GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The last couple of years for Marie Hosep have been a financial mess.
"I am not a crier, but I cried when I got the letter that said I didn't owe the money anymore,” said Hosep.
Two years ago, she told 13 ON YOUR SIDE about how she received pandemic-related unemployment benefits from the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, or UIA.
“I left my job right at the start of the pandemic because they weren't following COVID procedures at all and my partner at the time was immunocompromised. I didn't think I qualified for unemployment, but they did end up giving it to me, and then I was able to pay my rent. It was great,” said Hosep.
All things were great for her until she received a letter saying she had to pay up to $6,000 back.
She wasn’t alone. Hundreds of other people who received the same benefits were told they had to pay back thousands of dollars.
Even though she appealed it multiple times, the state kept taking money away from her until there was none left.
“I put in a financial hardship waiver, after they took all of my money and my bank account was empty. They said, 'Whoa, you don't have money. I guess we'll let go of the rest,'” said Hosep.
While the agency did stop taking her money, she did not get any of it back. Now, she's joined a lawsuit settlement in hopes of doing so.
If you have a similar story, you may be able to join.
A lawsuit settlement has been reached, requiring the UIA to pay back $55 million to workers who were asked to pay back their benefits.
The UIA says that if you believe you qualify for the settlement, you can:
1. Go to the Claimant Homepage at Michigan.gov/UIA for access to information about the settlement, deadlines, court documents, and more.
2. Call the Settlement Administrator at 1-866-499-4565 or email info@bwclassactions.com.
3. Watch for an email from UIA titled “Saunders v. UIA improper collections settlement alert” sent to those who may qualify for restitution.
4. Log-in to Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) regularly to see if you've received a web message with the title “Saunders v. UIA Improper Collections Alert” letting you know you may qualify to be part of the settlement.
5. Resolve problems with MiLOGIN or MiWAM passwords by calling UIA Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017 and select 7 for Account Access when prompted.
Hosep says she hopes this will help her and others get the money she says they deserve.
The deadline to file a claim, object to the settlement or opt out is November 4, 2024. A final approval hearing is scheduled for March 20, 2025.
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