(WXYZ) — Governor Whitmer has signed an expansion of unemployment benefits into law.
The new law appropriates $2.8 billion in funding from FEMA to cover the $300 per week in enhance federal payments for those in our state who are eligible for them as part of unemployment benefits. The money was made available to the state's through Executive Orders signed by President Donald Trump.
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According to the state, those eligible for the expanded unemployment do not need to take any action to receive it.
Under the bill signed by Governor Whitmer, the $300 extra in unemployment will continue until the federal funding provided to the state is exhausted. It is currently unclear when that would occur.
“This is good news for the thousands of Michiganders who are still without work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s still a short term band-aid that falls short of what’s needed,” said Governor Whitmer in a news release. “We need the president, Mitch McConnell, and Congress to put partisanship aside and pass a bipartisan recovery package that will help us save lives and get people back on their feet. Michigan families, frontline workers, and small business owners are counting on the federal government to do the right thing and work together on their behalf.”
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