Frustrations mount as Michigan unemployement agency faces more delays, issues

Source: WDIV
Author: Rod Meloni

DETROIT - We've long heard the horror stories about Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA). During the pandemic in particular, people couldn't even get anyone to help with benefits, and yet the agency handed out millions of dollars to people either ineligible or in prison.

Roughly a quarter of a billion dollars were improperly disbursed while others couldn't get their money -- that's what an audit found regarding the UIA between 2020 and 2022.

Jason Cain is a dog lover and veteran white-collar auto industry graphic designer. When Ford pink-slipped him last June with three months severance, he thought he'd see his unemployment start in October.

"My expectation would be right about three weeks to receive that first check," Cain said. "We'd have to go through and register, which I did, and submitting the necessary paperwork."

The checks never showed. Now, you'll recall, just weeks before, the UAW started its stand-up national contract strike, sending a lot of out-of-work union members looking for their unemployment benefits. Cain had no idea UIA couldn't tell the difference between him and a union auto worker, but the UIA told him he needed to wait for his benefits because the agency was swamped again. Cain spent three months looking for work and his checks, which never came -- $4,000 worth -- he had earmarked for mortgage payments.

"After three months, I just kept seeing my savings dwindle and dwindle and dwindle," Cain recalled.

He spoke with colleagues also awaiting their checks, some with bill collectors ready to foreclose, so he made a third personal visit to the UIA in December.

"My frustration level is probably at a 12 out of 10 because I understand I'm caught up in this, I understand that things happen, but you have to be able to tell somebody within a reasonable amount of time," Cain said. "And it became really frustrating because it was the holidays."

Local 4 reached out to the UIA, who released the following statement:

"While changing economic situations and seasonal factors have an impact on the number of claims filed, UIA takes these factors into consideration, adjusts accordingly, and works diligently on all claims filed by Michigan workers to make determinations in a timely manner. Both workers and employers have rights to appeal and protest UIA determinations, which also may affect how quickly claims issues are resolved."