For workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, Michigan unemployment insurance is an essential financial safety net. The temporary financial assistance offered through Michigan unemployment insurance benefits provides Michigan workers with support as they transition into new employment. As part of your participation in the UI benefits program in Michigan, you’ll be required to submit weekly claims that help ensure you receive the appropriate weekly benefit amount.
How to certify for Michigan unemployment benefits
Once you’ve established your Michigan unemployment eligibility, you’ll begin receiving unemployment benefits payments and certifying your continued eligibility by submitting bi-weekly claims.
With these bi-weekly claims, you’ll be asked to provide information about your activities for the week, including work search activities, your availability and ability to accept a new job, and any part-time wages or severance, holiday pay, etc., associated with your previous job. The state uses all of this information to document that each UI benefits claimant remains in compliance with program requirements.
When you submit your initial claim for UI benefits, you should receive Form UIA 1575C, Monetary Determination, which will outline your weekly benefit amount, the number of weeks you are allowed, and when you should begin submitting bi-weekly certification claims. If you have not yet received your Monetary Determination notice, you can use the Michigan unemployment calculator to estimate your payments.
The certification process is fairly quick and simple, and the state of Michigan offers a couple of different options for how you can submit your weekly unemployment benefits claim.
How to certify online
The fastest and easiest way to submit your weekly claim is to do so online. You can do so by logging into the Michigan Web Account Manager.
Here’s how:
- First, navigate to your MiWAM UI claim page, then Account Alerts. You should see the statement, “You have benefits weeks that have not been certified – click here to Certify.”
- Once you’ve selected “Certify,” answer the questions for Week 1. Each question requires a simple yes or no response.
- Review your answers and click Submit.
- Then, answer the questions for Week 2. Once again, they are all yes or no questions.
- Review your answers for Week 2 and click submit.
- Typically, you should receive your unemployment benefits payment within two to three business days. If you do not receive your payment within this timeframe, you should send a message to the agency through your MiWAM account or call 1-866-500-0017 to report the delayed unemployment payment.
How to certify by phone
If applying online is not an available option for you, you’re also welcome to submit your bi-weekly claims over the phone. You can call 1-866-638-3993 Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to submit your claim. This allows you to access Michigan’s Automated Response Voice Interactive Network – or MARVIN.
Claimants who certify for unemployment benefits using MARVIN are required to call on the scheduled day and time that corresponds with the last two digits of their Social Security Number. You’ll receive instructions about your assigned day and time within your Monetary Determination letter. If, when making your claim, you need to speak with a customer service representative, you can stay on the line after submitting your answers to the certification questions.
When you choose to submit your bi-weekly claims using MARVIN, you’ll be required to set up a four-digit Personal Identification Number, which will serve as your digital signature for submitting your unemployment compensation claims. Please note that you only need this PIN if you apply by phone, and you’ll need to keep it somewhere safe and secure so that it cannot be used by anyone other than you. This helps Michigan guard against unemployment fraud.
The state of Michigan asks that before using MARVIN to submit your first weekly claim, you read the entire Michigan unemployment benefits information booklet you should have received by mail. You also should make sure to have your responses ready to enter and you should have already selected your four digit PIN. In addition, make sure you know the week ending dates for the weeks you are claiming. You must use Saturday’s date for the week ending date.
Sample Certification Questions
Part of the bi-weekly certification process is answering a series of questions about your employment-related activities and potential wages for the week you’re certifying.
Here are the kinds of questions you’re likely to see:
- Were you physically and mentally able to perform full-time work for any employer during the week you’re certifying?
- Did you make any effort to look for work during the week you’re certifying? Note that when you answer, “yes,” you’ll need to list the work search activities you engaged in for the week.
- Did you quit any job during the week you’re certifying?
- Did you refuse to accept an offer of work during the week you’re certifying?
- Were you fired from any job during the week you’re certifying?
- Did you earn any wages, even if you haven’t received them yet, during the certification week?
It’s important to answer these questions thoroughly and honestly so that the state of Michigan can verify that you remain in compliance with eligibility requirements, especially Michigan unemployment work search requirements. Knowingly providing false information to these questions is considered unemployment fraud.
How to Collect Your Payment
Michigan offers UI benefits recipients two different options for collecting their payments: You can choose either direct deposit into your bank account or have your benefits loaded onto a Michigan UI debit card. Michigan UIA does not send paper checks.
You will have the opportunity to choose your payment option when you submit your initial Michigan unemployment application. Either electronic option is faster, more secure, and more convenient than a paper check. With either option, you also eliminate any worry about mail delays keeping you from receiving your unemployment benefits on time.
Depending on the method of payment you choose, either your debit card will be issued or your direct deposit established once a decision is made regarding your unemployment benefits claim. Moving forward, benefit funds generally are added to your Michigan UI Debit Card or deposited into your bank account within two or three days after you submit your bi-weekly certification claim.
If you decide you’d like to change your unemployment compensation method, you can call the Michigan unemployment office or you can make the change online through your MiWAM account. Please also note that if you fail to specify how you would like to receive your unemployment benefits, the state of Michigan automatically will load them onto a debit card for you.
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