LANSING, Mich. (WWJ) – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed a bill into law that amends the Michigan Employment Security Act, which is expected to pave a path for part-time workers to keep unemployment aid received during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The law allows certain unemployed workers eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) to receive benefits even though they were available only for part-time work. Previously, PUA claimants were required to be “able and available” for full-time work.
The law signed Monday, which was introduced by Sen. Jeff Irwin of Ann Arbor, would get rid of the “able and available” rule for any claims filed between March 1, 2020 and September 2021.
Previously, there had been doubt about eligibility of claimants who had marked they were not able and available for full-time work due to pandemic restrictions and whether they’d have to pay back what money they received.
“I’ve always said that Michiganders should not be penalized for doing what was right at the time they applied for federal pandemic benefits,” Whitmer said in a press release. “The changes in this legislation will streamline our unemployment system and provide relief to Michiganders who needed these federal benefits to pay their bills, keep food on the table, and continue supporting small businesses.”
Julia Dale, the new director of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, said the PUA was important because it helped certain workers “qualify for benefits that helped them stay caught up with their bills.”
Senate Bill 445 passed the Michigan Senate unanimously and the Michigan House by a 101-3 vote.
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