LANSING, MI (WTVB) – Branch County residents are among the 48,000 Michiganders seeing an increase in their unemployment benefits this week, as the Michigan Department of Labor begins distributing $34 million in back payments to qualifying unemployment insurance claimants.
The initiative comes after significant changes to the state’s unemployment laws aimed at increasing benefits for Michigan residents.
This is all the result of the legislation signed by Governor Whitmer in December that increased the maximum weekly benefit up to $446 from $362.
The adjustments also increased the maximum number of weeks of eligibility from 20 weeks to 26 weeks and raised the amount claimants can receive per dependent from $6 to $12.66.
Qualifying claimants who applied for unemployment benefits between January 1 and April 1 should receive a Monetary Return Determination letter in their unemployment accounts and through the U.S. mail system.



This is SO wrong!!!! Why do people who signed up in late 2024 NOT get the increase ALSO???? If they were still laid off on January 1st, they should receive it ALSO!!! So you get penalized because you were laid off in November or December!!
SO STUPID!