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Michigan’s acting Unemployment Insurance Agency director appeared before the House Oversight Committee Thursday to answer questions about the problems the agency has dealt with over the past 18 months.

An estimated 5.3 million claims were filed in Michigan.

Here’s what's coming up on Local 4 News at Noon.

The expiration of the $300 weekly unemployment benefit boost impacts nearly 9 million people across the country.

Michigan is reopening 12 unemployment offices for in-person appointments.

Starting May 30, Michigan residents on unemployment will need to start looking for work to keep getting benefits.

Liza Estlund Olson was brought in to make major changes to Michigan’s unemployment system.

Extended unemployment benefits for Michigan residents will no longer be available after this week because the state’s unemployment rate dropped below the required threshold.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan has started making the $300 weekly COVID-19 unemployment payments to eligible residents who were affected by the pandemic. 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. PEUC provides 11 additional weeks of benefits for those who have exhausted regular state unemployment benefits. PUA provides unemployment benefits to those not typically eligible for unemployment including self-employed and gig workers.

The additional $300 weekly unemployment payments for residents who qualify for COVID-19 relief will be delayed in Michigan, officials said. Congress passed a COVID-19 relief package that extends the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation federal unemployment programs. “This federal extension will bring much needed relief to nearly 700,000 Michigan workers who are currently receiving benefits under the PUA and PEUC programs,” said Liza Estlund Olson, acting director of the Unemployment Insurance Agency. “We will have to make updates to our systems to extend benefits and renew the FPUC $300 supplemental payments,” the release says. Year-end tax statements for anyone who received unemployment benefits in 2020 will be available online in mid-January.