Section 62
RESTITUTION, Waiver of restitution, Administrative clerical error
CITE AS: Burch v Chapel Hill Cemetery Dev., No. 88-61881-AE, Ingham Circuit Court (November 26, 1990).
Appeal pending: No
Claimant: Ronald Burch
Employer: Chapel Hill Cemetery Dev.
Docket No: B87 10225 106685W
CIRCUIT COURT HOLDING: When a claimant knew or should have known he was not entitled to the benefits he was receiving the claimant cannot claim administrative clerical error as a basis for restitution waiver.
FACTS: The claimant had been issued a determination which indicated he was entitled to 26 weeks of unemployment benefits. Because of a computer error, the claimant received 45 weeks of benefits. When the Commission discovered claimant had received an additional 19 weeks worth of benefits it sought restitution. The claimant asserted he should be exempt from the restitution requirement because he had received the additional benefits as the result of an administrative clerical error.
DECISION: The claimant was required to make restitution.
RATIONALE: Section 62(a) of the MES Act provides that the Commission may waive restitution. As one of its internal guidelines the Commission provides that it will waive restitution for payment resulting from an administrative clerical error.
While in the instant matter a clerical error had been made it was found that the claimant had actual knowledge he was only supposed to receive 26 weeks of benefits and therefore could not claim to be exempt from the restitution requirement for the remaining 19 weeks.
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