Shelby Review

A large number of metro Detroit families are still awaiting clearance of unemployment claims, putting the pressure on their state government to provide relief.

Since the governor ordered businesses to close on March 23, many families have gone without checks since that time.

“People are counting on their government to follow through with promised resources so that they can feed their families,” State Rep. Diana Farrington (R-Utica) said in a Michigan House Republicans column. 

Based on a recent Glengariff Group survey based in Michigan, 54 percent of people furloughed or laid off fear they won’t be able to afford to put food on the table during this time, according to Michigan House Republicans.

Farrington said her office is receiving an unprecedented number of calls and emails about family members in the health care profession without proper protective equipment, being forced to return to work in unsafe environments and rules causing financial strain.

“Neither of those issues compare to the pure volume of calls and emails my office has received about an issue that state government has full control of -- our unemployment system,” Farrington wrote in her column. “It’s a plea for the state government to get their act together and process unemployment claims for the many families that are hurting.”

In the Glengariff Group survey, 52 percent of people who have filed for unemployment feel they have been unsuccessful in filing or are unsure if they filed correctly. 

Farrington said she has seen three primary complaints: approved claims where the recipient hasn’t yet received any money; status pending notices being sent to claimants with no ability to figure out what the problem is; people unable to access their Michigan Web Account Manager account.

“These problems are unacceptable,” Farrington said. “While the governor previously blamed the legislature for underfunding the unemployment office, her budget in this area was approved at the level she requested. We all understand that the level of new claims are unprecedented, but whether it’s staffing resources, technology improvements or process changes, the time for excuses is over.”