If you were overpaid benefits and you are currently employed, contact the UIA Benefit Overpayment It further states that a "state may authorize a waiver when or if the overpayment was not the fault of the claimant and Support for Michigan Legal Help is provided by: Copyright 2023 Michigan Legal Help. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced today that over 55,000 claimants will not have to pay back a total of approximately $431 million in overpayments of federal pandemic unemployment benefits that the agency previously determined to have been improperly awarded. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced Friday that those who wrongfully received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits will be To date, more than $4.3 billion in overpayments have been waived for 400,000 Michigan unemployment recipients with likely thousands more still waiting. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. In June, claimants were asked to requalify for PUA by providing the agency with the necessary information to remain eligible for the federal program. And in February, the U.S. Department of Labor allowed Michigan to issue more blanket waivers for the remaining overpayments. 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 state did not say when they will be issued. 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. 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.. 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. Here is what we know so far: The U.S. Department of Labor has been clear since May of 2021 that states like Michigan have broad powers to waive so-called overpayments on Pandemic Unemployment Benefits created by the CARES Act. 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. A new system will allow for quick analysis of data that is currently not possible for the agency. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Letters will also be mailed to the address on file confirming the MiWAM notification. 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. The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. The U.S. DOL authorized a pause on certain collection activity through May 7, 2022. 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 news releasedidn't give an estimate as to how long it might take to issue waivers. Many more have never been told why they werent paid the benefits owed, and they still just wait nearly two years later. Thanks to these waivers that we fought for and secured Michiganders will get to keep their hard-earned money.. 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. Some claimants have received a waiver. 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. WebThe UIA is responsible for collecting overpayments of unemployment benefits. "For those who did not respond, we want to assure them that claimants who are no longer eligible won't have to return the money they received when, through no fault of their own, they chose one of the four non-eligible reasons.". This round of waivers accounts for 96% 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. Of the roughly 690,000 claimants that were asked to requalify, about 241,000 responded to the UIA's request. Already, weve issued 55,000 waivers for people who needed help and did nothing wrong, but thats not good enough, Dale said. Those who qualify will receive notification in the MiWAM account and a letter in the mail. Select Request Restitution Waiver for Financial Hardship and fill out the application. If you got unemployment benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, you may have received a notice for overpayment. If you get a refund, make sure you carefully read any notices or information you get explaining the refund. Once you have logged into your account, click on the "Determination Status" tab, and then click on "file a protest.". Although waivers for 55,000 more claimants is a good step forward, it fell short State 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'. 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. 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. You can appeal online through your MiWAM account. More: Michigan Unemployment agency says claimants made big mistake. 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. Each letter will have a due date printed on your determination for when the protest is due. Good cause can be very hard to prove. 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. Ask the UIA to issue a determination to tell you if the overpayment is the result of the UIAs error. 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 run into problems, you may want to try to contact a lawyer. A legislative fix would be required to provide equal waiver rights for claimants who received regular UI benefits. Letters will also be mailed in the coming days confirming the MiWAM notification. 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. 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. There are other actions that can be taken if fraud is suspected. The UIA must get your written protest within 30 days from the date it is issued. At every turn, I will stand up and fight on behalf of Michiganders to make sure they get what they were promised. It has detailed information about the refund. Will the pause on collections continue? 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. 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. If there is any money left in your refund after that debt is paid, you will get it. 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. Read Appealing a Protest above to learn more. 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. If you don't have the documents available, you can make the protest without them. All rights reserved. UIA will continue to look at COVID-19 pandemic claims to identify others that may qualify for waivers. Michigan has yet to adopt this standard, but it now seems poised to do so. 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. After the notifications were issued, Gov. 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.". Under federal law, UIA had to re-evaluate PUA eligibility for individuals who selected one of the non-qualifying reasons. It is still unknown on how waivers will be applied and how many or which people it will impact. Although Michigan has yet to adopt the federal waiver standard, the UIA seems poised to do so in light of the new guidance. We will continue to review federal UI cases to make sure everyone who qualifies for an overpayment waiver will receive one.. 2023 Blanchard & Walker PLLC. In February, the request for expanded waivers was granted. TheU.S. Department of Labor issued guidance to states in February on how to address overpayments when the claimant is not at fault. 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. Some examples of good cause include: You can protest online through your Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM). Claimants who receive waivers were sent a message in their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) online accounts. He's been with WDIV since 2013. If you lose your appeal in front of an ALJ, you can appeal to the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Commission (UIAC). 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. UIA has notified claimants who received waivers by posting messages to their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) accounts. 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. In May, UIA applied waivers to 55,000 claims totaling $431 million. On April 8, 2022 the Unemployment Insurance Agency announced a new promise to halt new collections activity and waive overpayments. 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). If the UIA denies your Financial Hardship Waiver, you can appeal to an ALJ. To date, the agency said ithas waived more than$4.3 billion in overpayment debt for more than 400,000claimants. 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. 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. Those 350,000 people wont be able to keep collecting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits in the future, however. 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. If you got an overpayment notice and disagree with it, you can protest and ask the UIA to look at your claim again. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Hopefully, the Agency will issue guidance soon. Recovery would be unconscionable under the circumstances. The waiver only covers past Collections of overpayments made before the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 will not be suspended. 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. Claims determined to be fraudulent or being investigated for fraud. New waiver qualifications for Michiganders who received unemployment overpayments More people could qualify for Michigan's unemployment insurance agency An earlier suspension expired in May. 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. 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. Related: Unemployment waivers bring relief to thousands. This is a pause on collections only. Roughly 350,000 waivers were distributed in July 2021 so Michiganders would not have to repay overpayments that were received by no fault of their own. Please see q. This is a free legal aid hotline. Convenient times and dates are available. The agency has paid a total of $39 billion in unemployment aid to 3.5 million Michigan residents since March 2020. 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.. 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. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Interest accumulates very quickly on unemployment overpayments. 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. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). My top priority is to help Michigan families. The agency expects more rounds in the future. More Michiganders are still waiting. 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. 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. Claimants can also call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. 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. 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. 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. Additional testing over the last week by FAST developers revealed the early numbers to overlap with waivers issued last fall by the agency. 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. 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." If this happens, you will get a Notice of Adjustment to Income Tax Refund. Claimants also can schedule an in-person, phone or online appointment. 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. 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. We do not know how long this pause will last or when the UIA will start trying to collect these overpayments again. "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. Were not finished providing substantial relief to Michigan workers, said UIA Director Julia Dale. The UIA must get your appeal within 30 days from the date it is issued. 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. 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. Waivers issued earlier this month erased overpayments for 55,000 people caught in an agency mistake. Were not finished providing substantial relief to Michigan workers, said UIA Director Julia Dale. Michigan paid $8.5B in fraudulent COVID unemployment claims. 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. This is wonderful news for those who lost their job through no fault of their own, UIA Director Julia Dale said. Claimants with questions about todays announcement are urged to 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. Michigan Legal HelpHelping Michigan residents solve their legal problems. The Michigan Legal Help website and affiliated local self-help centers are part of the Michigan Legal Help Program. 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. The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) has begun to notify claimants Claimants can also call UIAs Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017. Meanwhile, apause on"new" wage garnishments and interceptions of state of Michigan tax refundsfor 398,000 claimants expired on May 7. There is no application process. 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. Reassigned staff and resources to address the largest categories of claims that are contributing to the agencys case backlog. The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) has begun to notify claimants who are no longer eligible to receive Pandemic Unemployment Assistance(PUA) benefits that overpayments will be waived. Built a new, user-friendly website that is more responsive to those using a mobile phone or tablet to access services. Delinquent debts owed to other states or federal agencies. 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. Readers can follow our Facebook page for developments on the UIA waiver program and the UIA class-action lawsuit. Convenient times and dates are available.