At the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA), we know how important unemployment benefits are to the families who rely on them. We also know how difficult it is when someone is told they must repay benefits they should not have received.

Let me explain why some claimants have recently been reminded of overpayments and are being asked to repay them.

First, it is not unusual for UIA to collect overpayments. We do it all the time, supported by state law and federal rules that require us to get the money back. Indeed, a principle of unemployment insurance is balancing timely payments to people in need with maintaining program integrity.

What is unusual about today is that UIA has been unable to recoup overpayments for more than three years. That’s because UIA was part of a 2022 lawsu

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