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. The UIA is responsible for collecting overpayments of unemployment benefits. Michigan has yet to adopt this standard, but it now seems poised to do so. Your Notice of Telephone Hearing will have instructions on how to do this. In February, the request for expanded waivers was granted. You can use the Guide to Legal Help to get information about finding a lawyer. 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. Around $11 million was refunded to Michiganders who had paid or begun paying back these benefits. Implemented new policies for employees and contractors, including fingerprinting, criminal background checks, and an updated ethics policy. Collaborated with the Attorney Generals office to combat fraud at the agency. Screenshots from some who received benefitsand instructionalvideos posted by the agencyshow itactually hadasked fortotalpay, not net pay. Each letter will have a due date printed on your determination for when the protest is due. You can appeal online through your MiWAM account. Claimants say UIA is lying, More: Attorney for jobless claimants asks judge to stop Michigan from garnishing their wages. If you got unemployment benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, you may have received a notice for overpayment. If the UIA denies your protest and appeal and still says you owe the money, you can use this waiver process to argue that even if there is an overpayment, you should not have to pay it back. News Update: Promised Waivers fall short. Waivers will not be applied to claims where UIA has determined fraud is involved and the agency will continue to vigorously pursue restitution of any stolen benefits. Your next steps will depend on whether you agree or disagree with the UIAs determination letter. If your protests were filed on time, the UIA is not allowed to collect money before your case is final. 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. Read Appealing a Protest above to learn more. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Dale announced last week waivers on approximately 7,300 overpayment claims that waived $53.2 million in repayments. If you lose your appeal in front of an ALJ, you can appeal to the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Commission (UIAC). He enjoys suffering through Lions games on Sundays in the fall. If you have a question about your PUA overpayments, you may be able to get help from the Counsel and Advocacy Law Line. Of the roughly 690,000 claimants that were asked to requalify, about 241,000 responded to the UIA's request. 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. 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. Because those programs were federally funded, the UIA is required to actively collect overpayments, unless specific suspensions are obtained from the federal government. Michigan Legal HelpHelping Michigan residents solve their legal problems. Letters will also be mailed to the address on file confirming the MiWAM notification. Hopefully, the Agency will issue guidance soon. Interest accumulates very quickly on unemployment overpayments. It has detailed information about the refund. The refund might not mean that the case is over. Some examples of good cause include: You can protest online through your Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM). The UIA must get your written protest within 30 days from the date it is issued. This is a free legal aid hotline. An earlier suspension expired in May. Julia Dale directs the state Unemployment Insurance Agency. Each letter will have a due date printed on it for when the appeal is due. We continue to monitor and advocate as the situation unfolds. If the UIA believes you were overpaid, they will send you a letter. This federal action will allow us the time we need to evaluate claims for overpayment waivers, which we will be announcing soon.. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. WebEligible Unemployment Claimants Granted Overpayment Waivers. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Support for Michigan Legal Help is provided by: Copyright 2023 Michigan Legal Help. If you lose your appeal in front of an ALJ, read What If I Lose My Appeal? below. Already, weve issued 55,000 waivers for people who needed help and did nothing wrong, but thats not good enough, Dale said. Claimants can also call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. More Michiganders are still waiting. 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. To date, the agency said it has waived more than $4.3 billion in overpayment debt for more than 400,000 claimants. Claimants can also call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. 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. The programs were 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Blanchard & Walker PLLC 221 North Main St., Suite 300 Ann Arbor, MI 48104, UIA CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AND WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Discrimination, PROFESSIONAL LICENSING AND DISCIPLINARY REVIEW, BW Wins Approval for $1.95M Delivery Driver Settlement. Were not finished providing substantial relief to Michigan workers, said UIA Director Julia Dale. 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. 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.. About 530,000 were then hit with steep overpayment notices at no fault of their own. The agency did not provide an estimate on how many people were affected by the earnings mishap. 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. They weren't told by Michigan's UIA until Friday that they would receive a waiver. Claimants with questions about todays announcement are urged to call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. For more information on the Financial Hardship Waiver and how to find it on your MiWAM account, visit page 89 of the MiWAM Toolkit for Claimants. An overpayment happens when you receive more unemployment money than you should have received. An individual responded no to being able and available for work and the state issued payment for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation without adjudicating the eligibility issue. Rebuilt the Trust Fund to $1.5 billion (and growing). New waiver qualifications for Michiganders who received unemployment overpayments More people could qualify for Michigan's unemployment insurance agency More than 55,000 unemployment insurance claimants who received benefits in the pandemic but were later told they were overpaid got waivers and will be refunded if they started paying back their overpayment, Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency said Wednesday. 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. 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 The waivers will apply to federal benefits received before September 4, 2021, the end date for pandemic unemployment benefits programs under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and its extensions. Claimants can also call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. Related: Michigan erases $431M in pandemic unemployment overpayments. More: Waivers for unemployment claimants who received overpayment letters may come this weekend, More: Waivers for unemployment overpayments could start to roll out by end of the month. The suspension will put money back in the pockets of people who needed pandemic unemployment benefits and followed the rules when they asked for help. The number of claimants receiving waivers this weekend is lower than the conditional number UIA Director Dale provided in recent testimony. 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. The waiver only covers past If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. Although waivers for 55,000 more claimants is a good step forward, it fell short Interest accumulates very quickly on unemployment overpayments. Many more have never been told why they werent paid the benefits owed, and they still just wait nearly two years later. 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. Additionally, roughly $11 million will be refunded to claimants who had been paying back their federal benefits overpayment, or it will be applied to any outstanding debt a claimant may have. 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. That's an average of about $7,800 per claimant that was waived. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced Friday that those who wrongfully received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits will be A legislative fix would be required to provide equal waiver rights for claimants who received regular UI benefits. Readers can follow our Facebook page for developments on the UIA waiver program and the UIA class-action lawsuit. Over the past three months, we have waived more than $484.2 million on 62,300 claims. UIA: Misrepresentation must be investigated when a claimant provides information that conflicts with information the agency possesses. In some situations, the UIA may send you actual bills for an overpayment. If you cant show good cause, the decision that you were overpaid will become final. 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. 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. 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. We will continue to review federal UI cases to make sure everyone who qualifies for an overpayment waiver will receive one.. This is a pause on collections only. Some claimants have received a waiver. 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. 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. Governor Whitmer called on U.S. Department of Labor (U.S. DOL) to expand the eligibility for waivers for Michigan workers who received federal assistance and UIAs Dale proactively advocated for waivers for Michigans workers who followed the rules when they applied for benefits were not negatively affected by decisions the agency made. 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. 2023 Blanchard & Walker PLLC. Once you have logged into your account, click on the "Determination Status" tab, and then click on "file an appeal.". 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. schedule an in-person, phone or online appointment. And in February, the U.S. Department of Labor allowed Michigan to issue more blanket waivers for the remaining overpayments. UIA will continue to review all overpayment claims to see how many more may be eligible for waivers. But the agency continued to fight back against claimants who argued they didn't misreport their income. 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. Will the pause on collections continue? 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. 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. If you want the ALJ to see any documents, you will need to send it to the judge before the hearing. 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. Copyright 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. State officials worked with the U.S. Department of Labor to issue the first round of waivers last August followed by the second chunk in early May. 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. 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". A new system will allow for quick analysis of data that is currently not possible for the agency. 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. 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. 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. About 327,000 fewer than expected claimants received a waiver. What is an Overpayment Waiver? State 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. 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. To find out if they can help you, apply online or call 1-888-783-8190 Monday - Thursday, 9am - 5pm, or Friday, 9am - 1pm. If you run into problems, you may want to try to contact a lawyer. Reassigned staff and resources to address the largest categories of claims that are contributing to the agencys case backlog. Claimants say UIA is lying, Attorney for jobless claimants asks judge to stop Michigan from garnishing their wages, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Dale announced last week waivers on approximately 7,300 overpayment claims that waived $53.2 million in repayments. 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 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. Claimants who receive waivers were sent a message in their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) online accounts. At the hearing you will be able to explain why you believe you are eligible for the benefits you received and any good cause that you relied on. Use the Guide to Legal Help to find a legal services office near you. Issuing waivers is a cornerstone of Director Dales reform of the UIA. According to recent reporting, the waiver program was much smaller than promised. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. 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. The U.S. DOL authorized a pause on certain collection activity through May 7, 2022. 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. Delinquent debts owed to other states or federal agencies. According to recent reporting, the waiver program was much smaller than promised. 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. If there is any money left in your refund after that debt is paid, you will get it. The UIA waived the repayment of more than $53.2 million in benefits that were received by claimants, providing much needed relief for Michiganders. UIA 1901 (Spanish) - Unemployment Benefits in Michigan. 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). More Michiganders are still waiting. On April 8, 2022 the Unemployment Insurance Agency announced a new promise to halt new collections activity and waive overpayments. The agency also said about $11 million will be refunded to claimants who had been paying back their federal benefits overpaymentor it will be applied to any outstanding debt a claimant may have. 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. 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. Collections of overpayments made before the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 will not be suspended. If this happens, you can use the same Financial Hardship waiver process. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. Michigan paid $8.5B in fraudulent COVID unemployment claims. Letters will also be mailed to the address on file confirming the MiWAM notification. The Michigan Legal Help website and affiliated local self-help centers are part of the Michigan Legal Help Program. A motion for preliminary injunction to suspend collections on these overpayments is currently being considered by Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Brock Swartzle. Protests can take 10 months or longer to be resolved. Those who qualify will receive notification in the MiWAM account and a letter in the mail. A new system will allow for quick analysis of data that is currently not possible for the agency. The name of the labor department varies for each state, but it provides a full listing of the state employment offices (see Resources). 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. 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. For example, a message to the UIA could say "I am writing to ask that the Unemployment Insurance Agency send a determination saying whether or not the overpayment is the result of agency error." 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UIA has notified claimants who received waivers by posting messages to their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) accounts. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. If the UIA doesnt get your protest within 30 days, you must show good cause why it was late. To date, the agency said ithas waived more than$4.3 billion in overpayment debt for more than 400,000claimants. 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. In May, UIA applied waivers to 55,000 claims totaling $431 million. 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. 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