Claimants can access UIA's online resources on MLK holiday Jan. 20

The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) and all state offices will be closed on the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but claimants can still go online to certify their work searches and access a wide variety of helpful resources.

Workers can use their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) account to certify their job searches on Monday, Jan. 20. MiWAM is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even on state holidays. Log in at Michigan.gov/UIA.

Certification by calling the Michigan Automated Voice Interactive Network (MARVIN) will not be available on MLK Day. MARVIN will be available again on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Every two weeks, claimants must report their job status and whether they meet work eligibility requirements to be able to collect benefits.

Claimants should keep in mind that with the state holiday closure there may be a slight delay in unemployment benefits being deposited into bank accounts or added to U.S. Bank debit cards.

The UIA’s 12 Local Offices, Customer Service hotline at 1-866-500-0017, and the Office of Employer Ombudsman phone line at 1-855-484-2636, Option 4, will be available again to serve Michigan residents and employers beginning Tuesday, Jan. 21.

Available to workers at any time on any day are these online resources:

• The UIA Claimant Roadmap, a six-step, user-friendly guide to applying for and understanding benefits. It can be found at Michigan.gov/UIAClaimantRoadmap.
• Online Coaching Sessions, which are web-based group sessions led by UIA staff on topics such as filing a first-time claim, understanding a Monetary Determination letter, the protest and appeals process, and seeking work and registration requirements. The First-time Filer Coaching Session is also available in Spanish.
• Phone, virtual, or in-person appointments can be scheduled up to 14 days in advance at Michigan.gov/UIA.
• Answers to frequently asked questions, toolkits, and resources can be found at Michigan.gov/UIA. Find a library of helpful instructional videos on YouTube.
• The UIA Economic Dashboard, which tracks local and statewide trends in unemployment insurance. Find it at Michigan.gov/UIAEconomicDashboard.

UIA creates solutions for Michigan workers

The many online resources for workers are part of a sweeping transformation of the. Other innovations include: 

• Planning for a new computer system, called MiUI, to replace the decade-old MiWAM that workers use to file for benefits. MiUI will speed claim filing, provide a user-friendly interface, and add robust anti-fraud processes.
• Assigning liaisons across Michigan to provide hands-on help for workers navigating the unemployment insurance application process through the UIA Community Connect program.
• Renovating UIA Local Offices in Grand Rapids, Lansing, Saginaw, and Sterling Heights to create an improved user experience and make security upgrades.
• Adding six advocates who provide free legal help through the Advocacy Program to aid workers and employers with appeals of UIA redeterminations.

Changes are modernizing, transforming UIA

Those innovations are part of a sweeping transformation of the agency into a national model for fast, fair, and fraud-free service. The UIA has also:

• Formed a coalition of thought leaders from the labor, business, and jobless advocate communities as part of the UIA Modernization Workgroup to provide insight on significant improvements in how the agency can better serve Michigan workers and employers.
• Developed the Employer Help Center, a plain language guide answers employers’ questions on unemployment tax and claim issues and UIA programs. The innovative Help Center can be found at Michigan.gov/UIAEmployerHelpCenter.
• Created a Legal and Compliance Bureau to leverage collaborative anti-fraud practices to pursue bad actors who steal taxpayer money. 
• Extended through June 2025 nearly 80 limited term employees in the Fraud and Investigations Division.
• Required new ethics and security clearance policies for employees and contractors.
• Partnered with the Michigan Department of Attorney General, and local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to stop fraud. Since March 2020, 166 criminals have been charged with unemployment fraud, 125 have been convicted, and 106 sentenced to prison and ordered to pay restitution.
• Received 100 percent scores on employer audit from the USDOL for the fifth year in a row, from 2020-24, meeting the reasonable assurance of quality benchmark.
• Reassigned staff and resources to address the largest categories of claims contributing to the agency’s case backlogs.
• Rebuilt the UI Trust Fund to more than $2.8 billion (and growing). Weekly benefits are paid to workers from the Trust Fund, which is supported by taxes on employers.
• Halted overpayment collections on claims filed since March 1, 2020, while the agency addresses pending protests and appeals.

Need help or have questions about a claim?

Meet with an agent: Schedule an in-person, phone, or virtual meeting at Michigan.gov/UIA.

Chat with an agent: Available through MiWAM Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Call Customer Service: 1-866-500-0017, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Ask Ava: UIA’s chatbot at Michigan.gov/UIA can answer many questions.

Find answers: FAQs, videos, toolkits, and other resources at Michigan.gov/UIA.