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.

DETROIT – Thousands of Michiganders are still struggling to get unemployment benefits in the state. The progress and upgrades to the Unemployment Insurance Agency’s computer and phone systems has helped many but unemployment offices remain closed. The issues with Michigan’s unemployment system include phone issues, websites crashing, identity theft and even accusations of wrong doing by some new hires on the inside. Part of its reopening plan includes adding new safety partitions to the UIA offices, allowing for customers to be on one side, staff on the other keeping both sides as safe as possible. Additionally, the UIA claims it is currently developing an online scheduling system that will also include one-on-one meetings over the internet.

DETROIT – Michigan unemployment officials said the $600 coronavirus (COVID-19) unemployment bonus will end this weekend. The Unemployment Insurance Agency announced Friday that the additional $600 weekly unemployment bonus offered to workers during the COVID-19 pandemic will expire Saturday, barring congressional action. States don’t have the ability to extend the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program and it’s unclear if federal officials plan to extend, reduce or eliminate the payments, according to Michigan officials. The extra $600 bonus has been paid to eligible residents since the beginning of April. Unemployment officials said they have made determinations on all currently eligible claims filed before June 1.