States

How To Apply For Unemployment In Michigan

The best way to apply for unemployment insurance benefits in Michigan is online at the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity website. The internal system there is called the Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) and it’s designed to make your unemployment insurance claim filing faster and more efficient. See below for helpful links and tips:

• Department of Labor and Economic Activity (Main Website)
• File an Online Unemployment Insurance Claim (MiWAM)
• Frequently Asked Questions

Before filing, make sure you have employment records going back fifteen months and employer contact names, phone numbers, emails, and FEIN is you have a W2 or 1099 from them. Online filings are preferred, but you can also file by phone at (866) 366-0004.

Eligibility Requirements and Weekly Certification

Not everyone is eligible for unemployment insurance benefits payments. To file a claim, you must be unemployed through no fault of your won, so voluntary quits and firings for justifiable reasons are generally not qualified. You must be laid off or have your hours cut down significantly to meet the state guidelines. The following workers may not be eligible:

• Non-insured Employees of Non-Profits
• Independent Contractors
• Under-the-Table and “Cash-only” Employees

Documented work history is required to file an unemployment insurance claim. You’ll also be required to file weekly claims after the initial first claim to continue to receive weekly benefits payments and you must continue to look for work while collecting. If you are in an ineligible category, but feel you should receive unemployment benefits, you have a right to appeal.

Weekly Benefits Payments

The easiest and fastest way to file your weekly claim is by logging on to MiWAM and submitting your information there. You can also file weekly claims using MARVIN, the Michigan Automated Response Voice Interactive Network. MARVIN’s number is (866) 638-3993. 

• To qualify for payments, you must have made $3,667 or more in at least one quarter, out of the first four quarters, of the last five. The total income for those quarters must be at least $5,500. Those first four quarters are known as your “base period.”
• Your weekly unemployment insurance benefits payment amount will be calculated by multiplying the total wages you made in the highest earning quarter of your base period by 4.1%, then adding $6 per qualified dependent.
• You can receive your weekly payment via direct deposit to your bank account or on a UI-issued Bank of America debit card.
• You can receive payments for between fourteen and twenty weeks, based on total wages during your base period. There are no UI extensions available in Michigan.

Part-Time Workers and Military Separations

If you’re unemployed from your full-time position, but still working part-time, you’re eligible to collect unemployment insurance benefits, but the amount of your weekly payments will be smaller. If you’re separating from the military, you’ll need to provide a Standard Form DD-214 to the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity for verification of your discharge and status with the United States Military. Federal government workers will need Form 50 or SF-8.