DETROIT, Mich. — Another lawsuit against the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency will move forward.
Judge Cynthia Stephens’ ruled that the Michigan Court of Claims will hear the tentative class action suit in Bauserman v. Michigan UIA. The plaintiffs accuse the state of intercepting tax refunds and garnishing wages without due process after accusing people of unemployment fraud. The plaintiffs also accuse the agency of violating federal law by failing to give claimants the legally prescribed time to respond to fact-finding forms.
The state Attorney General filed to dismiss the case, claiming state courts have no jurisdiction to hear the case and that no harm has been done.
A separate lawsuit is also moving forward in federal court. The AG had also filed to dismiss that suit, but that motion was also denied.
The unemployment agency said its hosting informational seminars.
Participants will have the opportunity to learn some of the ins and outs of the claims process, how to use MiWAM, the UIA’s system for managing benefit accounts online, and much more. The first seminar will be held May 23 in Ann Arbor, with others scheduled through August from Detroit to Marquette.
