The Whitmer administration’s failure to resolve the ongoing problems with unemployment payments for over four months now is hurting Michigan families across our state.
July 15, 2020
Unemployment Payment Problems Drag-On As Gov. Whitmer’s Admin Avoids Questions On When Issues Will Be Resolved
Nearly four months after Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency offices closed and the state’s unemployment rate skyrocketed, many Michiganders are still wondering when they will receive their unemployment checks or be able to resolve problems with the state’s system.
WOOD TV 8 reported Monday that “some unemployment disputes drag on.”
“Calling the UIA is her only option to resolve the problem because of an error in the login associated with their online account. I just get automated messages saying, ‘Please call back, we have a high call volume right now,’ or ‘I’m sorry you’ll have to do it through the website,’” Simons told News 8. “It is frustrating.”
WILX TV 10 reports: “It’s been a frustrating few months for a lot of people trying to collect their unemployment benefits.”
“It’s been a difficult process trying to work through the online system and run into errors and not be able to get technical support,” he said.
Jesse Knapp has tried visiting the office to figure out why he hasn’t been getting paid in the last 16 weeks.
“It’s very frustrating, I’ve got three children to take care of, me and my wife,” Knapp said. “I got bills to pay, I got car insurance, I got rent.” The Unemployment Insurance Agency denied News 10’s request for an interview.
A mechanic from Detroit told USA Today of his struggles with Michigan’s online system and the lack of availability to talk to someone on the phone.
“Hardworking people are being put through the wringer. We’re struggling, and there are no answers… My family is looking to me as the provider. Sometimes I hide in the bathroom and cry.”
Michiganders should receive the unemployment benefits they are owed and all resources at the UIA should be directed to resolving those claims immediately. The Whitmer administration’s failure to resolve the ongoing problems with unemployment payments for over four months now is hurting Michigan families across our state. – Tori Sachs, executive director of Michigan Rising Action.