State Rep. Jack O’Malley today welcomed state Unemployment Insurance Agency Director Steve Gray to a hearing of the Joint Select Committee on the COVID-19 Pandemic, while calling into question Michigan’s emergency preparedness as people remain without needed unemployment benefits.

“Michigan’s emergency management and how they prepare the state for issues like this has been poor,” said O’Malley, of Lake Ann. “I have hundreds of people who have asked me what I can do to help them through my role as their representative and my answer has been that I’ll send an email on their behalf. That doesn’t really ring their chimes. People have been put out of work through the governor’s executive orders and they are facing tough times financially. They need help, and UIA needs to deliver that help and get these claims over the finish line.”

Gray was last before the select committee on May 13, when he disclosed that 134,000 people had not received any payments for their claims. Last week, UIA announced that number was sitting at 137,000, taking into account claims that had been fulfilled since the last reported number as well as new claims that entered the system.

O’Malley recently supported an ongoing effort to reopen regional UIA branches where it can be done safely and sensibly – similar to Secretary of State offices opening by appointment beginning June 1 – to streamline efforts to get claims resolved.

“There may be some issues that have to be worked through in terms of getting these facilities opened safely where workers are protected, but perception is reality,” O’Malley said. “People are frustrated and they want to see a good-faith effort to get a problem resolved. Opening a few of these regional branches would allow people to actually have the ability to meet face-to-face with someone to resolve their issue. That would provide an additional layer of customer service and an improved perception of an outfit doing its level best for people.

“I know this has been hell for our state’s UIA. They were hit with a massive onslaught of claims. But I don’t see why a Secretary of State branch can operate on an appointment-only basis and a UIA branch can’t. That doesn’t make sense to me.”

O’Malley also shared concerns with a recently deployed critical response process – created to coordinate the agency with legislators who have heard from constituents.

“That takes over four weeks to get looked at once someone’s information has been entered into the system. Meanwhile, bills are piling up for people and they are struggling to put food on the table,” O’Malley said. “There hasn’t been good communication to resolve issues – and it’s hurting people throughout the state who are depending on the administration and the agency to get this right.”

Updated information from the agency shared last week revealed the total amount of unemployment claims statewide since mid-March has surpassed 2.3 million.