Each year, tax payers get conned by tax-related schemes meant to steal money and personal information from people.

Members of the Michigan Republican Party are speaking out after a campaign finance complaint was filed last week.

Hank Winchester is Local 4's Consumer Investigative Reporter and the head of WDIV's "Help Me Hank" Consumer Unit. He works to solve consumer complaints, reveal important recalls and track down thieves who have ripped off metro Detroiters.

Unemployment benefits are reduced based upon your earnings you receive when working part-time. Can I get unemployment benefits? I have a previous claim for benefits starting before 3/15/20, do I get more weeks of benefits on this claim? With these additional benefits, individuals may be eligible for up 39 weeks of benefits. If you have lost your job due to COVID-19, visit Michigan.gov/uia for more information and to apply for unemployment benefits online.

The Michigan Unemployment Agency is offering some guidance to residents who need to certify their benefits every two weeks. Under federal law, unemployed workers must certify that they are still unemployed two weeks after their initial claim is approved and every two weeks after. “Workers who need to certify their claims should avoid doing so on Monday and instead certify later in the week during off-peak hours,” said UIA Director Steve Gray. · Last names beginning with letters A-L: file claims on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays. · Last names beginning with letters M-Z: file claims on Sundays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays.

Michigan will open applications for unemployment benefits for self-employed, contractors and gig workers on Monday, April 13. Newly eligible workers who have been previously denied benefitsSelf-employed workers, gig workers, 1099-independent contractors and low-wage workers who have previously applied for unemployment benefits and have been denied should login to their MiWAM account to complete the next steps for PUA federal benefits. All newly eligible workers will need to provide proof of income to receive the maximum amount they are entitled. $600 federal payments for newly eligible workersEligible self-employed workers, gig workers, 1099-independent contractors, and low-wage workers will begin receiving their state benefit amount (paid with federal funds) and the $600 federal payment as early as April 20. All eligible workers will receive benefitsThe UIA assures every eligible worker in Michigan who applies for unemployment benefits that they will receive them.

Under the CARES Act, individuals who are not already eligible for Michigan’s unemployment programs will now be provided a set amount of $600 a week for up to four months on top of the state benefit. These newly eligible individuals include self-employed workers, independent contractors, low-wage workers and those with a limited work history. This applies to workers already in the unemployment system and eligible employees about to apply. These workers do not need to reapply and those about to apply do not need to take additional steps and should file as usual. They will be notified by the agency with any additional action that may need to be taken.

DETROT – As unemployment insurance claims continue to flood the state’s system at a record rate, Michigan Works! is working with the state’s Unemployment Insurance Agency to assist Michigan residents with questions about filing for unemployment. Luann Dunsford, Michigan Works! “In its 33 years of existence, the Michigan Works! “In good times, and in bad, Michigan Works!

The virus has put a lot of people out of work -- new numbers released Thursday morning show a record-breaking 16.6 million Americans have filed for unemployment since the virus began. More than 6 million have filed in April alone -- 384,000 in Michigan. Over the last three weeks, there has been a 5,000% increase in unemployment filings compared to the three weeks prior. However, the 6.6 million that filed nationwide last week is down from the 6.9 million that reported the week before. The state said it had to bring in more people in order to take care of the rise in unemployment claims.

WASHINGTON (AP) – With a startling 6.6 million people seeking jobless benefits last week, the United States has reached a grim landmark: Roughly one in 10 workers have lost their jobs in just the past three weeks. All told, in the past three weeks, 16.6 million Americans have filed for unemployment aid. The number will likely keep increasing, in part because many states are still clearing out backlogs of applications for unemployment aid. Up to 50 million jobs are vulnerable to coronavirus-related layoffs, economists say — about one-third of all the jobs in the United States. It’s unlikely all those workers will be laid off or file a jobless claim.

DETROT – Michigan is expanding hours and staff to better handle demand for unemployment during the coronavirus outbreak. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) is adding staff and hours to better serve an unprecedented increase in customers filing unemployment claims as a result of COVID-19. Customers in the call center and online chat queues before closing time will have their calls or chats resolved that day. All Eligible Workers Will Receive Benefits: The UIA assures every eligible worker in Michigan who applies for unemployment benefits will receive them. Last names beginning with letters M-Z: file claims on Sundays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays.

DETROT – Michigan is taking its benefit application system down on Friday night to make upgrades to the system, which has been overwhelmed by demand in the last two weeks. The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget will temporarily take the MILogin application offline overnight tonight in order to make upgrades to the system to allow for greater capacity to handle the unprecedented volume required during the COVID-19 emergency. MILogin is the single-sign-on portal to access critical state services that have seen a sharp increase in transactions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many state applications such as Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) for unemployment benefits and MI Bridges to apply for food assistance utilize MILogin. Related: Michigan implements unemployment filing schedule based on last name

If you want to apply for unemployment in Michigan during this coronavirus crisis, click here to do so online or call 866-500-0017. File for unemployment online here. Or call 866-500-0017Filing online is fastest, state saysMichigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) said due to the tremendous call volume, certain callers may receive a busy signal. The UIA is urging people to apply online. Filing online remains the fastest way for Michiganders to apply for unemployment benefits.

Local 4 has heard from many who are furious the phones are always busy and filing online is too slow. RELATED: State: Filing online is fastest way for Michiganders to apply for unemployment benefitsNow the Unemployment Insurance Agency has been working overtime themselves to fix the problem. If you want to apply for unemployment in Michigan during this coronavirus crisis, click here to do so online or call 866-500-0017. File for unemployment online here. Filing online remains the fastest way for Michiganders to apply for unemployment benefits.

Unemployment filings spiked in Michigan a week after local businesses laid off staff in response to mass social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. NBC News reported unemployment websites across the U.S. crashed on Tuesday as people filed claims for benefits. Just this week, 48,000 people in Ohio alone filed unemployment claims in two days, according to Slate.com. Here’s a fact sheet on claiming unemployment benefits in Michigan. Michigan unemployment benefits are determined by previous income and number of dependents.