Convenient times and dates are available. 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. Michigans unemployment agency announced another round of waivers and refunds for filers who were overpaid and asked to pay back the overpayment. 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. News Update: Promised Waivers fall short. Assuming Michigan UIA takes advantage of the broad blanket waiver allowances, waivers could fix many overpayment issues for Michigan residents who were incorrectly paid benefits through no fault of their own. 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. Michigan paid $8.5B in fraudulent COVID unemployment claims. UIA has notified claimants who received waivers by posting messages to their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) accounts. 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, Eligible Unemployment Claimants Granted Overpayment Waivers, 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. If you lose your appeal in front of an ALJ, read What If I Lose My Appeal? below. If your protests were filed on time, the UIA is not allowed to collect money before your case is final. Another round of waivers will go to claimants who received unclear instructions about gross earnings versus net earnings when applying for benefits, the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency said in a May 27 news release. To date, the agency said it has waived more than $4.3 billion in overpayment debt for more than 400,000 claimants. and last updated 7:40 PM, Feb 07, 2022. If the UIA doesnt get your protest within 30 days, you must show good cause why it was late. Check your MiWAM account once a week to make sure you do not miss any updates. In February, the request for expanded waivers was granted. Please see q. 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). WebUIA 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 An earlier suspension expired in May. 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. 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. Those who qualify will receive notification in the MiWAM account and a letter in the mail. 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. currently being considered by Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Brock Swartzle. 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. We do not know how long this pause will last or when the UIA will start trying to collect these overpayments again. 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. 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 cant pay the overpayment amount that you owe, you can ask for a Financial Hardship Waiver by clicking on the Claimant Services Tab in your MiWAM account and filling out the application. 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.". The suspension stops new wage garnishments and State of Michigan tax refund intercepts and is the second time UIA Director Julia Dale has worked with U.S. DOL to grant the suspension to provide relief for Michigan workers. The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) has begun to notify claimants This is a free legal aid hotline. 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 web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Claimants say UIA is lying, More: Attorney for jobless claimants asks judge to stop Michigan from garnishing their wages. The Michigan Legal Help website and affiliated local self-help centers are part of the Michigan Legal Help Program. 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. Although Michigan has yet to adopt the federal waiver standard, the UIA seems poised to do so in light of the new guidance. Claimants say UIA is lying, Attorney for jobless claimants asks judge to stop Michigan from garnishing their wages, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. All rights reserved. Were not finished providing substantial relief to Michigan workers, said UIA Director Julia Dale. If you got unemployment benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, you may have received a notice for overpayment. 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. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. This is wonderful news for those who lost their job through no fault of their own, UIA Director Julia Dale said. The agency expects more rounds in the future. 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. In May, UIA applied waivers to 55,000 claims totaling $431 million. 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. If you don't have the documents available, you can make the protest without them. Around $11 million was refunded to Michiganders who had paid or begun paying back these benefits. When the hearing is scheduled, the judges office will send a Notice of Telephone Hearing to you in the mail. Since July 2021, the UIA has waived over $4.35 billion in overpayment debt related to federal pandemic jobless benefits programs on more than 407,300 claims. Your next steps will depend on whether you agree or disagree with the UIAs determination letter. An independent report published late last year found Michigan paid $8.5 billion in fraudulent or intentional misrepresentation unemployment payments. 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. The federal jobless assistance programs were a critical lifeline for many Michiganders affected by the global pandemic and our action today means they will be able to continue to provide for their families without the fear of having to pay back benefits awarded through agency error.. The UIA waived the repayment of more than $53.2 million in benefits that were received by claimants, providing much needed relief for Michiganders. If you believe you are eligible for benefits and the UIA made a mistake, you can ask for a waiver due to agency error. The waivers provide fresh hope for Michiganders who faced paying back the federal government for benefits they received based on frequently shifting federal and state program rules. Claimants who received waivers had messages posted to their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) accounts, the agency said, and letters started going out on Monday. Collaborated with the Attorney Generals office to combat fraud at the agency. Workers under fire recently from the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency for overpayments to them of federal benefits during the pandemic will now receive a waiver, the state said Friday. This is a huge weight lifted off so many Michiganders shoulders, said Governor Whitmer. What type of federal programs are affected? UIA is performing an analysis to determine the total population impacted by this issue.. The waivers apply to claimants who received federal benefits before Sept. 4, 2021, the end date for pandemic unemployment benefits through programs such asPandemic Unemployment Assistance andPandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation. To you in the MiWAM account and a letter in the MiWAM account and a letter the... 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