Waivers will be granted to the initial group of approximately 350,000 non-responses, many of whom may no longer be collecting benefits. Were not finished providing substantial relief to Michigan workers, said UIA Director Julia Dale. To get benefits under the PUA program, the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) must have determined that your unemployment was directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 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). 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. A pause on collections that was granted by the U.S. Department of Labor expired on May 7. To date, the agency said it has waived more than $4.3 billion in overpayment debt for more than 400,000 claimants. A worker files a claim on the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency website. Michigan Legal HelpHelping Michigan residents solve their legal problems. If the UIA denies your protest, you can appeal. It further states that a "state may authorize a waiver when or if the overpayment was not the fault of the claimant and 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 lose your appeal in front of an ALJ, read What If I Lose My Appeal? below. Overpaid claimants who provided the Michigan UIA with gross earnings instead of net earnings will be the group to get waivers. Advocates continue to have discussions with the Agency leadership, and we are closely tracking when and how waivers will be issued to benefit the broadest possible class of Michigan residents who have suffered through this pandemic. 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. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. To date, more than $4.3 billion in overpayments have been waived for 400,000 Michigan unemployment recipients with likely thousands more still waiting. Claimants who receive waivers were sent a message in their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) online accounts. 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). This is a huge weight lifted off so many Michiganders shoulders, said Governor Whitmer. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. If you run into problems, you may want to try to contact a lawyer. UIA will continue to review all overpayment claims to see how many more may be eligible for waivers. Over the past three months, we have waived more than $484.2 million on 62,300 claims. 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 agency has paid a total of $39 billion in unemployment aid to 3.5 million Michigan residents since March 2020. 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. When we work any claim we recognize that each one represents a worker who has fallen on hard times, and a family that needs help to put food on the table, pay bills and keep a roof over their heads, Dale said. 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. 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. We will update this page if we get more information. After the UIA responds and issues a determination, you can protest or appeal a denial of the agency error waiver. Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com. This is wonderful news for those who lost their job through no fault of their own, UIA Director Julia Dale said. 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. To date, more than $4.3 billion in overpayments have been waived for 400,000 Michigan unemployment recipients with likely thousands more still waiting. 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. Your Notice of Telephone Hearing will have instructions on how to do this. This federal action will allow us the time we need to evaluate claims for overpayment waivers, which we will be announcing soon.. News Update: Promised Waivers fall short. Copyright 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. To do this, go to your MiWAM account and click on the Claimant Services Tab. Julia Dale, the director of the agency, told state lawmakers in early April that the agency expectedto send out waivers over this past weekendto about 382,000 claimants who received overpayment letters. Collaborated with the Attorney Generals office to combat fraud at the agency. 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. The individual responded no to being unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable or unavailable to work due to the approved coronavirus-related reasons, and the state paid Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. Built a new, user-friendly website that is more responsive to those using a mobile phone or tablet to access services. We continue to monitor and advocate as the situation unfolds. The Program works with judges, courts, lawyers, bar associations, nonprofit legal aid agencies, legal self-help centers, libraries and many others to promote coordinated and quality assistance for persons representing themselves in civil legal matters in Michigan. 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. Although Michigan has yet to adopt the federal waiver standard, the UIA seems poised to do so in light of the new guidance. UIA will continue to look at COVID-19 pandemic claims to identify others that may qualify for waivers. 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. Protests can take 10 months or longer to be resolved. Ken Haddad is the digital content and audience manager for WDIV / ClickOnDetroit.com. This round of waivers accounts for 96% More rounds of waivers expected, offering relief to workers. Michigans unemployment agency announced another round of waivers and refunds for filers who were overpaid and asked to pay back the overpayment. Letters will also be mailed in the coming days confirming the MiWAM notification. If the UIA doesnt get your protest within 30 days, you must show good cause why it was late. There is no application process. The Michigan Legal Help website and affiliated local self-help centers are part of the Michigan Legal Help Program. There are other penalties for fraud, too. According to recent reporting, the waiver program was much smaller than promised. You can appeal online through your MiWAM account. If your protests were filed on time, the UIA is not allowed to collect money before your case is final. 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. UIA has notified claimants who received waivers by posting messages to their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) accounts. 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. Your next steps will depend on whether you agree or disagree with the UIAs determination letter. 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. They weren't told by Michigan's UIA until Friday that they would receive a waiver. instructionalvideos posted by the agency, Michigan Unemployment agency says claimants made big mistake. State 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. On April 8, 2022 the Unemployment Insurance Agency announced a new promise to halt new collections activity and waive overpayments. All Rights Reserved. Readers can follow our Facebook page for developments on the UIA waiver program and the UIA class-action lawsuit. 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. The U.S. DOL authorized a pause on certain collection activity through May 7, 2022. Related: Michigan erases $431M in pandemic unemployment overpayments. 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. 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. This means the UIA should stop sending collection letters or doing anything else to make people pay these overpayments. 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 Three months after the U.S. Department of Labor guidance was issued, the first group of blanket waivers went out to The federal government has expanded its criteria for who can get a waiver that would let people keep that money. UIA: Misrepresentation must be investigated when a claimant provides information that conflicts with information the agency possesses. If this happens, you can use the same Financial Hardship waiver process. Rebuilt the Trust Fund to $1.5 billion (and growing). Working off the Clock Alro Steel FLSA Overtime Pay Lawsuit, The End of Forced Arbitration for Survivors of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment, Repayment would cause financial hardship; or, The claimant relied on the payment or notice of payment and gave up a valuable right or changed positions for the worse; or. 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