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. 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". 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. This means the UIA should stop sending collection letters or doing anything else to make people pay these overpayments. Claimants with questions about todays announcement are urged to call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. The waiver only covers past Under federal law, UIA had to re-evaluate PUA eligibility for individuals who selected one of the non-qualifying reasons. 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. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters. To date, the agency said ithas waived more than$4.3 billion in overpayment debt for more than 400,000claimants. The federal government has expanded its criteria for who can get a waiver that would let people keep that money. A motion for preliminary injunction to suspend collections on these overpayments is currently being considered by Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Brock Swartzle. News Update: Promised Waivers fall short. 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. Issuing waivers is a cornerstone of Director Dales reform of the UIA. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced that it has issued waivers to approximately 7,300 state and federal COVID-19 jobless claims from Make sure to keep your contact information updated in your Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) account so you get any notices from the UIA. 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 you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. 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. 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. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. 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. 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. We offer a wealth of free workplace-related information in our Employee Rights and Information Center. 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. Overpaid claimants who provided the Michigan UIA with gross earnings instead of net earnings will be the group to get waivers. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. There are other penalties for fraud, too. About 327,000 fewer than expected claimants received a waiver. 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 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. 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. There is no application process. After the report came out, the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) started sending some recipients letters telling them they had to repay thousands of dollars. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. 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. Of the roughly 690,000 claimants that were asked to requalify, about 241,000 responded to the UIA's request. Director Dale is committed to ensuring that no Michigan family be forced to repay benefits due to changes that affected their claims after they applied for benefits. 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. This may have happened for a few reasons, like if you made a mistake when certifying your benefits, were unable or unavailable to work, or you knowingly gave false or misleading information when filing a claim. 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. The agency, in its news releaseFriday, said the issue was due to "unclear instructions regarding gross earnings versus net earnings.". You will not get a notice that your refund is being held to pay a debt to the state until you file your state income tax return. 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. Many more have never been told why they werent paid the benefits owed, and they still just wait nearly two years later. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. Implemented new policies for employees and contractors, including fingerprinting, criminal background checks, and an updated ethics policy. Readers can follow our Facebook page for developments on the UIA waiver program and the UIA class-action lawsuit. Once you have logged into your account, click on the "Determination Status" tab, and then click on "file an appeal.". The agency has paid a total of $39 billion in unemployment aid to 3.5 million Michigan residents since March 2020. Additional testing over the last week by FAST developers revealed the early numbers to overlap with waivers issued last fall by the agency. 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. This is wonderful news for those who lost their job through no fault of their own, UIA Director Julia Dale said. 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". Ask the UIA to issue a determination to tell you if the overpayment is the result of the UIAs error. 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 Michigan residents who benefited from billions in overpaid pandemic unemployment assistance may not owe that money back after all. 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. WebThe UIA is responsible for collecting overpayments of unemployment benefits. Release date: Friday, July 30, 2021. Three months after the U.S. Department of Labor guidance was issued,the first group of blanket waivers went out to 55,000 claimants. 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. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Delinquent debts owed to other states or federal agencies. 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. Step 1 Contact your state's unemployment department. The ETA Handbook 401 defines a Waiver as a "non-fraud overpayment for which the state agency, in accordance with state law, officially relinquishes the obligation of the claimant to repay." 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. Michigan paid $8.5B in fraudulent COVID unemployment claims. 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. Disclaimer & Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Sitemap. "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. At every turn, I will stand up and fight on behalf of Michiganders to make sure they get what they were promised. 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. They weren't told by Michigan's UIA until Friday that they would receive a waiver. To date, more than $4.3 billion in overpayments have been waived for 400,000 Michigan unemployment recipients with likely thousands more still waiting. 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. Please note that contacting us does not create any attorney-client relationship between you and our firm. Dale is also going after 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. 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If you got an overpayment notice and disagree with it, you can protest and ask the UIA to look at your claim again. Waivers issued earlier this month erased overpayments for 55,000 people caught in an agency mistake. 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.. In May, UIA applied waivers to 55,000 claims totaling $431 million. If you believe you are eligible for benefits and the UIA made a mistake, you can ask for a waiver due to agency error. Over the past three months, we have waived more than $484.2 million on 62,300 claims. If you lose your appeal in front of an ALJ, you can appeal to the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Commission (UIAC). To date the UIA has waived over $4.3 billion in overpayment debt for more than 400,000 claimants with more to come. Ken Haddad is the digital content and audience manager for WDIV / ClickOnDetroit.com. Three months after the U.S. Department of Labor guidance was issued, the first group of blanket waivers went out to 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. To do this, go to your MiWAM account and click on the Claimant Services Tab. 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. Unfortunately, the new guidance from the DOL applies only to CARES Act funded benefits (PUA, FPUC, MEUC, PEUC). 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." The Michigan UIA is facing a class-action lawsuit that claims the state unlawfully demanded pandemic aid back. currently being considered by Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Brock Swartzle. 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. 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. 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. Interest accumulates very quickly on unemployment overpayments. Interest accumulates very quickly on unemployment overpayments. A new system will allow for quick analysis of data that is currently not possible for the agency. Claimants can also call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. 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. 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. instructionalvideos posted by the agency, Michigan Unemployment agency says claimants made big mistake. In the report on Wednesday, the Free Press showed that in at least some of the cases, the mistake was the state's and not the claimants'. After the notifications were issued, Gov. Collaborated with the Attorney Generals office to combat fraud at the agency. Convenient times and dates are available. 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