Latest news with #UIA
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Michigan sees first expansion of unemployment benefits in over 20 years
An expansion of Michigan's unemployment benefits takes effect Wednesday, bringing a boost to payments and an increase to the length of time workers in the state can receive them. In December 2024, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law legislation making the changes to Michigan's unemployment benefits. For new claims filed starting Wednesday, the weekly maximum unemployment benefit will go up to $446 from $362, where it has stood since 2002. In 2002, $362 had the same buying power as $642.42 in February 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' inflation calculator. Under the new law, the weekly maximum unemployment benefit will increase to $530 in 2026 and $614 in 2027. In later years, the law requires the state treasurer to adjust the benefit amount to reflect the change in the Consumer Price Index, a measure of price changes. The new law also increases the benefit amount for each dependent of an unemployed Michigan worker from $6 to $12.66 a week per dependent. The benefit amount will increase to $19.33 in 2026 and $26 in 2027. Subsequent increases will be tied to inflation. Unemployed workers can claim the dependent benefit for up to five dependents, according to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. Michigan lawmakers voted on the legislation in December 2024, and Whitmer signed it into law that month. But state lawmakers did not vote to have it take effect immediately, slating it to kick in instead on April 2. But the text of the legislation approved by Whitmer says the increase to Michigan's unemployment benefit amount takes effect Jan. 1, 2025. The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) plans to carry out a review of claims filed between Jan. 1 and April 2 to determine which unemployed workers qualify for the higher benefits, a labor department news release states. "If a claim qualifies for increased benefits, UIA will pay the difference to the claimant," reads the release. Nick Assendelft, UIA communications manager, said in an email only some may receive the maximum weekly benefit increase of $84. "Not everyone will get the full amount since how much they are eligible to receive is determined based on each person's situation and wage history. The increase on a case-by-case basis will be only for the weeks between Jan. 1 and April 2, not for weeks when someone was collecting benefits before Jan. 1," he said. But an unemployed worker who filed a claim earlier this year will not be eligible for the new maximum 26 weeks of benefits, up from the current 20 weeks. The new benefit timeline only applies to new claims filed starting Wednesday. The labor department's news release directs claimants to keep an eye on their Michigan Web Account Manager account for updates and recommends ensuring the bank account and address information is current. "If UIA sends a request for information, respond by the stated deadline and use only official forms from UIA to facilitate timely actions on a claim," the release states. In 2011, Whitmer's Republican predecessor — Gov. Rick Snyder — signed legislation cutting the maximum number of weeks unemployed people could claim benefits for from 26 to 20 weeks. Until the new law took effect Wednesday to restore the 26 weeks of unemployment benefits, Michigan was one of a dozen states offering unemployed workers fewer than 26 weeks of unemployment insurance, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. Every Democratic lawmaker voted for the legislation to expand Michigan's unemployment benefits. Three Republicans joined them: state Sen. Ed McBroom, of Waucedah Township, state Rep. Dave Prestin, of Cedar River, and state Rep. Greg Markkanen, of Hancock. Those GOP lawmakers all hail from Michigan's Upper Peninsula and represent counties in the state with some of the highest unemployment rates, according to the latest figures from the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics. More: Trump tariffs trigger jitters for auto stocks, Michigan economy Those seeking assistance with a claim or with other questions can call customer service at 866-500-0017, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The state labor department in a news release also directed those interested in meeting with an agent to schedule an in-person, phone or virtual meeting up to 14 days in advance at Contact Clara Hendrickson: chendrickson@ or 313-296-5743. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan sees expansion of unemployment benefits
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Approval of $55M Michigan class-action lawsuit involving unemployment payments delayed a month
The Brief A judge has delayed the final hearing to approve a $55 million class-action lawsuit dealing with unemployment benefits paid out to residents About 23,000 Michigan residents can expect on average of a $1,400 settlement from the case Affected parties include those who protested the state clawing back benefits it believed it improperly paid out without determining if individuals properly filed an appeal (FOX 2) - A judge has delayed the final hearing to sign off on a $55 million settlement tied to the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency's improper clawing back of pandemic-era funds paid out to citizens. Tens of thousands of Michigan residents were impacted by the UIA's decision and will have to wait a month before the class-action lawsuit's settlement is approved. Big picture view More than 23,000 Michigan residents who applied for unemployment benefits due to the Covid pandemic were wrongly asked by the labor department agency to repay the funds. The UIA failed to determine whether the claimant who protested the decision to pay back money had submitted the appeal correctly - or at all. As part of a settlement tied to the class-action lawsuit, Saunders V Unemployment Ins. Agency, the state will not admit responsibility for the case. In exchange, those part of the lawsuit will receive on average $1,400 from the state. Judge Brock Swartzle from the Michigan Court of Claims will decide when the money should be sent to plaintiffs in the case. The backstory At the onset of the pandemic in 2020, public health measures that ordered businesses closed in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 led to a surge in unemployment in Michigan. As hundreds of thousands of workers were sent home, the UIA saw a surge in claims for unemployment benefits, overwhelming the agency and leading to millions of dollars being wrongly paid out. Over the following months, the UIA attempted to retrieve some of the wrongly-paid-out funds - sometimes doing so without determining whether appeals from beneficiaries had been properly submitted. Where things stand The deadline for residents to join the lawsuit has passed. As of Dec. 20, 2024, an independent claims administrator is no longer accepting new participants. Judge Swartzle has scheduled the final hearing to approve the settlement for April 24, 2025 at 1 p.m. Anyone past of the lawsuit can attend the hearing either virtually or in-person to address their concerns. The hearing will take place at the Michigan Court of Appeals courtroom at 925 W. Ottawa Street in Lansing. The Source Previous reporting and a press release from the Unemployment Insurance Agency.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
Appeals Court Rules That Corner Crossing Is Legal in at Least Six States
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Western U.S. today ruled that corner-crossing, or accessing public land at a common corner with private land, is legal and protected by federal law. The legal challenge to corner-crossing was pushed by a group of four Missouri hunters who in 2020 and again in 2021 had accessed a section of BLM land by crossing a corner shared on two sides by private land owned by Iron Bar Ranch. The ranch owner had the hunters charged with both criminal and civil trespass, citing their momentary presence in the airspace above the private land — the hunters had used a ladder to cross the corner. The Wyoming Carbon County court found the four hunters innocent of criminal trespass charges in 2022 and a U.S. District court threw out the civil case in 2023, but the Iron Bar appealed. It's that suit that the Appeals Court ruled on today. Across the West, where millions of acres of public and private land intermingle in a checkerboard pattern, with alternating sections of public land connected only at the corners, the legality of accessing those land-blocked public sections has been an open question, with states declining to rule out of deference to private landowners. In the original civil suit the ranch claimed the men caused more than $7 million in damages. 'Iron Bar Holdings has a right to exclusive control, use, and enjoyment of its Property, which includes the airspace at the corner, above the Property,' wrote prosecutors in the civil suit. Today's ruling applies only to the states within the Denver-based 10th Circuit Court of Appeals — Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming — but the precedent could make corner-crossing legal in other states, too. Circuit Judge Timothy Tymkovich, writing for the majority, cited the long history of Western land management, including provisions of the Louisiana Purchase, westward expansion fueled by the Homestead Act of 1862, Wyoming's range wars between cattle and sheep owners, and even John Adams' colonial-era defense of the sanctity of private property rights. Ultimately, though, the judges ruled that no laws were broken by the Missouri hunters. 'The Hunters never made contact with the surface of Iron Bar's land,' wrote judge Timothy Tymkovich, who today joined with two other circuit judges to uphold a decision reached by Wyoming federal judge Scott Skavdahl in 2023. 'There is no evidence the Hunters made physical contact with or damaged Iron Bar's property.' The court ultimately based its decision on a provision of the 1885 Unlawful Inclosures Act (UIA), passed by Congress to 'harmonize the rights of private landowners and those accessing public lands.' The court concluded that based on case law and language in the law, 'any inclosure of public lands is prohibited, and no one may completely prevent or obstruct another from peacefully entering or freely passing over or through public lands.' 'The western checkerboard and UIA reflect a storied period of our history,' wrote Tymkovich. 'Whatever the UIA's merits today, it — and the case law interpreting it — remain good federal law.' Read Next: How Seriously Should We Take the Sale of Federal Lands? Very Seriously, Experts Say Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, which had joined the lawsuit as a 'friend of the court' in support of the Missouri hunters, today called the appeals court ruling 'Another huge win for corner crossing! This decision upholds the right to access millions of acres of public land.' The case could be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. However, unlike circuit court appeals, the Supreme Court is not required to hear the appeal, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
CBS News
11-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Michigan Employment Insurance Agency rolls out help for laid off federal workers
Some federal workers in Michigan are suddenly without a job after the Trump administration's recent job cuts. The administration's decision to slash jobs has prompted state agencies like Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency to develop resources for workers to land their next gig. February was a rough month for federal job cuts. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10,000 federal jobs were cut. "We have seen an uptick in the number of claims filed by federal workers," said Jason Palmer, director of Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency. Palmer says that since many of the federal workforce layoffs happened recently, there isn't an official count of how many were lost here in Michigan. "We wanted to get ahead of any large layoffs and have some resources available," said Palmer. The UIA has rolled out a website specifically for federal workers on the job hunt. "There's some specific resources for the federal workers, like what specific forms they might need. Then the website goes on to help them connect with workforce development, help with the job search through the Michigan Works office, and a bunch of resources not only for the unemployment side but also getting back to work," Palmer said. Palmer suggests workers beginning the unemployment process visit the website and the Unemployment Roadmap. "[That] gives a really easy-to-follow six-step process on filing your unemployment insurance claim," Palmer said. Palmer encourages federal workers to utilize the resources on the website and consider state government jobs. "There's a lot of really skilled folks here in these federal jobs, so we might have something that they could do in the state, and we'd encourage them to look at those jobs as well," Palmer said.
