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$300 COVID-19 unemployment payments slowly making way to Michigan residents

Many Michiganders still battling to collect unemployment benefits, stimulus money

The battle to collect unemployment benefits continues for many Michigan residents, but state officials said the $300 COVID-19 bonus is coming soon.

It’s money many people are waiting for, and collecting from the Unemployment Insurance Agency has been a frustrating challenge.

You can hear from a resident battling with UIA in the Help Me Hank report above.

The $300 owed to many Michiganders is part of the $900 billion stimulus package. State officials said that money is slowing making its way to Michigan.

UIA officials admit there were issues with the release of funds.

“These workers should rest assured that they will not miss out on any benefits and will receive every dollar they are entitled to once the programs are fully implemented,” a UIA spokesperson said.

According to the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, the state started issuing the payments to around 365,000 claimants this weekend.

READ: Whitmer signs $106M relief bill, extends COVID-19 unemployment benefits through March

The Pandemic Unemployment Compensation payments run from Dec. 27, 2020, through March 13, 2021. They offer an additional $300 in benefits per week to Michigan claimants who were negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Claimants don’t have to take action to receive the additional payments. They will be paid automatically after being certified.

“The UIA team worked tirelessly to ensure that Michigan was one of the first states to implement the PUC program,” acting UIA Director Liza Estlund Olson said. “Now that we’ve received additional USDOL guidance, we remain committed to implementing the remaining federal PUA and PEUC programs as quickly possible to get money out the door.”


About the Authors
Hank Winchester headshot

Hank Winchester is Local 4’s Consumer Investigative Reporter and the head of WDIV’s “Help Me Hank” Consumer Unit. Hank works to solve consumer complaints, reveal important recalls and track down thieves who have ripped off people in our community.

Derick Hutchinson headshot

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.

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