Claiming Unemployment Benefits in Michigan (2024)

If you become unemployed, you may qualify for unemployment insurance benefits. These benefits are intended to provide temporary income while you seek new employment. To be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits, you must be unemployed and able to, available for, and actively seeking suitable full-time work.

Filing for and Receiving Benefits

Your claim for unemployment insurance benefits should be filed the first week you are laid off. For your claim to be filed on time, you must file by Friday of the week following your last day of work. If your claim is late by less than 14 days, you will have an opportunity to establish good cause for filing late. If good cause is not established, your claim will begin the week it was filed. If your claim is late by 14 days or more, good cause is not considered, and your claim will begin the week it was filed.

Two Ways to File a New Claim or Re-open an Existing Claim

• FASTEST AND PREFERRED METHOD: Online – Visit Michigan.gov/UIA and sign into MILogin to access or create an account on the Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM).
• Telephone – Call 1-866-500-0017. If you are hearing impaired, TTY service is available at 1-866-366-0004.

Information Needed to File a Claim

• Your Social Security card.
• Your state issued driver’s license or ID card number or your MARVIN PIN (if you have one).
• The names and addresses of employers you worked for during the past 18 months along with your quarterly gross earnings.
• The last date of employment with each employer.
• Your most recent employer’s Federal Employer ID number (FEIN) (especially if you have not filed a claim within the last three years or have been employed for less than six months) and Employer Account Number (EAN). Depending on your situation, knowing the account number may speed up the processing of your claim.
• If you are not a U.S. citizen or national, you will need your Alien Registration card and the expiration date of your work authorization.

Register for Work

First, create your job seeker profile on Pure Michigan Talent Connect.
--Visit MiTalent.org to get started

Second, meet with staff from our local Michigan Works! Service Center, either virtually or in person.
-- Contact Michigan Works! at 1-800-285-WORKS (9675) or find your local Michigan Works! Service Center by clicking on the map at MichiganWorks.org.

The Register for Work requirement is not complete until you meet with Michigan Works! Service Center staff, who will verify your job seeker profile and sent their verification to the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA). You will receive a confirmation email when the process is completed successfully. The two steps - creating a profile and meeting with Michigan Works! staff must be completed and verified at least one business day before you certify for the first time to receive unemployment benefits. Failing to complete these steps could prevent your from receiving your unemployment benefits.

Bi-Weekly Certifications

You must certify your eligibility every two weeks to receive payment. The preferred method of certifying is online, although phone certification is also available.

• Online: Visit Michigan.gov/UIA and sign into MILogin to access your MiWAM account. Your online account is accessible seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
• By Phone: Call MARVIN at 1-866-638-3993, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Searching for Work

You are required to actively seek work and report at least one weekly work search activity for each week during your bi- weekly certification in order to receive benefits. Your benefits will not be paid until your work search activities have been reported to UIA. More information is available online at Michigan.gov/UIA.

• Enter your work search activity in your MiWAM account at Michigan.gov/UIA or
• When you certify with the Michigan Automated Response Voice Interactive Network (MARVIN) by calling 1-866- 638-3993. After completing the automated questions, you must stay on the line to be connected with a UIA agent to provide your work search information for each week. You must provide your work search activity for each week prior to benefits being released.

Two Ways to Receive Benefits, Choose Either:

• Debit card.
• Direct deposit to your bank account.

For More Information

• More information is available on the UIA website at Michigan.gov/UIA to guide you through the unemployment insurance process including frequently asked questions, video tutorials, tools and other information that may answer your questions.
• View or download the claimant handbook, Unemployment Benefits in Michigan, at Michigan.gov/UIA.
• For step-by-step instructions on creating a MiWAM account, view the MiWAM Toolkit for Claimants at Michigan.gov/uia.
• If you have a question or problem with your claim, you may schedule a telephone appointment, an in-person appointment or a virtual appointment online at Michigan.gov/UIA or call our customer service line at 1-866-500- 0017.

Fact Sheet 160 - Claiming Unemployment Benefits in Michigan