All rights reserved. More Michiganders are still waiting. If you find supporting documents later on, you can add them. To date, the agency said ithas waived more than$4.3 billion in overpayment debt for more than 400,000claimants. Dale announced last week waivers on approximately 7,300 overpayment claims that waived $53.2 million in repayments. Letters will also be mailed in the coming days confirming the MiWAM notification. Once you have logged into your account, click on the "Determination Status" tab, and then click on "file an appeal.". If you don't have the documents available, you can make the protest without them. Collaborated with the Attorney Generals office to combat fraud at the agency. To date, more than $4.3 billion in overpayments have been waived for 400,000 Michigan unemployment recipients with likely thousands more still waiting. Meanwhile, apause on"new" wage garnishments and interceptions of state of Michigan tax refundsfor 398,000 claimants expired on May 7. My top priority is to help Michigan families. Claimants say UIA is lying, Attorney for jobless claimants asks judge to stop Michigan from garnishing their wages, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. An earlier suspension expired in May. 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. When those claimants appealed the decision and the case went before a judge, agency representatives said theclaimantswere liable because they hadentered their gross pay from prior years to determine their weekly benefit amountwhen they should have entered their net pay. 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. Claims determined to be fraudulent or being investigated for fraud. Claimants say UIA is lying, More: Attorney for jobless claimants asks judge to stop Michigan from garnishing their wages. Due to the intense volume, we are not able to answer individual questions or provide individual representation on UI matters. 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. State Will the pause on collections continue? 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. We will update this page if we get more information. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Recovery would be unconscionable under the circumstances. schedule an in-person, phone or online appointment. There are other actions that can be taken if fraud is suspected. Because those programs were federally funded, the UIA is required to actively collect overpayments, unless specific suspensions are obtained from the federal government. This is a huge weight lifted off so many Michiganders shoulders, said Governor Whitmer. 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. News Update: Promised Waivers fall short. 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. This means the UIA should stop sending collection letters or doing anything else to make people pay these overpayments. 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. UIA: Misrepresentation must be investigated when a claimant provides information that conflicts with information the agency possesses. Michigan erases $431M in pandemic unemployment overpayments. 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. WebEligible Unemployment Claimants Granted Overpayment Waivers. 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. 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". If the UIA believes you were overpaid, they will send you a letter. A total of $484.2 million in overpayments have been waived on 62,300 claims this year. 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). 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 were overpaid benefits and you are currently employed, contact the UIA Benefit Overpayment Unemployment waivers bring relief to thousands. A legislative fix would be required to provide equal waiver rights for claimants who received regular UI benefits. 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. Letters will also be mailed to the address on file confirming the MiWAM notification. The waiver only covers past Overpaid claimants who provided the Michigan UIA with gross earnings instead of net earnings will be the group to get waivers. 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. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. 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. Issuing waivers is a cornerstone of Director Dales reform of the UIA. If you got an overpayment notice and disagree with it, you can protest and ask the UIA to look at your claim again. If you get a refund, make sure you carefully read any notices or information you get explaining the refund. Director Dale and UIA staff remain in constant contact with the federal DOL, advising them of the progress on waivers and advocating aggressively on behalf of Michigan workers and their families, so that no one is forced to repay benefits due to changes that affected their claims after they applied for benefits they needed during a global crisis. A new system will allow for quick analysis of data that is currently not possible for the agency. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters. 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. This round of waivers accounts for 96% Claimants can also call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. UIA will continue to review all overpayment claims to see how many more may be eligible for waivers. Hopefully, the Agency will issue guidance soon. Here is what we know so far: The U.S. Department of Labor has been clear since May of 2021 that states like Michigan have broad powers to waive so-called overpayments on Pandemic Unemployment Benefits created by the CARES Act. Contact us to request a meeting with one of our attorneys. 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. To date, the agency said it has waived more than $4.3 billion in overpayment debt for more than 400,000 claimants. Please see q. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. The UIA is responsible for collecting overpayments of unemployment benefits. The ALJ is not part of the UIA, so the judge won't have access to any of the documents you sent to the UIA. If this happens, you can use the same Financial Hardship waiver process. Reassigned staff and resources to address the largest categories of claims that are contributing to the agencys case backlog. The agency has paid a total of $39 billion in unemployment aid to 3.5 million Michigan residents since March 2020. 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 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. If you have a question about your PUA overpayments, you may be able to get help from the Counsel and Advocacy Law Line. 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. 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 today that it has issued another round of waivers to approximately 7,300 state and federal COVID-19 Read Appealing a Protest above to learn more. 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 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. Check your MiWAM account once a week to make sure you do not miss any updates. The UIA must get your written protest within 30 days from the date it is issued. Implemented new policies for employees and contractors, including fingerprinting, criminal background checks, and an updated ethics policy. And in February, the U.S. Department of Labor allowed Michigan to issue more blanket waivers for the remaining overpayments. 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. 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. Over the past three months, we have waived more than $484.2 million on 62,300 claims. Disclaimer & Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Sitemap. Regular unemployment benefits paid during the pandemic are unaffected by this announcement. Claimants with questions about todays announcement are urged to call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. The $250 million deposited into the Unemployment Compensation Fund nearly matches the $249 million state portion of the $8.5 billion lost by the state to fraud. Over the past three months, we have waived more than $484.2 million on 62,300 claims. Additional testing over the last week by FAST developers revealed the early numbers to overlap with waivers issued last fall by the agency. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced Friday that those who wrongfully received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits will be He's been with WDIV since 2013. This is a free legal aid hotline. 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. 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. 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. Since Dale was appointed director in October 2021, she also has: 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 is wonderful news for those who lost their job through no fault of their own, UIA Director Julia Dale said. A new press release is lacking in details and reports the Agency intends to pause collections through May 7: During the pause, UIA will not issue new wage garnishments or intercept State of Michigan tax refunds. 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. The UIA still is working to identify additional individuals who may deserve waivers from the overpayment notices they got after receiving federal aid during the pandemic. 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. If you have supporting evidence, like a doctor's note or proof of earnings, include them along with the protest. More rounds of waivers expected, offering relief to workers. We are aware that there are issues related to gross versus net income calculations on Pandemic Unemployment Assistance weekly benefit amounts, Dale said. The announcement came days after the Detroit Free Press reported some workers with overpayment notices were accused of misreporting their income. The suspension is key to UIAs continued progress in granting overpayment waivers to claimants who were asked to repay some or all of the federal benefits they received. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. 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. Claimants can also call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. If you lose your appeal in front of an ALJ, you can appeal to the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Commission (UIAC). This is a pause on collections only. 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. Support for Michigan Legal Help is provided by: Copyright 2023 Michigan Legal Help. 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. Be investigated when a claimant provides information that conflicts with information the agency possesses sending collection or! 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