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An unemployed worker looks at the State of Michigan unemployment site Wednesday, April 29, 2020, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)AP By
LANSING, MI – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill Monday that clarifies part-time workers are eligible for pandemic unemployment benefits. Introduced last year by Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, the legislation gets rid of a state rule that required claimants to mark they were “able and available” for full-time work during the pandemic. It clears up confusion surrounding a federal program that extended benefits to part-time workers who normally wouldn’t qualify for jobless aid. This led to some being asked to pay their benefits back months after filing claims. “I’ve always said that Michiganders should not be penalized for doing what was right at the time they applied for federal pandemic benefits. The changes in this legislation will streamline our unemployment system and provide relief to Michiganders who needed these federal benefits to pay their bills, keep food on the table, and continue supporting small businesses,” Whitmer said in a statement. Related: Michigan can waive more unemployment bills under new federal guidance Michigan UIA Director Julia Dale said the law is an “important change” for part-time workers. The new law affects those who were only available for part-time work and filed Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims after March 1, 2020. The federal aid program ended in September 2021. “Combined with Gov. Whitmer’s success in securing flexibility from the federal Dept. of Labor, the signing of this legislation will provide relief to thousands of people fighting with UIA over paperwork,” Irwin said in a statement. Under Michigan law before the pandemic, unemployment claimants needed to be “able and available” for full-time work to qualify for benefits. The federal program did not require this for part-time workers or people who weren’t looking for full-time employment because of the pandemic. Miscommunication between the state and federal government led to nearly 530,000 people being asked to pay their benefits back, including part-time and gig workers. Some are still facing steep bills while the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency sifts through “truthful claimants” who are contesting the overpayments. Related: Michigan unemployment agency unlawfully demanded money back, class-action lawsuit says A class-action lawsuit filed in January claims the state acted unlawfully when it demanded benefits back. The state recently received additional waivers from the U.S. Department of Labor to clear non-fraudulent repayments. Under the expanded guidance, waivers can be issued to those who received benefits despite responding “no” to be able and available to work. As of January, the state had only granted about 331,000 waivers. Michigan UIA spokesperson Nick Assendelft told MLive last week there are no updates yet on the additional waivers. More on MLive: Michigan’s delayed 1099-G unemployment tax forms now available online Michiganders are still facing steep bills from an unemployment agency error. Experts worry their tax returns could be seized. 350,000 won’t have to repay unemployment money after Michigan error, thanks to waiver Michigan Unemployment agency paid out $3.9 billion in improper benefits to ineligible claimants, audit says If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
For complete results, select the county where you live or where your case is filed:You are hereContentsThese are common question about applying for and receiving unemployment benefits. Questions about Applying for UnemploymentAm I eligible for unemployment benefits? To be eligible for unemployment benefits you must meet all of the following requirements:
How do I apply for unemployment benefits? Read the article Applying for Unemployment to learn how to apply for benefits. You can apply for unemployment online or by phone. If you file online, it is a good idea to save or print a copy of your application. Then if it gets lost, you can prove when you filed it. What do I need when applying for unemployment benefits? You should have all of the following information available when applying for benefits:
Read the article Applying for Unemployment to learn how to apply for benefits. When should I file my claim for unemployment benefits?
It is best to apply in your first week of unemployment, but you should register with Michigan Works! before you claim your first week of benefits. What happens after I apply for unemployment benefits? After you apply for unemployment, the UIA will decide if you are eligible and if you qualify for benefits. The UIA will mail you a monetary determination. It will tell you:
You will get a separate notice if there is a qualification or eligibility problem with your claim. You must be qualified to start getting benefits. You must remain eligible as long as you’re getting unemployment. It should take about five days after filing a claim to get your determination. It might take longer if the UIA has questions about your claim. If the UIA has questions about your claim, you may receive a questionnaire that you will need to complete and send back to the UIA within 10 days of the date on the questionnaire. If you do not send it back within 10 days, you may be denied benefits. Can I retire and get unemployment benefits? Probably not. Unemployment benefits are for those who are involuntarily unemployed through no fault of their own. You can only get unemployment benefits if you are able to work, available for work and seeking full time work. Usually, if you’ve retired you are voluntarily unemployed. What might the UIA consider a good reason to quit? If you chose to quit your job you may not get benefits. You might get benefits if your employer gave you a good reason to quit. Some examples of good reasons to quit may be:
What might the UIA consider misconduct? Misconduct is a deliberate violation of workplace standards or “carelessness or negligence of such degree or recurrence that it shows an intentional and substantial disregard of an employer’s interests.” Some examples of misconduct include:
What might the UIA not consider misconduct? The following examples might not be considered misconduct:
What are the minimum wage requirements to be eligible for unemployment? The minimum wage requirements are based on your wages in your standard base period. To meet minimum wage requirements you must have:
For example, if you earned $5,000 in your highest quarter, your total wages for all four quarters must be at least $7,500. What should I bring to my meeting at Michigan Works!? When you report in person to the Michigan Works! Agency (MWA) Service Center bring:
If you don’t register at Michigan Works! at least three days before you request your first unemployment payment, you might not get the payment. Keep proof that you registered for work in case the UIA loses the records. How long does it take to find out if I am eligible to get unemployment benefits? If you were laid off, you should find out if you are eligible when you file. If you quit or were fired it usually takes three to four weeks to find out. If you are on strike it will usually take four to six weeks. General Questions about UnemploymentHow much are unemployment benefits? You can get up to $362 a week for 14 to 20 weeks. The UIA calculates your weekly benefit amount by multiplying the wages paid in your highest base period quarter by 4.1%. You also get an extra $6 per week for each dependent you claim, up to five dependents, but your benefits can’t exceed $362. For example, if your highest base period was $5,000 and you have three dependents, your weekly benefits could be $223 ($5,000 x 4.1% = $205 + (3 x $6) = $223). To figure out how many weeks you may get benefits, your total base period wages are multiplied by 40% and then divided by your weekly benefit amount. If your claim is calculated to be less than 14 weeks, you can’t get benefits at all. You can’t get unemployment for more than 20 weeks. For example: if your total base period wages are $12,000 and your weekly benefit amount is $223, you would receive those benefits for 20 weeks ($12,000 x 40% = 4,800/$223 = 21.5), because weeks cannot exceed 20. What is the standard base period? Your standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed your unemployment claim. There are four calendar quarters in a year:
For example: if you file your claim in July 2020, the four quarters in your standard base period are:
If you don’t qualify because you didn’t have enough wages in the standard base period, you may be able to qualify with your wages in the alternative base period. This is the four quarters right before you file for unemployment. So, if you file your claim in July 2020, the four quarters in the alternative base period are:
What is unemployment fraud? Fraud is intentional misrepresentation. If you conceal or misrepresent any eligibility information that can affect your benefits, the UIA might decide you’ve committed fraud. If the numbers you report don’t match the numbers your employer reports, the UIA might decide you’ve committed fraud. The UIA will send you a determination that says you have committed intentional misrepresentation if it thinks you’ve committed fraud. If you get a determination that says you have intentionally misrepresented information to the UIA, it may include information about money you have to repay. The UIA may report you to the Michigan Attorney General’s office for criminal prosecution/investigation. If you are found to have committed fraud, you may have to repay four times as much you got in unemployment benefits. If you disagree with the determination, you can protest the determination. The UIA must receive your protest within 30 days of when it mailed or sent the determination. Read the article When You Disagree With a Determination From the UIA (coming soon). What is my unemployment benefit year? The UIA defines your benefit year as the 52 consecutive weeks that start when you file an unemployment claim if you qualify for unemployment. The benefit year starts the Sunday of the week you file. It ends the Saturday one year later. Your benefits year is also ended if your benefits are cancelled. Once you have established a claim, you can claim your 20 weeks of benefits any week during the benefit year that you are eligible to claim benefits. The 20 weeks do not have to be consecutive. There can be weeks you do not claim benefits in between the ones that you do. Questions about Keeping Your BenefitsWhat must I do to keep getting unemployment benefits? While you’re getting unemployment, each week you must be:
You also report your work search at least once a month by:
How long can I get unemployment benefits? You get benefits for between 14 and 20 weeks. What if I don’t report to Michigan Works!? You might not get your benefit payment if you don’t report to Michigan Works! or file your resume on the Michigan Talent Bank. You must report and file your resume before you claim your first week of benefits. Can I still get unemployment benefits if I get a job offer I don’t want to accept? If you are offered suitable employment that you don’t take, your benefits may be terminated. Whether a job is considered suitable is based on a number of factors including:
Can I still get unemployment benefits if I get a part time job? You might be able to keep getting unemployment benefits while you’re working part time. Your benefits will be reduced in the weeks you have income from your part time job. What if I am an unemployed homeowner and am worried about foreclosure? If you are worried about making your mortgage payments or foreclosure, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) may help through its federal Hardest Hit fund designed to help unemployed homeowners. Visit MSHDA's Web site at www.michigan.gov/HardestHit to learn more. You can call toll free 1-866-946-7432 to be directed to a homeownership counselor in your area. What if I was overpaid unemployment benefits? The UIA is responsible for collecting overpayments of unemployment benefits. 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. Interest accumulates very quickly on unemployment overpayments. If you become unemployed and establish a claim for unemployment benefits, 50 percent (or 100 percent if fraud was involved in the original overpayment) of your weekly unemployment benefit payment will be taken for repayment. If there was fraud involved in the original overpayment, all your benefit payments will be taken to repay the overpayment. There are other penalties for fraud, too. What if I don’t repay an overpayment of my unemployment benefits? If you don’t repay an overpayment, the UIA may:
When you’re working, interest accumulates very quickly on unemployment overpayments. You may want to repay the overpayment as quickly as possible. You may be able to get your repayment waived if the overpayment was not your fault and if requiring you to repay the benefits would be “contrary to equity and good conscience.” Your repayment could be waived if:
Does my severance pay affect my unemployment benefits? Yes. Your unemployment benefits may be reduced in any week you get severance pay. Unless you and your employer agree otherwise, your employer can choose when to allocate the severance payment. It can be in one week or over more weeks. It does not matter when you actually get the severance payment. Your benefits will be reduced in the weeks it is allocated. What if I am laid off again after I return to work? File a new claim if you return to work but become unemployed again. If you stopped getting benefits for a reason other than starting to work again, reopen your claim. Questions about Disagreeing with Unemployment Insurance Agency DeterminationsWhat if I have been denied unemployment benefits? If you have been denied benefits, you can protest and ask for a redetermination. The UIA must get your written protest within 30 days of when the determination was issued. If the UIA doesn’t get your protest within 30 days, you must show good cause why it was late. Good cause can be very hard to prove. If you can’t show good cause the determination will become final. You can make your written protest by mail, fax, or online using your Michigan Web Account Manager. If you choose to mail your protest, send it to Unemployment Insurance Agency, P.O. Box 169, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-0169. You can fax it to 517-636-0427. Keep copies of your fax confirmation. What if I think I should get more unemployment benefits? If you disagree with the amount of your benefits, you can protest and ask for a redetermination. In your protest, state that you protest the monetary determination. The UIA must get your written protest within 30 days of when the determination was issued. If the UIA doesn’t get your protest within 30 days, you must show good cause why it was late. If you can’t show good cause the determination will become final and not subject to further review. You can make your written protest by mail, fax, or online using your Michigan Web Account Manager. If you choose to mail your protest, send it to Unemployment Insurance Agency, P.O. Box 169, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-0169. You can fax it to 517-636-0427. What can I do if I disagree with my unemployment determination? If you disagree with your determination, you can protest and ask for a redetermination. The UIA must get your written protest within 30 days of when the determination was issued. To learn more, visit "What you need to do if you disagree with a determination" on the State of Michigan's website. How long do you have to work to qualify for unemployment in Michigan?To be eligible for this benefit program, you must a resident of Michigan and meet all of the following: Unemployed, and. Worked in Michigan during the past 12 months (this period may be longer in some cases), and. Earned a minimum amount of wages determined by Michigan guidelines, and.
Do part time employees qualify for unemployment in Michigan?If you are back to work but working less than full-time hours, you may be able to continue receiving unemployment benefits. However, the amount you earn will affect your weekly benefit amount (WBA).
How much money do you have to make to qualify for unemployment in Michigan?Wage Requirements
You must have at least one quarter in which you earned a minimum of $3,830.00. You must have wages in at least two calendar quarters in the base period. Your total base period wages must equal 1.5 times your highest quarter wages.
What disqualifies you from unemployment in Michigan?If you lost your job because of misconduct at work (such as violating workplace rules or failing to show up regularly), you may not qualify for unemployment compensation. Being fired does not automatically disqualify you—you can still receive unemployment payments if you were fired for having poor job performance.
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How many hours do you have to work to be eligible for unemployment in michigan
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