(WXYZ) — Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency says they have started processing payments for the Lost Wages Assistance for eligible Michiganders affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Lost Wages Assistance program provides $300 per week in supplemental unemployment benefits by using funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The funds were provided under an Executive Order by President Donald Trump and their payment in Michigan was authorized under a bill signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Officials say those who are eligible to receive the payments will begin receiving them over the next week to 10 days, due to the large volume.
“Initially, eligible claimants will receive LWA for the benefit weeks ending Aug. 1, Aug. 8 and Aug. 15, 2020,” said UIA Director Steve Gray in a news release, “An estimated 910,000 claimants will receive these much-needed additional benefits.”
To be eligible, your weekly benefit amount must be at least $100 before deductions. You do not have to file a separate claim. However, you must self-certify that you are unemployed due to COVID-19. If you have already self-certified this, no further action is needed to qualify. Anyone already receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance has already completed this step.
If you need to self-certify, you will receive a notification in your MIWAM account starting this week.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Michigan, a timeline of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Southeast Michigan, and links to more information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and the WHO.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
Visit our The Rebound Detroit, a place where we are working to help people impacted financially from the coronavirus. We have all the information on everything available to help you through this crisis and how to access it.