New Bill Will Provide $300 Weekly To Unemployed Michiganders

MICHIGAN — Unemployed Michiganders will see an additional $300 per week after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday signed Senate Bill 745, which appropriates $2.8 billion in supplemental funding from FEMA to assist unemployed residents.

The additional $300 per week in unemployment benefits will continue until the federal emergency disaster relief funding has been exhausted, according to a news release. It is unknown how many weeks may be covered by existing funds.

“This is good news for the thousands of Michiganders who are still without work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s still a short term band aid that falls short of what’s needed,” Whitmer said in a statement. “We need the president, Mitch McConnell, and Congress to put partisanship aside and pass a bipartisan recovery package that will help us save lives and get people back on their feet. Michigan families, frontline workers, and small business owners are counting on the federal government to do the right thing and work together on their behalf.”

Eligible claimants do not have to take any action to receive the additional benefit amount provided by the program.

The bill also includes $8 million in funding to facilitate the further development of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Illinois, which will provide a critical barrier to prevent invasive carp from entering Lake Michigan. The bill provides match funding for disaster flood cleanup in Midland and Gladwin counties, as well as funding to cover costs for flood response and mitigation efforts in the city of Detroit.

“The crucial funding being sent to the Detroit supporting flood mitigation sets us on a path to save lives and protect our communities," said Representative Joe Tate, D-Detroit. "These funds will allow us to create long-term solutions to prevent flooding in our neighborhoods throughout the city. I was proud to advocate for this funding on behalf of Detroiters everywhere, and am grateful that Governor Whitmer made it official today."