Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) offices will be closed Feb. 20, 2023, in observance of Presidents Day.

Unemployed workers can certify for benefits on Monday using the Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM). However, certification by phone through the Michigan Automated Response Voice Interactive Network (MARVIN) will not be available when offices are closed.

Due to the holiday, there may be a slight delay before benefits are deposited into bank accounts or loaded onto debit cards.

To claim benefits, unemployed workers must report once every two weeks that they are jobless and meet the eligibility requirements for benefits. Bi-weekly certification is just one of many services available to users through their MiWAM account. With an online account, claimants can access account information, review payment history, update contact information, and more. MiWAM is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Claimants may log-in or sign up for an online account at Michigan.gov/UIA.

Users will notice a revamped Michigan.gov/UIA that is more user-friendly and responsive for those accessing services using cell phones or tablets. The changes are part of Director Julia Dale’s priorities to improve customer service and fight fraud. Since Dale was appointed director in October 2021, UIA has:

• Created the UIA Modernization Workgroup, consisting of labor, business, and jobless advocates to advise the UIA on significant improvements in how it can better serve Michigan workers and employers. 
• Announced a replacement for the agency’s decade-old computer system with a user-friendly, state-of-the-art interface for claimants and businesses. A new system will allow timely program adjustments as economic conditions change and quick analysis of data, which is currently not possible.
• Collaborated with the Attorney General’s office as well as local, state, and federal law enforcement to bring bad actors to justice and combat fraud at the agency.
• Rebuilt to nearly $1.8 billion (and growing) the UI Trust Fund from which weekly benefits are paid to workers.
• Approved more than 76,000 overpayment waivers of state and federal benefits paid out during the global pandemic, waiving more than $555 million.
• Halted overpayment collections on claims filed since March 1, 2020, while the agency addresses pending protests and appeals.
• Identified initiatives and processes that would ease access to jobless benefits for workers in underserved communities under a $6.8 million equity grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL).
• Reassigned staff and resources to address the largest categories of claims that are contributing to the agency’s case backlogs.
• Identified necessary changes to correspondence to add a human-centered approach to make letters easier to understand for claimants and employers.
• Implemented new ethics and security clearance policies for employees and contractors.

Workers who need assistance or have a question about unemployment are encouraged to schedule a phone, in-person or virtual appointment at Michigan.gov/UIA. They also can call UIA’s Customer Service line at 1-866-500-0017 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. when offices are open.

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