GENESEE CO. -- The following is a message from State Senator Deb Cherry (D-Burton) :
State Senator Deb Cherry announced today that the Michigan Department of Human Services is offering assistance to families who have exhausted their unemployment benefits. Earlier this month, Senator Cherry called on Republicans in the United States Congress to pass federal legislation to extend emergency unemployment benefits to help more than 408,000 unemployed workers in Michigan, including 87,000 people whose benefits ran out in early July.
“We have tens of thousands of Michigan residents who have no idea how they’ll be able to provide for their families now that their benefits have run out, and we need to stop the partisanship at both the state and federal level and come together to help people adversely affected by the recession,” said Senator Deb Cherry. “We need to rally in order to weather this crisis, and make sure that unemployed residents know they are not alone and that people are ready to help.”
Senator Cherry cosponsored a resolution introduced earlier this month urging Republicans in Congress to pass an extension of unemployment benefits. Michigan Senate Republicans failed to take up the resolution and send a message to their counterparts in Washington that Michigan workers need help, postponing a vote on the resolution for the day before going on a two week vacation.
Senator Cherry has been very active in the State Senate in calling for legislation to help Michigan’s unemployed workers, including extending benefits for workers who enroll in state-approved training programs. She has also continued to advocate for the passage of the “Hire Michigan First” legislation that would place a hiring preference on Michigan workers on any state-funded projects.
Senator Cherry is working to inform unemployed residents and their families on what help is available through the Michigan Department of Human Services and other state programs. Anyone who receives unemployment benefit payments and has not applied for food assistance or emergency energy assistance can do so by visiting www.michigan.gov/mibridges. A Medicaid application can be downloaded at http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dhs/DHS_Information_Booklet_and_Assistance_Application_242170_7.pdf, filled out and mailed to a local Department of Human Services office. Workers who currently receive food assistance and who lose unemployment benefits may qualify for additional food assistance because of an income change.
Unemployed workers who are now collecting unemployed benefits can find out how many weeks they have remaining on their claim by calling MARVIN at 866-638-3993 and selecting Option 2. Those with online web accounts with the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) can check their “Benefits Payment History” for information about their remaining benefits. Additional resources are also available on the Helping Hand portal at www.michigan.gov/helpinghand or by calling 2-1-1. Areas not served by 2-1-1 may call 800-552-1183.
The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) is also working to help struggling families by offering assistance to more than 17,000 Michigan homeowners facing foreclosure, including 11,000 households who are currently drawing unemployment. President Barack Obama approved $1.5 billion for funding to help families in states that were hit the hardest by the aftermath of the housing bubble. MSHDA will receive $154.5 million from the federal Hardest-Hit Fund and is one of five states that qualify for this money. The Hardest Hit plan aims to help homeowners pay their mortgage if they are currently receiving unemployment compensation or to provide rescue funds for people who have fallen behind on their mortgage. Homeowners must apply through their mortgage loan office; MSHDA does not accept applications directly from the homeowner. A list of participating servicers along with some Frequently Asked Questions on the program are available at www.michigan.gov/HardestHit.
Additional information is on the UIA website at www.michigan.gov/uia. The agency has also established a toll-free telephone number (866-MI-HELPS) for people to call for pre-recorded information about the federal extension of unemployment benefits.
