Reassigned staff and resources to address the largest categories of claims that are contributing to the agencys case backlog. 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. Three months after the U.S. Department of Labor guidance was issued, the first group of blanket waivers went out to 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. 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. 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. An independent report published late last year found Michigan paid $8.5 billion in fraudulent or intentional misrepresentation unemployment payments. 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. Collaborated with the Attorney Generals office to combat fraud at the agency. On April 8, 2022 the Unemployment Insurance Agency announced a new promise to halt new collections activity and waive overpayments. Readers can follow our Facebook page for developments on the UIA waiver program and the UIA class-action lawsuit. Collaborated with the Attorney Generals office to combat fraud at the agency. If this happens, you can use the same Financial Hardship waiver process. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. There is no application process. 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. To date, the agency said ithas waived more than$4.3 billion in overpayment debt for more than 400,000claimants. 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. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. What is an Overpayment Waiver? If you have supporting evidence, like a doctor's note or proof of earnings, include them along with the protest. There are other actions that can be taken if fraud is suspected. 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. A new system will allow for quick analysis of data that is currently not possible for the agency. It further states that a "state may authorize a waiver when or if the overpayment was not the fault of the claimant and Were not finished providing substantial relief to Michigan workers, said UIA Director Julia Dale. 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. 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. 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. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. 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. Support for Michigan Legal Help is provided by: Copyright 2023 Michigan Legal Help. 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. Michigan Legal HelpHelping Michigan residents solve their legal problems. If the UIA believes you were overpaid, they will send you a letter. Some claimants have received a waiver. 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 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. If the UIA denies your Financial Hardship Waiver, you can appeal to an ALJ. Copyright 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. 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. Michigans unemployment agency announced another round of waivers and refunds for filers who were overpaid and asked to pay back the overpayment. 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. 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. 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, Eligible Unemployment Claimants Granted Overpayment Waivers, 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. 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. WebThe UIA is responsible for collecting overpayments of unemployment benefits. 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. Were not finished providing substantial relief to Michigan workers, said UIA Director Julia Dale. The agency did not provide an estimate on how many people were affected by the earnings mishap. 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. Although waivers for 55,000 more claimants is a good step forward, it fell short The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced Friday that those who wrongfully received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits will be granted an overpayment waiver allowing them to keep the money, although many may no longer receive aid going forward. PUA benefits are $300 a week on top of maximum state benefits of $362. To do this, go to your MiWAM account and click on the Claimant Services Tab. "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. If you run into problems, you may want to try to contact a lawyer. If you believe you are eligible for benefits and the UIA made a mistake, you can ask for a waiver due to agency error. Overpaid claimants who provided the Michigan UIA with gross earnings instead of net earnings will be the group to get waivers. 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. Once you have logged into your account, click on the "Determination Status" tab, and then click on "file an appeal.". Claimants can also call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Meanwhile, apause on"new" wage garnishments and interceptions of state of Michigan tax refundsfor 398,000 claimants expired on May 7. Affected claimants will receive notification in their MiWAM account, or by U.S. mail. According to recent reporting, the waiver program was much smaller than promised. 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. Claimants say UIA is lying, Attorney for jobless claimants asks judge to stop Michigan from garnishing their wages, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Implemented new policies for employees and contractors, including fingerprinting, criminal background checks, and an updated ethics policy. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. 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. Contact us to request a meeting with one of our attorneys. 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. 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." To date the UIA has waived over $4.3 billion in overpayment debt for more than 400,000 claimants with more to come. Letters will also be mailed in the coming days confirming the MiWAM notification. 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. Each letter will have a due date printed on your determination for when the protest is due. 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. Over the past three months, we have waived more than $484.2 million on 62,300 claims. 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. 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. Unemployment agency announced a new promise to halt new collections activity and waive overpayments any notice halt collections... Media group, a division of Graham Holdings please update to a modern such. 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