State Rep. Bronna Kahle called on Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) to immediately help families across the state today at the State Capitol.

“Workers were told they were not allowed to work to put food on the table and pay their bills due to government’s response to COVID-19,” Kahle said. “The UIA has been unable to help tens of thousands of laid-off workers receive the unemployment benefits they deserve.”

The agency has had repeated problems with its online claim filing system. Phone calls from laid-off workers also have been dropped for no apparent reason.

Kahle, of Adrian, was joined by several other state representatives and workers from across Michigan.

“Families in Lenawee County and across the state have been hurt by UIA’s failures to deliver the benefits laid-off workers need and deserve,” Kahle said. “Countless workers have been waiting for weeks and weeks for the department to respond to their questions and process their claim. I am listening to the concerns of parents desperate to provide for their families, and I am standing with them to call for change.”