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. 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 announces new waivers of state, federal overpayment determinations, 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. Related: Unemployment waivers bring relief to thousands. There is no application process. Convenient times and dates are available. Recovery would be unconscionable under the circumstances. A new system will allow for quick analysis of data that is currently not possible for the agency. Of the roughly 690,000 claimants that were asked to requalify, about 241,000 responded to the UIA's request. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Letters will also be mailed to the address on file confirming the MiWAM notification. To date the UIA has waived over $4.3 billion in overpayment debt for more than 400,000 claimants with more to come. If you believe you are eligible for benefits and the UIA made a mistake, you can ask for a waiver due to agency error. Collaborated with the Attorney Generals office to combat fraud at the agency. When you file your appeal, ask for a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ). If you disagree with the UIA and are protesting the overpayment, do not file the waiver until you have a final determination in your case. Your Notice of Telephone Hearing will have instructions on how to do this. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. You may get notices about your case during the collections pause. If you got an overpayment notice and disagree with it, you can protest and ask the UIA to look at your claim again. Built a new, user-friendly website that is more responsive to those using a mobile phone or tablet to access services. 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. 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. This is a huge weight lifted off so many Michiganders shoulders, said Governor Whitmer. 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. If you were overpaid benefits and you are currently employed, contact the UIA Benefit Overpayment There are other penalties for fraud, too. 2023 Blanchard & Walker PLLC. Dale announced last week waivers on approximately 7,300 overpayment claims that waived $53.2 million in repayments. Over the past three months, we have waived more than $484.2 million on 62,300 claims. New wage garnishments, state tax return intercepts halted while Agency prepares to apply more waivers beyond 62,000 already granted. A motion for preliminary injunction to suspend collections on these overpayments is currently being considered by Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Brock Swartzle. 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 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. We are aware that there are issues related to gross versus net income calculations on Pandemic Unemployment Assistance weekly benefit amounts, Dale said. Each letter will have a due date printed on your determination for when the protest is due. 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. An independent report published late last year found Michigan paid $8.5 billion in fraudulent or intentional misrepresentation unemployment payments. 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. Letters will also be mailed to the address on file confirming the MiWAM notification. Collaborated with the Attorney Generals office to combat fraud at the agency. Some examples of good cause include: You can protest online through your Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM). In May, UIA applied waivers to 55,000 claims This means the UIA should stop sending collection letters or doing anything else to make people pay these overpayments. Unemployment waivers bring relief to thousands. UIA is performing an analysis to determine the total population impacted by this issue.. 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. More: Michigan Unemployment agency says claimants made big mistake. We do not know how long this pause will last or when the UIA will start trying to collect these overpayments again. The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) is now reviewing the categories added Monday and determining how many other claims might qualify for waivers under Dale said the agency is still working hard to identify workers who qualify for the next round of waivers. 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. WebEligible Unemployment Claimants Granted Overpayment Waivers. 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. The UIA has requested an extension of that pause while they identify and process waivers for other population and is in the process of providing additional information to support the request for extension. 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 waives $431M in federal pandemic overpayments, 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. 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. Built a new, user-friendly website that is more responsive to those using a mobile phone or tablet to access services. What is an Overpayment Waiver? If the UIA denies your protest, you can appeal. Some claimants have 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. Once you have logged into your account, click on the "Determination Status" tab, and then click on "file a protest.". 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. 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