If you don't have the documents available, you can make the protest without them. Unfortunately, even if the Agency acts quickly to waive overpayments, this does nothing for the thousands of Michiganders who are owed benefits and have had them cut off. This federal action will allow us the time we need to evaluate claims for overpayment waivers, which we will be announcing soon.. Many more have never been told why they werent paid the benefits owed, and they still just wait nearly two years later. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. The agencypaused "new" wage garnishments and interceptions of State of Michigan tax refunds for 398,000 claimants starting in early April, but that pause expires Saturday. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. The Michigan UIA is facing a class-action lawsuit that claims the state unlawfully demanded pandemic aid back. Letters will also be mailed in the coming days confirming the MiWAM notification. 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. Ken Haddad is the digital content and audience manager for WDIV / ClickOnDetroit.com. 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.. If you lose your appeal in front of an ALJ, read What If I Lose My Appeal? below. Claimants can visitMichigan.gov/UIAto access their MiWAM account to chat with an agent. 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. 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. This means the UIA should stop sending collection letters or doing anything else to make people pay these overpayments. If this happens, you will get a Notice of Adjustment to Income Tax Refund. 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. Claimants also can schedule an in-person, phone or online appointment. Three months after the U.S. Department of Labor guidance was issued,the first group of blanket waivers went out to 55,000 claimants. 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 On April 8, 2022 the Unemployment Insurance Agency announced a new promise to halt new collections activity and waive overpayments. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). You may get notices about your case during the collections pause. If you have supporting evidence, like a doctor's note or proof of earnings, include them along with the protest. 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. Hopefully, the Agency will issue guidance soon. If the UIA denies your protest, you can appeal. Disclaimer & Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Sitemap. You can use the Guide to Legal Help to get information about finding a lawyer. To do this, go to your MiWAM account and click on the Claimant Services Tab. The agency said it has requestedan extension from the U.S. Department of Labor of apause oncollection activities such aswage garnishments and interceptions by theState of Michigan. 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. TheU.S. Department of Labor issued guidance to states in February on how to address overpayments when the claimant is not at fault. Three months after the U.S. Department of Labor guidance was issued, the first group of blanket waivers went out to We will continue to review federal UI cases to make sure everyone who qualifies for an overpayment waiver will receive one.. 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. 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. 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. The collections suspension does not stop agency collections activities such as existing wage garnishments, intercepting federal tax returns, deducting a percentage from current unemployment benefit payments, or recovering overpayments for other states. The UIA is responsible for collecting overpayments of unemployment benefits. The U.S. DOL authorized a pause on certain collection activity through May 7, 2022. The UIA waived the repayment of more than $53.2 million in benefits that were received by claimants, providing much needed relief for Michiganders. 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'. If you want to appeal to the UIAC, you may want to speak with a lawyer. 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. 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. News Update: Promised Waivers fall short. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. 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 pause does not stop collections activities such as existing wage garnishments, intercepting federal tax returns, deducting a percentage from current unemployment benefit payments, or recovering overpayments for other states. Although the press release was release went to media outlets, claimants facing collections notices did not receive any notice. Your Notice of Telephone Hearing will have instructions on how to do this. So far, there has not been any specific plan announced on whether or how the federal standard will be adopted and, if so, how the blanket waivers will be applied. Over the past three months, we have waived more than $484.2 million on 62,300 claims. What is an Overpayment Waiver? More Michiganders are still waiting. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. This round of waivers accounts for 96% Letters will also be mailed to the address on file confirming the MiWAM notification. There is no application process. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. To date, the agency said it has waived more than $4.3 billion in overpayment debt for more than 400,000 claimants. The federal government has expanded its criteria for who can get a waiver that would let people keep that money. 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. This may have happened for a few reasons, like if you made a mistake when certifying your benefits, were unable or unavailable to work, or you knowingly gave false or misleading information when filing a claim. A motion for preliminary injunction to suspend collections on these overpayments is currently being considered by Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Brock Swartzle. (WXMI) Relief could soon be coming for Michiganders who were told they would have to pay back unemployment money. Read Appealing a Protest above to learn more. The agency did not provide an estimate on how many people were affected by the earnings mishap. Because those programs were federally funded, the UIA is required to actively collect overpayments, unless specific suspensions are obtained from the federal government. Affected claimants will receive notification in their MiWAM account, or by U.S. mail. A new system will allow for quick analysis of data that is currently not possible for the agency. A pause on collections that was granted by the U.S. Department of Labor expired on May 7. We offer a wealth of free workplace-related information in our Employee Rights and Information Center. 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. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Claimants can also call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. 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. Michigan ice Please note that contacting us does not create any attorney-client relationship between you and our firm. 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. This is wonderful news for those who lost their job through no fault of their own, UIA Director Julia Dale said. The number of claimants receiving waivers this weekend is lower than the conditional number UIA Director Dale provided in recent testimony. If you disagree with the UIA and are protesting the overpayment, do not file the waiver until you have a final determination in your case. Claimants who receive waivers were sent a message in their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) online accounts. 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. Waivers for unemployment claimants who received overpayment letters may come this weekend, Waivers for unemployment overpayments could start to roll out by end of the month, paused "new" wage garnishments and interceptions of State of Michigan tax refunds, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. Interest accumulates very quickly on unemployment overpayments. Claimants can also call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. A total of $484.2 million in overpayments have been waived on 62,300 claims this year. If the UIA later decides that you still owe the overpayment, they might start trying to collect from you again. How Do I Join a Class Action and How Does it Work for Me? My top priority is to help Michigan families. WebThe UIA is responsible for collecting overpayments of unemployment benefits. To date, more than $4.3 billion in overpayments have been waived for 400,000 Michigan unemployment recipients with likely thousands more still waiting. 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. 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. The agency has paid a total of $39 billion in unemployment aid to 3.5 million Michigan residents since March 2020. Issuing waivers is a cornerstone of Director Dales reform of the UIA. Although waivers for 55,000 more claimants is a good step forward, it fell short If this happens, you can use the same Financial Hardship waiver process. When asked to self-certify, the individual did not respond or confirmed that none of the approved coronavirus-related reasons applied and the state issued payment, resulting in overpayment for the week. Some Michigan residents who benefited from billions in overpaid pandemic unemployment assistance may not owe that money back after all. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. If you find supporting documents later on, you can add them. 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 announces new waivers of state, federal overpayment determinations, 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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