Next week, modifications to Michigan’s unemployment insurance law will take effect.
Residents in Michigan are eligible to receive unemployment benefits for a longer period of time, and the adjustments may result in an increase in the benefit amount.
Director of the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Susan Corbin stated, “Increasing unemployment benefits isn’t just about helping workers in difficult times — it’s about building a stronger, more resilient economy where every Michigander has the stability to recover, grow, and thrive.” “Improving these benefits is a positive step toward assisting individuals dealing with an unexpected loss of employment in getting back on their feet and receiving financial assistance while they look for new work.”
What to anticipate when the modifications go into force on Wednesday, April 2, 2025:
Number of weeks to collect benefits extended
The maximum number of weeks that benefits can be collected will increase from 20 to 26.
The minimum number of weeks a Michigander can be eligible to collect benefits will remain at 14 weeks.
Increased benefits
The maximum benefit amount will increase in phases over the next three years.
This will bring the maximum weekly benefit from $362 to $446 in 2025, $530 in 2026 and $614 in 2027.
Then in 2028, the treasurer will determine a new amount based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index.
This weekly benefit increase is the first since it was increased to $362 in 2002, according to the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Opportunity.
There was an increase in the amount per dependent.
The amount per dependent will more than double in addition to the weekly maximum benefit amount.
The price will rise from $6 to $12.66 in 2025, $19.33 in 2026, and $26 in 2027.
Up to five dependents are allowed for each individual.
Will the quantity of benefits for everyone change?
The agency states that these modifications will not result in higher benefits for all claimants. A person’s benefit amount is determined by how much they made in wages during the benefit year.
What would happen if I submitted a claim prior to April 2, 2025?
The higher compensation may be available to persons who have filed claims since January 1, 2025, even though the law takes effect on April 2.
According to a statement from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, “Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the changes to unemployment law in December, but the Legislature did not give immediate effect to the legislation, meaning the earliest the changes could be implemented is April 2.”
However, the law stipulated that residents would begin to receive the higher benefits on January 1, 2025.
In order to ascertain which individuals who applied for unemployment benefits between January 1 and April 2 are eligible for the higher benefit and dependent amounts, the Unemployment Insurance Agency will examine open applications on a “case-by-case basis.”
If so, the difference will be reimbursed to the claimant. Benefit weeks for people who have previously submitted claims won’t alter because the new 26-week maximum only applies to claims submitted on or after April 2.
