UIA Update: Michigan begins PUA and PEUC unemployment payments

The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency has continued its phased approach of implementing the recently extended federal unemployment benefit programs. Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claimants who had benefit weeks remaining on their claim as of Dec. 26, 2020, can now begin certifying their claims through their MiWAM accounts. Federal unemployment insurance (UI) programs created by the CARES Act were interrupted at the end of the year.
Beginning this week (Jan. 17), claimants in the following categories can certify, and if eligible, payment will be issued:
• Claimants who did not exhaust their original 13 weeks of PEUC will be able to claim the balance of remaining weeks beginning with the week ending Jan. 2, 2021. Payments will include the additional $300 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) benefit.
• Claimants who did not exhaust their original 39 weeks of PUA will be able to claim the balance of remaining weeks beginning with the week ending Jan. 2, 2021. Payments will include the additional $300 FPUC.
The UIA is still in the process of programming new system changes necessary to begin additional payments under the Continuing Assistance Act (CAA) for PEUC and PUA claimants who have exhausted their benefit allowance on or before Dec. 26, 2020. The target date to complete these changes for the remaining PEUC and PUA claimants is Jan. 30, 2021.
The CAA allows PEUC and PUA claimants an additional 11 weeks of benefits payable for the week ending Jan. 2 through March 13, 2021. The target date to complete the changes necessary to implement the additional 11 weeks on all PEUC and PUA claims is Jan. 30, 2021.
Claimants on regular state UI and Extended Benefits programs did not experience a lapse in benefits and began receiving FPUC payments on Jan. 10.
“We’re continuing to work towards implementing the remaining provisions of these federal programs as quickly as possible,” said UIA Acting Director Liza Estlund Olson. “Even though we were among some of the first states to begin issuing the additional $300 payments, we won’t rest until everyone who is eligible is able to certify for benefits.”
Claimants should continue to monitor their MiWAM accounts and www.michigan.gov/UIA for more updates.