Michigan Unemployed Closer to Retroactive $300 payments

Today Michigan’s Governor Whitmer signed a senate bill which calls out $300 payments from FEMA funds to be dispensed to unemployed Michiganders. These payments are retroactive to August 1, 2020 meaning if you had or have an open unemployment claim since August 1, or before you will eventually get back-payments or some sort of lump sum from August through whenever they actually pay unemployed in Michigan the weekly bonus.

The bill calls out for $935 million to cover the first three weeks of funding which took place in August. The additional $2.8 billion would cover enough funding to get through the end of September, assuming federal funds don’t run out by then. Which means that come October 1, 2020 this fire drill may need to happen all over again, unless the United States Congress and Senate can get an agreement on how to actually pass a bill to protect the 15 million or so unemployed since COVID19 ravaged businesses across the country.

Currently there is not an official payment date pending from the state, however some other states have already figured out how to pay their unemployed this FEMA / Presidential Executive Order bonus payment. The Detroit Free Press is under the impression that payments could happen as soon as this coming week September 14th.

At least 910,000 Michiganders are affected by this new pending law for $300 bonus payments to unemployment. This would include those covered by the PUA (freelancers, and gig workers) who traditionally are not covered by traditional unemployment insurance claims.

Given that the funds may run out practically before they are even paid, would lead us to say, if you are finding yourself looking at a lump sum bonus of say $2,100 and have already otherwise covered your bills, treat this as a gift. Don’t buy dumb stuff, stock up on necessities like pantry food staples that can get you through a possible second wave of COVID-19 in the fall and winter if this pandemic gets worse.

1-14-21 update – per the December 2020 government funding bill the update you are looking for is here.