During the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of thousands of Michigan workers turned to unemployment benefits to survive. Now, years later, over 350,000 of those same people are being told they must repay money they relied on—sometimes tens of thousands of dollars—through no fault of their own.

Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) has resumed collections on $2.7 billion in alleged overpayments from 2020–2021. But these weren’t acts of fraud. These were hard-working people—many of them frontline workers—who applied for help in good faith during a global crisis, only to be told years later that they “shouldn’t” have qualified due to paperwork issues or government errors.

SB 700, introduced by State Senator Darrin Camilleri, would put an end to this cruelty. It would stop the UIA from going after funds more than three years old and classify pandemic-era overpayments as agency errors—exactly what they were. The bill already has bipartisan support and endorsements from labor unions, public policy advocates, and workers across Michigan.

No one should be punished for surviving. For many, these repayment notices have triggered debt, stress, and even the risk of losing their homes. People made decisions—paid rent, bought groceries, kept their families afloat—based on the belief that the aid they received was legitimate.

This is about fairness, accountability, and human dignity. If our state’s systems failed to get it right during a once-in-a-century crisis, the people should not be the ones to bear the cost.

We call on the Michigan Legislature—including the Republican-led House—and Governor Gretchen Whitmer to swiftly pass and sign SB 700 into law. Protect Michigan families from unjust repayments. It's time to fix the UIA’s mistake—not punish those who did everything right.

Photo: Jake May|MLive