Claimants can access UIA's online resources during Thanksgiving holiday

State offices will be closed Thursday, Nov. 28, and Friday, Nov. 29

The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) offices will be closed Thanksgiving Day and the day after, but claimants can still go online to certify their work searches and access a wide variety of helpful resources.

Workers can certify their job searches online Thursday, Nov. 28, and Friday, Nov. 29, using their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) account. MiWAM is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even when UIA offices are closed. Log in at Michigan.gov/UIA.

Certification by calling the Michigan Automated Voice Interactive Network (MARVIN) will not be available on Thanksgiving or the day after. It will be available again starting on Monday, Dec. 2. Claimants must report every two weeks their job status and whether they meet work eligibility requirements to be able to collect benefits.

Claimants should keep in mind that with the two-day closure of UIA offices for the state holiday there may be a slight delay in having unemployment benefits 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 Monday, Dec. 2.

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

• Take a journey through the UIA Claimant Roadmap, a six-step guide to applying for and understanding benefits. The roadmap is an easy-to-follow, user-friendly resource that can be found at Michigan.gov/UIAClaimantRoadmap.
• Reserve a spot for one of the upcoming 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.
• Need to speak with an agent? Go to Michigan.gov/UIA to schedule a phone, virtual, or in-person appointment at one of 12 Local Offices up to 14 days in advance.
• Find answers to frequently asked questions, or access resources and toolkits, at Michigan.gov/UIA, which is optimized for reading on mobile phones or tablets. You can also browse UIA's library of helpful instructional videos on YouTube.
• Explore underlying trends in unemployment insurance in Michigan using the UIA Economic Dashboard. Data provides a rich understanding of the impacts of unemployment across industries, occupations, and communities, and provides insights into which sectors are experiencing layoffs, claimant demographics, and the regions most affected. You can take a deep dive into the data at Michigan.gov/UIAEconomicDashboard.

UIA creating solutions for Michigan workers

The many online resources for workers are part of a transformation of the UIA launched by Director Julia Dale - the agency's 11th director in as many years - after she was appointed in October 2021 by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Other innovations include:

• Planning 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 staff in 10 regions across Michigan through the UIA Community Connect program to provide hands-on help for workers navigating the unemployment insurance application process. Staff also connect workers and employers to UIA's outreach and education resources.
• Renovating UIA Local Offices to create an improved user experience and make security upgrades. Projects have been completed in Grand Rapids, Lansing, Saginaw, and Sterling Heights. The Detroit office will also be renovated.
• Adding six advocates who provide free legal help through the Advocacy Program to aid workers and employers with appeals of UIA redeterminations.

Modernizing, transforming the UIA is top priority

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.
• Scored 100 percent for the third year in a row from the USDOL for employer audits in 2020-22, 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/UIAcan answer many questions.

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

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