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 you were overpaid benefits and you are currently employed, contact the UIA Benefit Overpayment Collection unit at 1-866-500-0017 orschedule an appointment online to arrange repayment. Michigan has yet to adopt this standard, but it now seems poised to do so. 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'. Affected claimants will receive notification in their MiWAM account, or by U.S. mail. 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