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 After the UIA responds and issues a determination, you can protest or appeal a denial of the agency error waiver. Claimants also can schedule an in-person, phone or online appointment. This means the UIA should stop sending collection letters or doing anything else to make people pay these overpayments. 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. Additional testing over the last week by FAST developers revealed the early numbers to overlap with waivers issued last fall by the agency. The UIA has said it is reviewing how the categories would apply to claims in Michigan and determining how quickly the waivers could be issued. and last updated 7:40 PM, Feb 07, 2022. When you file your appeal, ask for a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ). Meanwhile, apause on"new" wage garnishments and interceptions of state of Michigan tax refundsfor 398,000 claimants expired on May 7. 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. Please note that contacting us does not create any attorney-client relationship between you and our firm. The agency, in its news releaseFriday, said the issue was due to "unclear instructions regarding gross earnings versus net earnings.". "We wont stop fighting until weve corrected past mistakes made by this agency so that not one innocent Michigander will face consequences as a result of asking for help they needed,"Julia Dale, thedirector of Michigan's UIA, said in the release. Copyright 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. 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. News Update: Promised Waivers fall short. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced Friday that those who wrongfully received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits will be 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. 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. When youre working, interest accumulates very quickly on unemployment overpayments. 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. A pause on collections that was granted by the U.S. Department of Labor expired on May 7. Regular unemployment benefits paid during the pandemic are unaffected by this announcement. 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. 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. 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. At every turn, I will stand up and fight on behalf of Michiganders to make sure they get what they were promised. If you have supporting evidence, like a doctor's note or proof of earnings, include them along with the protest. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. After the report came out, the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) started sending some recipients letters telling them they had to repay thousands of dollars. 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. More: Michigan Unemployment agency says claimants made big mistake. Michigans unemployment agency announced another round of waivers and refunds for filers who were overpaid and asked to pay back the overpayment. According to recent reporting, the waiver program was much smaller than promised. The UIA waived the repayment of more than $53.2 million in benefits that were received by claimants, providing much needed relief for Michiganders. Dale announced last week waivers on approximately 7,300 overpayment claims that waived $53.2 million in repayments. instructionalvideos posted by the agency, Michigan Unemployment agency says claimants made big mistake. Make sure to keep your contact information updated in your Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) account so you get any notices from the UIA. Claimants can visitMichigan.gov/UIAto access their MiWAM account to chat with an agent. 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.. Over the past three months, we have waived more than $484.2 million on 62,300 claims. The UIA must get your written protest within 30 days from the date it is issued. 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. 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. Thanks to these waivers that we fought for and secured Michiganders will get to keep their hard-earned money.. After the notifications were issued, Gov. 2023 Blanchard & Walker PLLC. The announcement came days after the Detroit Free Press reported some workers with overpayment notices were accused of misreporting their income. The federal government has expanded its criteria for who can get a waiver that would let people keep that money. Each letter will have a due date printed on your determination for when the protest is due. When the hearing is scheduled, the judges office will send a Notice of Telephone Hearing to you in the mail. If the UIA believes you were overpaid, they will send you a letter. Select Request Restitution Waiver for Financial Hardship and fill out the application. Interest accumulates very quickly on unemployment overpayments. We will update this page if we get more information. 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. 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. 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Once you have logged into your account, click on the "Determination Status" tab, and then click on "file an appeal.". 2 regarding overpayments. A total of $484.2 million in overpayments have been waived on 62,300 claims this year. Claimants say UIA is lying, More: Attorney for jobless claimants asks judge to stop Michigan from garnishing their wages. A worker files a claim on the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency website. UIA is performing an analysis to determine the total population impacted by this issue.. The state paid the individual a minimum PUA Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA) based on Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) guidance that was higher than the states minimum PUA WBA, which resulted in an overpayment, The individual was eligible for payment under an unemployment benefit program, but through no fault of the individual, they were instead incorrectly paid under either the PUA or PEUC program at a higher WBA. The refund might not mean that the case is over. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. UIA has notified claimants who received waivers by posting messages to their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) accounts. 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. Claimants who received waivers had messages You may get notices about your case during the collections pause. It specifically said states could apply blanket waivers for overpayments for claimants who were approvedfor a higher weekly benefit amount than what they should have received. The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) is now reviewing the categories added Monday and determining how many other claims might qualify for waivers under The UIA waived the repayment of more than $53.2 million in benefits that were received by claimants, providing much needed relief for Michiganders. Good cause can be very hard to prove. 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. 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. No Michigander who did the right thing when applying for benefits should be required to pay anything back resulting from errors at the federal level. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. We continue to monitor and advocate as the situation unfolds. If states adopt the federal waiver standard, the new Department of Labor guidance would allow blanket waivers to be issued automatically to hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents who fall in specific categories. This is a free legal aid hotline. State If you were overpaid benefits and you are currently employed, contact the UIA Benefit Overpayment 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. 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. In February, the request for expanded waivers was granted. To do this, go to your MiWAM account and click on the Claimant Services Tab. 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. (WXMI) Relief could soon be coming for Michiganders who were told they would have to pay back unemployment money. Check your MiWAM account once a week to make sure you do not miss any updates. Some Michigan residents who benefited from billions in overpaid pandemic unemployment assistance may not owe that money back after all. In June, claimants were asked to requalify for PUA by providing the agency with the necessary information to remain eligible for the federal program. 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). Although Michigan has yet to adopt the federal waiver standard, the UIA seems poised to do so in light of the new guidance. The UIA has requested an extension of that pause while they identify and process waivers for other population and is in the process of providing additional information to support the request for extension. 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. This federal action will allow us the time we need to evaluate claims for overpayment waivers, which we will be announcing soon.. State unemployment insurance program overpayments. Waivers issued earlier this month erased overpayments for 55,000 people caught in an agency mistake. Although waivers for 55,000 more claimants is a good step forward, it fell short of the 382,000 promised and as of May 12, 2022 there is still no explanation about when or if more will be coming. If the UIA doesnt get your appeal within 30 days, you must show good cause why it was late. They weren't told by Michigan's UIA until Friday that they would receive a waiver. 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. 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. 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 Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) has begun to notify claimants There is no application process. Readers can follow our Facebook page for developments on the UIA waiver program and the UIA class-action lawsuit. Were not finished providing substantial relief to Michigan workers, said UIA Director Julia Dale. That's an average of about $7,800 per claimant that was waived. Issuing waivers is a cornerstone of Director Dales reform of the UIA. Letters will also be mailed to the address on file confirming the MiWAM notification. 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. 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. 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. UIA will continue to look at COVID-19 pandemic claims to identify others that may qualify for waivers. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. 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 approximately 55,000 claimants who received a waiver represent a total of$431 million in overpayments that they won't have to pay back. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency expects to send out waivers to about 382,000 claimants who received overpayment letters by April 29. Around $11 million was refunded to Michiganders who had paid or begun paying back these benefits. 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. A motion for preliminary injunction to suspend collections on these overpayments is currently being considered by Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Brock Swartzle. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) has secured a second approval from the U.S. Department of Labor (U.S. DOL) to suspend certain collection activities for 391,769 workers who applied for federal jobless benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you got an overpayment notice and disagree with it, you can protest and ask the UIA to look at your claim again. Because those programs were federally funded, the UIA is required to actively collect overpayments, unless specific suspensions are obtained from the federal government. To date, the agency said ithas waived more than$4.3 billion in overpayment debt for more than 400,000claimants. WebThe UIA is responsible for collecting overpayments of unemployment benefits. The agency did not provide an estimate on how many people were affected by the earnings mishap. If you want to appeal to the UIAC, you may want to speak with a lawyer. Claims determined to be fraudulent or being investigated for fraud. 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 your protests were filed on time, the UIA is not allowed to collect money before your case is final. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. If you get a refund, make sure you carefully read any notices or information you get explaining the refund. 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 offer is issued paid during the pandemic are unaffected by this.. 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