If you believe you are eligible for benefits and the UIA made a mistake, you can ask for a waiver due to agency error. If this happens, you will get a Notice of Adjustment to Income Tax Refund. Those who qualify will receive notification in the MiWAM account and a letter in the mail. You may get notices about your case during the collections pause. 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.. 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. 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 have a question about your PUA overpayments, you may be able to get help from the Counsel and Advocacy Law Line. UIA has notified claimants who received waivers by posting messages to their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) accounts. He's been with WDIV since 2013. Julia Dale directs the state Unemployment Insurance Agency. The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) has begun to notify claimants If you get a refund, make sure you carefully read any notices or information you get explaining the refund. schedule an in-person, phone or online appointment. UIA: Misrepresentation must be investigated when a claimant provides information that conflicts with information the agency possesses. and last updated 7:40 PM, Feb 07, 2022. In June, claimants were asked to requalify for PUA by providing the agency with the necessary information to remain eligible for the federal program. In May, UIA applied waivers to 55,000 claims totaling $431 million. Claimants can also call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. The federal waiver standard allows a state to waive benefit overpayments if: The May 2021 guidance from the Department of Labor also created two specific circumstances when states may use the standard to issue blanket waivers and waive overpayments automatically, when: In a letter sent to the Michigan Governor in December 2021, advocates for UI claimants urged the administration to adopt this standard, as many other states such as Illinois and Wisconsin already have. Implemented new policies for employees and contractors, including fingerprinting, criminal background checks, and an updated ethics policy. The UIA waived the repayment of more than $53.2 million in benefits that were received by claimants, providing much needed relief for Michiganders. The Michigan Legal Help website and affiliated local self-help centers are part of the Michigan Legal Help Program. 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. 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. 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. A new system will allow for quick analysis of data that is currently not possible for the agency. Unemployment waivers bring relief to thousands. 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, said Michigan UIA director Julia Dale in a statement. Claimants can also call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. 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. The announcement came in the wake of allegations of unconstitutional overpayment collection notices sent out to thousands of Michigan residents. They weren't told by Michigan's UIA until Friday that they would receive a waiver. On April 8, 2022 the Unemployment Insurance Agency announced a new promise to halt new collections activity and waive overpayments. In some cases, the UIA might send a refund of payments you have already made. Reassigned staff and resources to address the largest categories of claims that are contributing to the agencys case backlog. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Please note that contacting us does not create any attorney-client relationship between you and our firm. 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 appeal process and deadlines are still the same. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. 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. Claims determined to be fraudulent or being investigated for fraud. More Michiganders are still waiting. If the UIA believes you were overpaid, they will send you a letter. 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. 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. There is no application process. Hopefully, the Agency will issue guidance soon. Built a new, user-friendly website that is more responsive to those using a mobile phone or tablet to access services. Letters will also be mailed to the address on file confirming the MiWAM notification. Claimants with questions about todays announcement are urged to call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. Each letter will have a due date printed on it for when the appeal is due. If you were overpaid benefits and you are currently employed, contact the UIA Benefit Overpayment Collection unit at 1-800-638-6372 to arrange repayment. If you lose your appeal in front of an ALJ, read What If I Lose My Appeal? below. Related: Unemployment waivers bring relief to thousands. State unemployment insurance program overpayments. It further states that a "state may authorize a waiver when or if the overpayment was not the fault of the claimant and 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. 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 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. Some claimants have received a waiver. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. We are aware that there are issues related to gross versus net income calculations on Pandemic Unemployment Assistance weekly benefit amounts, Dale said. In May, Dale announced that collections on more than 55,000 claims will not have to be paid back, totaling approximately $431 million in overpayments of federal pandemic unemployment benefits. 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. LANSING, MI More Michiganders who asked to repay their pandemic jobless aid will soon have their overpayments erased. You can use the Guide to Legal Help to get information about finding a lawyer. That's an average of about $7,800 per claimant that was waived. UIA is performing an analysis to determine the total population impacted by this issue.. Please see q. Because those programs were federally funded, the UIA is required to actively collect overpayments, unless specific suspensions are obtained from the federal government. The agency expects more rounds in the future. Already, weve issued 55,000 waivers for people who needed help and did nothing wrong, but thats not good enough, Dale said. 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. 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. All Rights Reserved. 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. 2023 Blanchard & Walker PLLC. 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. UIA 1901 (Spanish) - Unemployment Benefits in Michigan. 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. If you want the ALJ to see any documents, you will need to send it to the judge before the hearing. In May, UIA applied waivers to 55,000 claims Readers can follow our Facebook page for developments on the UIA waiver program and the UIA class-action lawsuit. 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 is a free legal aid hotline. Michigans unemployment agency announced another round of waivers and refunds for filers who were overpaid and asked to pay back the overpayment. Dale announced last week waivers on approximately 7,300 overpayment claims that waived $53.2 million in repayments. If you were overpaid benefits and you are currently employed, contact the UIA Benefit Overpayment 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 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. Four PUA COVID-19 eligibility reasons that were included at the beginning of the pandemic were later found by the U.S. Department of Labor to be non-qualifying. There are other actions that can be taken if fraud is suspected. My top priority is to help Michigan families. In some situations, the UIA may send you actual bills for an overpayment. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Copyright 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. Waivers issued earlier this month erased overpayments for 55,000 people caught in an agency mistake. 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. Select Request Restitution Waiver for Financial Hardship and fill out the application. Under federal law, UIA had to re-evaluate PUA eligibility for individuals who selected one of the non-qualifying reasons. Affected claimants will receive notification in their MiWAM account, or by U.S. mail. A total of $484.2 million in overpayments have been waived on 62,300 claims this year. If your protests were filed on time, the UIA is not allowed to collect money before your case is final. 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. Unfortunately, the new guidance from the DOL applies only to CARES Act funded benefits (PUA, FPUC, MEUC, PEUC). A new system will allow for quick analysis of data that is currently not possible for the agency. Make sure to keep your contact information updated in your Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) account so you get any notices from the UIA. 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. And in February, the U.S. Department of Labor allowed Michigan to issue more blanket waivers for the remaining overpayments. Claimants also can schedule an in-person, phone or online appointment. The waiver only covers past Disclaimer & Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Sitemap. 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 UIA must get your appeal within 30 days from the date it is issued. Read Appealing a Protest above to learn more. Step 1 Contact your state's unemployment department. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. 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. 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. Collaborated with the Attorney Generals office to combat fraud at the agency. Select a county above for resources near you, Helping Michigan residents solve their legal problems, Are You Being Evicted? 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 erases $431M in pandemic unemployment overpayments. But the agency continued to fight back against claimants who argued they didn't misreport their income. About 327,000 fewer than expected claimants received a waiver. 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. If you cant show good cause, the decision that you were overpaid will become final. The agency said it doesn't know exactly how many claimants received benefits in the pandemic but were later told they were overpaid benefits through 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. A pause on collections that was granted by the U.S. Department of Labor expired on May 7. 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. To date, the agency said it has waived more than $4.3 billion in overpayment debt for more than 400,000 claimants. 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. Once you have logged into your account, click on the "Determination Status" tab, and then click on "file an appeal.". Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com. Ken Haddad is the digital content and audience manager for WDIV / ClickOnDetroit.com. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. If claimants qualify for a waiver, UIA will notify them through an online message to their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) accounts and by a letter mailed to the address on file. UIA will continue to review all overpayment claims to see how many more may be eligible for waivers. Delinquent debts owed to other states or federal agencies. Michigan has yet to adopt this standard, but it now seems poised to do so. We offer a wealth of free workplace-related information in our Employee Rights and Information Center. If you lose your appeal in front of an ALJ, you can appeal to the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Commission (UIAC). A legislative fix would be required to provide equal waiver rights for claimants who received regular UI benefits. More rounds of waivers expected, offering relief to workers. There is no application process. Last year, the Michigan UIA retroactively determined nearly 700,000 people were ineligible for a federal pandemic unemployment program that extended benefits to part-time and gig workers. "For those who have responded, we're reviewing their cases to determine if they have an eligible COVID-19 related reason and if they may continue to receive benefits," said Acting UIA Director Liza Estlund Olson. 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