michigan unemployment overpayment waiver

Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com. In February, the request for expanded waivers was granted. 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. (WXMI) Relief could soon be coming for Michiganders who were told they would have to pay back unemployment money. Convenient times and dates are available. There is no application process. Make sure to keep your contact information updated in your Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) account so you get any notices from the UIA. When those claimants appealed the decision and the case went before a judge, agency representatives said theclaimantswere liable because they hadentered their gross pay from prior years to determine their weekly benefit amountwhen they should have entered their net pay. 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. Unemployment waivers bring relief to thousands. 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. The agency said it continues to work with its software vendor FAST Enterprises and the Michigan Department of Technology, Managementand Budget toidentify other groups of claimants who might also qualify for an overpayment 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. After the UIA responds and issues a determination, you can protest or appeal a denial of the agency error waiver. Claimants who receive waivers were sent a message in their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) online accounts. Already, weve issued 55,000 waivers for people who needed help and did nothing wrong, but thats not good enough, Dale said. Each letter will have a due date printed on it for when the appeal is due. The U.S. DOL authorized a pause on certain collection activity through May 7, 2022. 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. Good cause can be very hard to prove. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Those who qualify will receive notification in the MiWAM account and a letter in the mail. An overpayment happens when you receive more unemployment money than you should have received. The UIA must get your written protest within 30 days from the date it is issued. Related: Michigan erases $431M in pandemic unemployment overpayments. currently being considered by Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Brock Swartzle. Dale said the agency is still working hard to identify workers who qualify for the next round of waivers. This means the UIA should stop sending collection letters or doing anything else to make people pay these overpayments. This is a pause on collections only. 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 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. 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. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Issuing waivers is a cornerstone of Director Dales reform of the UIA. But the agency continued to fight back against claimants who argued they didn't misreport their income. If the UIA doesnt get your appeal within 30 days, you must show good cause why it was late. 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 UIA waived the repayment of more than $53.2 million in benefits that were received by claimants, providing much needed relief for Michiganders. Gretchen Whitmer supported Michigan's use of waivers from the Department of Labor, stressing that, "No one who followed the rules and received benefits through no fault of their own should have to pay back money to the federal government.". 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. Claimants can also call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. Support for Michigan Legal Help is provided by: Copyright 2023 Michigan Legal Help. The appeal process and deadlines are still the same. Waivers will be granted to the initial group of approximately 350,000 non-responses, many of whom may no longer be collecting benefits. 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. According to recent reporting, the waiver program was much smaller than promised. Built a new, user-friendly website that is more responsive to those using a mobile phone or tablet to access services. 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.. After the report came out, the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) started sending some recipients letters telling them they had to repay thousands of dollars. To date the UIA has waived over $4.3 billion in overpayment debt for more than 400,000 claimants with more to come. You may get notices about your case during the collections pause. 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. Over the past three months, we have waived more than $484.2 million on 62,300 claims. The federal government has expanded its criteria for who can get a waiver that would let people keep that money. 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 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. Recovery would be unconscionable under the circumstances. The agency did not provide an estimate on how many people were affected by the earnings mishap. Waivers issued earlier this month erased overpayments for 55,000 people caught in an agency mistake. The agency, in its news releaseFriday, said the issue was due to "unclear instructions regarding gross earnings versus net earnings.". 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. In May, UIA applied waivers to 55,000 claims totaling $431 million. The UIA has said it is reviewing how the categories would apply to claims in Michigan and is determining how quickly the waivers could be issued.. The agency expects more rounds in the future. Your Notice of Telephone Hearing will have instructions on how to do this. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. An earlier suspension expired in May. 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. Boards, Commissions & Councils collapsed link, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs, Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission, Michigan Council for Rehabilitation Services, MiSTEM Advisory Council and MiSTEM Network, Workers' Disability Compensation Appeals Commission, https://dev.michigan.local/som/json?sc_device=json, UIA secures federal approval to suspend overpayment collections for nearly 400,000 claimants, Go to Bureau of Services for Blind Persons, Go to Michigan Career & Technical Institute, Go to Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Go to Michigan High-Speed Internet Office, Go to Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Go to Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Go to Office of Mobility and Electrification, Requests for Proposals and Qualifications, Go to Workers' Disability Compensation Agency, Go to Michigan Employment Relations Commission, Go to Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs, Go to Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan, Go to Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission, Go to Michigan Community Service Commission, Go to Michigan Council on Future Mobility, Go to Michigan Council for Rehabilitation Services, Go to Michigan Workforce Development Board, Go to MiSTEM Advisory Council and MiSTEM Network, Go to Unemployment Insurance Appeals Commission, Go to Workers' Disability Compensation Appeals Commission. Because those programs were federally funded, the UIA is required to actively collect overpayments, unless specific suspensions are obtained from the federal government. Michigan has yet to adopt this standard, but it now seems poised to do so. To date, more than $4.3 billion in overpayments have been waived for 400,000 Michigan unemployment recipients with likely thousands more still waiting. Around $11 million was refunded to Michiganders who had paid or begun paying back these benefits. If you dont repay an overpayment, the UIA may: Unlike most other types of debt, the UIA can do all of these things without going to court. Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com. This most recent round of waivers provides relief to Michiganders who, during the height of the pandemic, followed the rules as they navigated an overburdened unemployment benefits system. 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. Ken Haddad is the digital content and audience manager for WDIV / ClickOnDetroit.com. To do this, go to your MiWAM account and click on the Claimant Services Tab. 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. 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. If you get a refund, make sure you carefully read any notices or information you get explaining the refund. WebThe UIA is responsible for collecting overpayments of unemployment benefits. If you run into problems, you may want to try to contact a lawyer. If this happens, you will get a Notice of Adjustment to Income Tax Refund. What is an Overpayment Waiver? 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. 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. New waiver qualifications for Michiganders who received unemployment overpayments More people could qualify for Michigan's unemployment insurance agency schedule an in-person, phone or online appointment. If you want to appeal to the UIAC, you may want to speak with a lawyer. When you file your appeal, ask for a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ). If you believe you are eligible for benefits and the UIA made a mistake, you can ask for a waiver due to agency error. 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. Please note that contacting us does not create any attorney-client relationship between you and our firm. We continue to monitor and advocate as the situation unfolds. You can appeal online through your MiWAM account. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. Three months after the U.S. Department of Labor guidance was issued,the first group of blanket waivers went out to 55,000 claimants. 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. 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. Michigan ice 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 update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. Dale announced last week waivers on approximately 7,300 overpayment claims that waived $53.2 million in repayments. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. Screenshots from some who received benefitsand instructionalvideos posted by the agencyshow itactually hadasked fortotalpay, not net pay. Michigan erases $431M in pandemic unemployment overpayments. This is a free legal aid hotline. Implemented new policies for employees and contractors, including fingerprinting, criminal background checks, and an updated ethics policy. Ask the UIA to issue a determination to tell you if the overpayment is the result of the UIAs error. 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. 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