If you’ve filed for or receive unemployment benefits in Michigan, officials are warning about a phishing scam targeting filers through text messages.

Michigan residents waiting for their tax forms from the Michigan Unemployment Agency can now get them online.

State lawmakers are demanding answers from Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency over an error that could end up costing people who collected benefits.

A Detroit man conspired with a Michigan unemployment worker to steal thousands of dollars intended to help people who lost jobs due to the COVID pandemic.

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

Thousands of Michigan residents are still struggling with the Michigan Unemployment Agency while trying to get their benefits. A Metro Detroit father is one of the people who thought his issue was fixed, but then the money once again stopped coming due to another glitch. READ: Michigan officials say unemployment rate declined in February -- here are the numbersBrandon Gregware has been struggling with the unemployment agency. If you find yourself in a similar situation you should call the Unemployment Insurance Agency and set up an appointment. Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that jobless claims climbed from 725,000 the week before.

Michigan Unemployment Agency will soon take appointments for phone meetingsIf you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566.

Gretchen Whitmer has signed a bill to allow Michigan residents who qualify for unemployment to earn an extra $300 per week as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues. The bill appropriates $2.8 billion in supplemental funding from revenues awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The $300 payments will continue until the relief funding has been exhausted. The bill also includes $8 million toward the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Illinois, a barrier to prevent invasive carp from entering Lake Michigan. It also provides match funding for disaster flood cleanup in Midland and Gladwin counties, as well as funding to cover costs for flood response and mitigation efforts in Detroit.

DETROIT – The Michigan Unemployment Agency has been overwhelmed these past four months, struggling to serve a record number of people filing for benefits amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It was already bad for many of Michigan’s unemployed, but now the unemployment agency is catching heat for even more problems. READ: Michigan investigating if new hires are stealing from Unemployment Insurance AgencyOften times, people couldn’t get anyone on the phone. Local 4 reached out to the unemployment agency. The director said “it’s very disheartening that these criminals are taking advantage of a global pandemic to defraud Michiganders when they need unemployment benefits the most.”READ: Michigan taps Deloitte to expand unemployment capacity, identify fraud

DETROIT Michigan unemployment official have revealed a staggering number of residents are still waiting for their benefits. Numbers from the Unemployment Insurance Agency reveal just how hard Michigan residents were hit by the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown. Tens of thousands of people still need help getting their checks, which has many asking why UIA offices are still closed. UIA offices have been shut down for months, and even as other government offices, such as Secretary of State branches, reopen across Michigan, unemployment locations remain closed. Since March 15, UIA has paid out a total of $15 billion, and more than 2.4 million Michigan residents have filed for benefits.

DETROIT – Scammers are targeting thousands of Michigan residents trying to get their unemployment benefits, making an already frustrating process even harder. Officials said scammers are somehow getting their hands on a list of people who have filed for benefits. They’re using that list to target residents who have already been hit hard by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Filing for unemployment has been a well-documented struggle for thousands of Michiganders. Help Me Hank has learned scammers are targeting those who have accounts locked and asking them to verify information over the phone.

Here’s what scammers are doing to target Michiganders filing for unemploymentPublished: June 19, 2020, 5:46 pmScammers are targeting thousands of Michigan residents trying to get their unemployment benefits, making an already frustrating process even harder.

LANSING, Mich. – Most of the state has reopened as the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) slows, but why are Michigan unemployment offices still closed? Secretary of State offices have reopened, but that’s not true for the Unemployment Insurance Agency. Residents are frustrated because they need answers and information from the UIA, but offices remain closed. With the website having issues and the phone system jammed, it seems like opening offices would help make the process smoother. Unemployment has become a hot button issue in Michigan, and the challenges have angered many residents.

Why are Michigan unemployment offices still closed? Published: June 18, 2020, 6:37 pmMost of the state has reopened as the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) slows, but why are Michigan unemployment offices still closed?

LANSING, Mich. – Lawmakers will have to figure out how to fix the Michigan unemployment system after hearing from frustrated residents about their struggles. Thousands of people are still struggling to file for unemployment in the state, and others are dealing with identity theft issues. On Thursday, lawmakers in Lansing got to hear about the challenges real Michiganders are facing. Now, massive identity theft dangers have hurt many trying to file. Lawmakers will now need to help the people who are still struggling to get their benefits and make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Lawmakers tasked with fixing Michigan unemployment problems after hearing from frustrated residentsPublished: June 18, 2020, 5:23 pmLawmakers will have to figure out how to fix the Michigan unemployment system after hearing from frustrated residents about their struggles.

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LANSING, Mich. Michiganders struggling to get their unemployment benefits told lawmakers how frustrating the system is Thursday. An estimated 1.5 million people applied for unemployment benefits across the United States last week. Applications peaked at about 7 million applications in March. In Michigan, many residents are still having problems getting their unemployment benefits, leading to Thursdays hearing. Lawmakers heard complaints from employers and employees, all frustrated with the unemployment system.

DETROIT – With the extra $600 in unemployment benefits during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis set to expire next month, will the weekly payment be extended or replaced by a new “back-to-work” bonus? President Donald Trump’s administration wants to replace the $600 unemployment payment with a new “back-to-work” bonus. What does this mean for Michigan residents collecting unemployment right now? Millions of Americans, and around 1.3 million Michiganders, are collecting unemployment right now. “The idea is to give a bonus to incentivize people to come off of unemployment and go back to work,” financial expert Kirk Cassidy said.

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – Michigan unemployment filers are fuming Monday after they showed up to an office that was supposed to be open and found it is still shut down. This is the latest bump in the road for Michiganders struggling to claim their unemployment benefits. Some drove a long distance, hoping to finally talk with a real person at the Michigan Unemployment Agency. Residents saw online that the office in Sterling Heights would be open Monday, and all day, a steady stream of people arrived and were disappointed to learn that wasn’t the case. PREVIOUSLY: Attorney threatens lawsuit over Michigan freezing unemployment paymentsThere is some good news on the unemployment front.

LANSING, Mich. A state representative wants Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to completely overhaul the states unemployment agency. Rep. Luke Meerman (R-88th District) wants the top boss of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency removed. He also wants technology upgraded. The call for change comes as thousands of Michiganders continue to have issues collecting unemployment benefits during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

DETROIT – Scammers targeting Michigan residents who have legitimately filed for unemployment are causing even more delays in the system as officials are forced to investigate. These scams are affecting thousands of Michiganders who have filed for unemployment, and many others who haven’t filed. READ: New problem keeps more Michigan residents from getting unemployment checksThe problem has gotten so serious that some people who have filed legitimately are having their accounts put on hold as the Unemployment Insurance Agency investigates. Scammers are also working to steal the identities of people who haven’t filed for unemployment. Our WDIV human resources team received letters that appeared to be from the unemployment agency about employees who never filed.

DETROIT – A new scam is impacting thousands who have filed for unemployment and even many who haven’t. The problem is so big that some residents who have filed legitimately are now having their accounts put on hold as the Unemployment Insurance Agency investigates. RELATED: New problem keeps more Michigan residents from getting unemployment checksFormer Lt. Governor Brian Calley and president of the Small Business Association of Michigan announce on Twitter that he was targeted by the scam. Several WDIV team members are now concerned their personal information is in the wrong hands.

New scam steals personal information to file false unemployment claimsPublished: May 29, 2020, 6:19 pmA new scam is impacting thousands who have filed for unemployment and even many who haven’t.

DETROIT – A new problem is keeping more Michigan residents from getting their unemployment checks, and this time, it has nothing to do with a computer glitch. Now, fraud concerns are keeping Michiganders from getting their badly needed benefits. Whitmer says everyone who qualifies for unemployment benefits will get themSandy Hurt, a woman who lives in Houston, started receiving benefits from Michigan that she said she never requested. A UIA spokesperson said the fraud threat is causing issues for some people who are still trying to file and collect unemployment claims. It’s an unfortunate snag affecting a Michigan unemployment system that’s already been riddled with problems.

New problem keeps more Michigan residents from getting unemployment checksPublished: May 27, 2020, 5:10 pmA new problem is keeping more Michigan residents from getting their unemployment checks, and this time, it has nothing to do with a computer glitch.

LANSING, Mich. – The director of Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency provided an update Wednesday on how close the state is to getting unemployment benefits to the many eligible Michiganders trying to navigate the system. Navigating Michigan’s unemployment system has been difficult for many, as 1.6 million eligible applicants have filed for benefits. Local 4 Consumer Investigator Hank Winchester has been digging into the problems with the system as Steve Gray, the head of the Unemployment Insurance Agency, testified. “It’s now become clearer than ever that it can be hard to get unemployment benefits.”While many looking for unemployment benefits have had trouble logging on or calling, this is viewed as an opportunity to look at the situation step by step. “On average, before this crisis, just 26% of unemployed workers in Michigan received unemployment benefits.”More than a million people are still trying to get benefits, and many have had problems.

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Unemployment Agency (UIA) announced Thursday that it has supplied $1.37 billion in benefits to 820,000 unemployed workers in the state amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. According to the agency, most workers who have not yet received their unemployment benefits will receive payments after certifying their claim two weeks after filing. Officials say 1,178,021 Michigan residents have filed for unemployment since March 15, with 134,119 of those claims filed just last week. Whitmer extends unemployment eligibility, cost-sharingTo assist Michigan residents who are financially impacted by the pandemic, the state has opened the unemployment application to self-employed and independent contractors. Michigan residents are encouraged to apply for unemployment benefits online here.

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.