Michiganders who believe they were wrongly accused of falsely receiving unemployment benefits from 2013-15 should be aware of an upcoming deadline to return a key document to potentially qualify for the class action lawsuit.

The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) is leading the effort to resolve the long-standing case that arose from automated claim determinations made by a computer system installed during Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration. The UIA is rolling out in 2025 a modern, user-friendly interface called MiUI that will replace the decade-old Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM). MiUI is a cornerstone of the UIA’s transformation into a national model for fast, fair, and fraud-free service.

The Michigan Court of Claims set an Aug. 19 deadline for 377 potential class action members in the Bauserman v UIA lawsuit to return a properly signed release to Analytics Consulting, the settlement’s Claims Administrator. Claimants should have received a release from Analytics Consulting.

Those who fail to return a release may lose their right to payment from the $20 million lawsuit settlement approved by the Court of Claims in January 2023.

Where to get more information

• Questions about the signed release should be directed to Analytics Consulting. Call 1-833-438-5028 or email info@UIAClassAction.com.
• Links to information about the case can be found on the Claimant Homepage of the UIA’s public website at Michigan.gov/UIA.
• Analytics Consulting has set up a separate website with case information at UIAClassAction.com.

The settlement is the result of a lawsuit filed in 2015 on behalf of unemployment benefit claimants who experienced wrongful collection activities, wage garnishments, or tax return intercepts after being erroneously found to have committed fraud through an auto-adjudication process applied to unemployment benefit claims from Oct. 1, 2013, to Aug. 31, 2015.

The UIA’s new computer system will use the latest technology to ease claims filing by workers, payment of taxes by employers, and decision-making by UIA staff. MiUI will enhance the overall user experience and feature robust anti-fraud processes to stop bad actors who try to steal taxpayer money, ensuring a more secure and efficient system for all users.

Creating solutions for Michigan’s workers

The Bauserman class action settlement is one of many ways UIA is moving beyond issues of the page to focus on impactful resources for workers who have lost a job though no fault of their own. The resources include:

• The UIA Claimant Roadmap is 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 an upcoming Online Coaching Session, which are web-based group sessions led by UIA staff. The First-time Filer Coaching Session explains the steps needed to complete an accurate application for benefits. The Understanding Your Monetary Determination Letter coaching session walks workers through correspondence that explains whether benefits have been approved or denied.
• Ten UIA staff members are assigned to regions across Michigan through the UIA Community Connect program to provide hands-on help for workers navigating the unemployment insurance application process. They also connect workers and employers to UIA’s outreach and education resources.
• Six new advocates have been added to the Advocacy Program to provide free legal advice to workers who appeal UIA redeterminations.
• The UIA Economic Dashboard includes granular data about underlying trends in unemployment insurance in Michigan. The dashboard provides a rich understanding of the impacts of unemployment across industries, occupations, and communities. It also highlights 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.

Modernizing, transforming the UIA

Since being named by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in October 2021 to lead the UIA, Director Dale – the agency's 11th director in as many years – has launched a number of innovations to modernize the agency, including:

• Renovating five UIA Local Offices to create an improved user experience and make security upgrades. The offices undergoing construction are in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Saginaw, and Sterling Heights.
• Expanding the window to schedule appointments to 14 days. Go to Schedule an Appointment page at Michigan.gov/UIA to make a phone, virtual, or in-person appointment at one of 12 Local Offices up to 14 days in advance.
• Forming 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.
• Launching 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.
• Creating a Legal and Compliance Bureau to leverage collaborative anti-fraud practices to pursue bad actors who steal taxpayer money. 
• Extending through 2024 nearly 80 limited term employees in the Fraud and Investigations Division.
• Requiring new ethics and security clearance policies for employees and contractors.
• Partnering with the Michigan Department of Attorney General, and local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to stop fraud. Since March 2020, 162 criminals have been charged with unemployment fraud, 91 have been convicted, and 72 sentenced to prison and ordered to pay restitution.
• Scoring 100 percent for the third year in a row from the USDOL, meeting the reasonable assurance of quality benchmark for employer audits in 2022, 2021, and 2020.
• Reassigning staff and resources to address the largest categories of claims contributing to the agency’s case backlogs.
• Rebuilding the UI Trust Fund to more than $2.7 billion (and growing). Weekly benefits are paid to workers from the Trust Fund, which is supported by taxes on employers.
• Halting 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: Log into your MiWAM account 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: Our chatbot at Michigan.gov/UIA can answer many questions.

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

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