COVID-19 Vaccine Update

Dear Constituents,

The last year has placed a severe strain on our community’s financial, medical, and emotional security. With Michigan’s cold weather behind us and vaccines more widely accessible, it feels as though the end of COVID-19 is within reach. While we are nearing the final stretch, we must continue adhering to risk-minimizing precautions like mask-wearing and social distancing. In this newsletter, you will find details on recently approved budgets and resources that might help you or your neighbors get through these difficult times, including rental assistance programs, stimulus checks, unemployment insurance, and vaccines.

I am very grateful for the opportunity you all have given me to serve this district and our community. As always, my office is open, and I am available to answer any questions you may have in these uncertain times and beyond.


With gratitude,
Jeff Irwin
State Senator
18th District

Website: SenatorIrwin.com
Toll-free: (855) 347-8018
Email: SenJIrwin@senate.michigan.gov
To review newsletter in PDF click link

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RENTAL ASSISTANCE

he Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) is offering COVID Emergency Rental Assistance (CERA) for those in need, administered through a network of local nonprofit agencies. CERA provides rental and utility assistance to eligible renter households so they can retain their housing stability.

CERA can serve renter households that have incomes less than 80% of Area Median Income
(AMI) who meet the following conditions:

• Individual(s) in the household has qualified for unemployment benefits or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or has experienced other financial hardship due directly or indirectly to the coronavirus outbreak; and,

• Individual(s) in the household can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability evidenced by a past due utility or rent notice.

CERA rental assistance is based on household income. Qualified renters can receive up to 12 months of rental assistance, 3 months of which can be used for future rental assistance. Tenants may also apply for an additional 3 months of assistance, if necessary, for housing stability.

CERA can also provide utility assistance for qualified households for electricity, home heating (any type of fuel), water, sewer, and trash (if billed along with another utility). Utility payments are based on household size. Tenants with an AMI of less than 50% are also eligible for additional assistance. CERA also provides a flat $300 Internet stipend for those with home Internet paid to either the tenant or to their Internet service provider.

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COVID-19 VACCINE UPDATE

As of April 5, 2021, all Michiganders 16 and older are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC recommends that everyone who is eligible get vaccinated.

The FDA has authorized three COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use. These vaccines are:
• Pfizer-BioNTech
• Moderna
• Johnson & Johnson

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VACCINE FAQs

Will the COVID-19 vaccine help keep me from getting COVID-19?
Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at keeping you from getting COVID-19. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine will also help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19. Early data show the vaccines do help keep people with no symptoms from spreading COVID-19, but we are learning more as more people get vaccinated. Wearing masks and social distancing help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others, but these measures are not enough. Vaccines will work with your immune system, so it will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed. Stopping the pandemic requires using all the tools we have available.

What is the difference between an mRNA vaccine and an adenovirus vaccine?
COVID-19 vaccines help our bodies develop immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 without us having to get the illness. Different types of vaccines work in different ways to offer protection, but with all types of vaccines, the body is left with knowing how to fi ght the virus in the future. Neither vaccine uses a live virus. You cannot get COVID-19 from a COVID-19 vaccine.

• mRNA vaccines give instructions to your cells to make a harmless piece of spike protein from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Recognizing that the piece of protein doesn’t belong there, your immune system builds antibodies and activates T-cells to destroy it.

• Adenovirus vaccine is a type of vector vaccine. This vaccine uses adenovirus (the virus that causes the common cold) to deliver instructions about COVID-19 to your cells through a piece of spike protein. Your immune system then builds antibodies and activates T-cells to destroy it. Both types of vaccines teach your cells to remember how to destroy the protein in the future, protecting you from the virus.

Are the side effects different?
No matter what vaccine you get, it is normal to have mild side effects like fever, chills, fatigue, and headache, as well as pain and swelling in the arm where you received the vaccine. This is your immune system learning how to fi ght the virus, and indicates the vaccine is working.

Is one of the COVID-19 vaccines proven to be safer than the other?
All COVID-19 vaccines go through the same process to receive emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). There is no data to suggest one vaccine is safer than another. Currently, the CDC is not recommending for certain groups to receive one vaccine over another. The recommendation is to receive the vaccine that is currently available to you.

Do I have to pay for the vaccine?
No. You will not be charged any fees for the vaccine, regardless of whether you have health
insurance coverage or not. If you do have insurance coverage, the vaccine provider may charge
your insurance an administrative fee, but YOU will not have to pay anything. (If you are uninsured,
this fee will come from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Fund,
NOT you.)

What should I do if I miss my second dose of the Pfi zer or Moderna vaccine?
If an extraordinary event makes it impossible to get the second dose on time, it may be administered up to six weeks (42 days) after the fi rst dose. Beyond six weeks, there is limited data about how effective the vaccine will be but getting the second dose is still your best protection, so be sure to get it. If you think you will have to miss your appointment for your second dose, call to reschedule right away.

What can I do if I lose my COVID-19 vaccination record card, if it gets damaged, or if I did not receive one?
If you did not receive a COVID-19 vaccination record card, contact the facility where you were
vaccinated and request either a completed card or a print copy of it from the Michigan Care
Improvement Registry (MCIR). Both are offi cial vaccination records. One great suggestion is to
take a picture of your COVID-19 vaccination record card with your cell phone. This way you have
a record of it in case you lose the actual paper card. As an additional measure, you could laminate
your vaccination card to prevent damage.

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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Since the start of the legislative session in January, I have been focused on vaccine delivery, getting federal COVID-19 relief dollars through the budget process, and setting a policy agenda for this two-year session.

COVID-19 RELIEF
In December, Congress passed a COVID-19 relief package with funding to distribute vaccines, help schools re-open, prevent evictions, and support unemployed workers and small businesses. After more than two months of negotiation, the legislature passed a supplemental budget that authorized the state to spend a little over half of this money. As of the time I write this update, there are still more than $2 billion in unallocated federal relief dollars and I am working to pass budgets to allocate the balance of the federal relief.

In addition to fighting for rental assistance dollars (information on how to apply is included in this newsletter), and to ensure our schools get the resources they need, I am working on several important human service improvements including:

1. Expanding eligibility for child care support from 150% to 200% of the poverty line and increasing reimbursements to providers by 10%.
2. Enhancing wages for direct-care workers who assist our senior and disabled residents at home and in congregate care.
3. Investing in mental health care for the uninsured and insured through Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers. At the time of publication of this newsletter, work on the upcoming fiscal year’s state budget is ongoing. For the latest information, please visit my website, SenatorIrwin.com, where you can also sign up for my e-newsletter, or follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

POLICY INITIATIVES
While the budget and COVID-19 relief dominate the agenda, I am also proposing policy changes
that look forward, including:

1. Improving literacy with a greater focus on supporting students who exhibit
   characteristics of dyslexia.
2. Keeping kids in school by requiring due process and continuing education
   for students facing suspension or expulsion.
3. Enhancing police training and requiring independent investigations of
   misconduct or excessive force.
4. Fighting litter by restoring local governments’ authority to regulate plastic bags.
5. Allowing local governments to ban fi rearms in their city, county, or township halls.
6. Saving money and protecting our climate by financing energy efficient projects.

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LETTER OF OVERPAYMENT

If you received a “Weeks of Overpayment” letter and believe that you were eligible for benefits, you should file a protest immediately. In the letter, there are instructions on how to protest the overpayment and the date the protest needs to be submitted to be timely. During the protest period, the restitution account does not go active. If the claimant does not protest, the account will go active (after the protest period) and the claimant will start receiving letters informing them how to pay the money back.

To file a protest, go to your MIWAM account:

1. Click on the Claim ID of the involved benefit year to view the details.
2. Next, click on “Determination Status” and then select either “File a protest” or “File appeal” for the issue you wish to protest.
3. Complete all the required fields and use the “Add” feature to include any documentation or evidence you would like to include with your protest.

Financial Hardship Waiver
If a claimant’s appeal to the “Letter of Overpayment” is denied and they are unable to repay
the funds, financial hardships waivers are available online at Michigan.gov/UIA.

ELIGIBILITY REVIEW QUESTIONNAIRE

By now, you have likely received an Eligibility Review Questionnaire from the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA). The questionnaire impacts your eligibility, and you could unintentionally lose benefits.

The questionnaire is filled out via MiWAM or by calling MARVIN. The questions asked are listed below, and we have noted how the questions should be answered to continue receiving benefits. Many claimants mistakenly answer the questions wrong and end up ineligible and, worse, have received letters of overpayment instructing them to pay back benefits they have already received. The questions should be answered in consideration of obstacles created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A good example of how a claimant could interpret this question and answer incorrectly would be a claimant who has children home from school and answered YES to the second question. They should have answered it as “if not for COVID,” in which case their answer would have been NO. Under normal circumstances, their children would be at school, therefore not presenting childcare issues.

WE ARE HERE TO HELP!

If you or someone you know needs assistance navigating issues with unemployment,
they should contact our office by calling (517) 373-2406 or filling out our online form at
SenatorIrwin.com/unemployment.

What to do if someone files a fraudulent claim in your name
Report the fraud to the State of Michigan by doing any of the following:

1. Report fraud online at Michigan.gov/UIA and select either “Report Fraud”
   or “Report Identity Theft” or call the UIA Customer Service Hotline at (866) 500-0017.
2. Complete the Statement of Identity Theft (Form 6349) found on the UIA website.
3. Submit the form by:
   • Uploading it to your MiWAM account by clicking on “Send Unemployment a Message”
   • Mail it to: Unemployment Insurance Agency, PO Box 169, Grand Rapids, MI 49501
   • Fax it to (517) 636-0427

If you already filed the report on the UIA website or submitted it by mail and you are indeed a victim of a fraudulent claim, you can disregard additional letters including penalty letters you may be receiving. UIA advised my office that those are automatically generated letters and will not be acted upon until a full review of the case has been completed. Unfortunately, due to the backlog of fraudulent cases, it will take some time before each case is reviewed. Upon resolution, victims will receive a null-and-void determination letter at their current address provided in the report they submitted.

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STIMULUS CHECK UPDATE

Following President Biden’s signing of the American Rescue Plan in March, the new $1,400 Economic Impact (Stimulus) Payments have started to be distributed through direct deposit. Many of you have likely already received this payment. Additionally, it is worth noting adult dependents ARE included in this disbursal and will receive the full $1,400 through their parent or guardian. Dependent eligibility is based on the income of their parent or guardian, NOT the income of the dependent.

If you still have not received either the first and/or second round of Economic Impact Payments from 2020 or received less than the full amount and were eligible, you can file a Recovery Rebate Credit with your 2020 taxes to receive those stimulus payments. Eligibility will be determined based on 2020 income. If you missed this opportunity you will need to file an amendment on your return.

You may also qualify for this credit if you were not originally eligible for stimulus payments, but your economic situation has since changed. Situations in which you may now qualify include:

• Income change from 2019 to 2020
• Birth or adoption of a qualifying child in 2020
• No longer a dependent
• Received a Social Security number in 2020

You can find more information about how to file for the Recovery Rebate Credit online at IRS.gov.

If you didn’t claim the credit on your original tax return, you will need to fi le an Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, Form 1040-X. The IRS will not calculate the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit for you if you did not enter any amount on your original tax return. You can download and print the 1040x form from the IRS.gov website.

If you need to file an amended return to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit, use the worksheet on page 59 of the 2020 instructions for Form 1040 and 1040-SR to determine the amount of your credit. Enter the amount on the Refundable Credits section of the 1040-X and include “Recovery Rebate Credit” in the Explanation of Changes section.

If you filed your 2020 return electronically and need to file an amended return, you may be able to file Form 1040-X electronically.

If you did not file your 2020 return electronically, you will need to submit a paper version of the Form 1040-X and should follow the instructions for preparing and mailing the paper form. Those fi ling their Form 1040-X electronically or on paper can use the “Where’s My Amended Return?” online tool to check the status of their amended return online at IRS.gov.

If you need additional help navigating how to get your payments, please contact my office