LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) — Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency said all eligible unpaid unemployment claims filed before May 1 will have a determination by July 4.
The UIA said for the 11,824 workers who applied before May 1 and are still waiting for a decision on eligibility, the agency will pay out benefits, determine the claimant is ineligible and communicate why or deem the claimant unreachable after multiple attempts to make contact.
The UIA says it's aiming to clear its backlog. Unpaid claims filed before May 1 represent 0.5 percent of all claims.
“Our goal is to have every unemployment claim filed before May 1st resolved by the end of next week,” UIA Director Steve Gray said.
“While most of our eligible workers have been paid, the unprecedented number of claims during this crisis means that there are still tens of thousands of real Michiganders needing one-on-one review to pay benefits.
"We know COVID-19 continues to cause fear and frustration for these families, and we are working work around the clock and enhance our resources to quickly eliminate the remaining backlog and get every worker the emergency financial assistance they’re entitled to.”
Since March 15, the UIA says 2.2 million eligible claimants have applied for state and federal benefits, with over $14.3 billion in benefits paid to over 2 million workers. Of the eligible claimants, 94.5% have received or are approved for benefits.
Of the remaining unpaid claimants, most are flagged for potential impostor fraud. Currently, 90,000 unpaid claims are flagged as potentially fraudulent, while 33,000 unpaid claims are held pending adjudication for other reasons.
The agency will soon announce a target date to make a determination on claims filed after May 1st.