Learn how long you can download important forms from Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency's website.

The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency allows you to file your claims online or over the phone. It also provides a wealth of information on its website. This includes downloadable forms and instructions you can read in your own time without wasting standing in line. These forms allow you to manage all kinds of procedures ranging from providing Notice to Register for Work to Authorizing Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency to withhold taxes on your behalf. If you are new to the unemployment insurance agency these forms and procedures can be confusing. This article will describe the main online forms, provide links to download them and give brief instructions on how to use them.

Notice to Register for Work

If you do not have a definite day to return to work with your last employer within the next 120 days you must register for work with Michigan’s Talent Bank. To register you must place your resume on the MTB’s website 2 or 3 days before using MARVIN (Michigan’s automated response telephone system). There are two ways you can do this: 1) Online at www.michworks.org or 2) in person by delivering your paper application at any of Michigan Works! Service Centers. You can also call 1-800-285-WORK to ask for directions to the nearest center.

What You Need To File An Unemployment Claim Form

This form does not only, as the name indicates, provide a list of documents and personal information you must supply. It also helps you organize your information and record it in one place so you can easily and quickly file your claim, whether online or over the phone.

To fill in this form you will need your Social Security Number, your driver license number (or your State ID number), your mailing address, your telephone number (or that of someone who can get a message to you) and the method of payment you wish to use. You will also need to provide a full work history of your previous employers and their contact details, you earnings in the last base year (that is the first four quarters of the last five quarters). This information is required to receive unemployment benefits so it is worth setting aside the time to collect the information accurately.

Weekly Earnings Calculation Worksheet.

Use this form to declare your earnings during a week you are claiming for unemployment benefits. You can use this form to calculate your total earnings including tips, vacation and holday pay. Remember you cannot claim unemployment for weeks you work full time and you will have to deduct a percentage of your earnings from your benefits if you work part-time.

Income Tax Withholding Form

This form provides Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency with the authority to withhold your taxes for the IRS. This service guarantees you do not forget to save for your yearly taxes on benefits. The form withholds 10 percent of your benefits towards Federal Income Tax. You can also use this form to ask the Unemployment Insurance Agency to stop withholding tax from your check.

Visit a Public Resolution Office near you to file a claim or get personalized information from an UIA officer.

Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency allows you to file a claim online or over the telephone as well as contact customer service operators with any questions you may have. However, sometimes it can be difficult to get passed the automated response machines and talk to a human being. Also, some unemployed workers may not be able to afford or have access to internet or a telephone.

The Unemployment Insurance Agency, UIA, provides six Problem Resolution Offices, PROs, in Michigan. These offices provide unemployed workers with telephones and  access to computers and the internet where you can file an unemployment claim or even search for work. At PRO offices you can also talk to an officer who can give you information on unemployment insurance agency services available to you.

Keep in mind you will need to bring with you your Social Security Number, your driver’s license and your MARVIN pin number. If you do not have a MARVIN pin number, you can apply for one at the PRO office.

If you are planning to file your UIA claim at a Public Resolution Office you will also need to bring the names and addresses of all your employers of the past 18 months, your total and quarterly gross earnings and your last date of employment for each job. This information will be used to calculate the size of your benefit check and assess if you are eligible to receive benefits.

Below is a list of Public Resolution Offices in Michigan, their addresses and links to their Mapquest directions. To get directions to any of these offices from your home, click on the office you wish to visit, click on get directions in the new window and introduce your current address in the START window.

Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency Public Resolution Offices

• Detroit – 3024 W. Grand Blvd., Suite L-500, Detroit, MI 48202
• Gaylord – 400 W. Main St., Suite 102, Gaylord, MI 49735
• Grand Rapids - 3391 Plainfield NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525
• Kalamazoo (temporary) – Kalamazoo County DHS, 322 East Stockbridge Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49001
• Lansing – 5015 S. Cedar St., Lansing, MI 48910
• Mt. Clemens (temporary) – Macomb County DHS, 21885 Dunham Rd., Suite 7, Clinton Twp., MI 48036
• Marquette – 2833 U.S. 41 West, Marquette, MI 49855
• Muskegon (temporary) – Muskegon County DHS, 2700 Baker St., Muskegon Heights, MI 49444
• Saginaw - 614 Johnson St., Saginaw, MI 48607

Alternatively you can always receive help over the phone at 1-866-500-0017 from eight in the morning to six in the evening, Mondays to Fridays.

UIA benefits provide unemployed workers with the income they need while searching for a job.

The total weeks of unemployment benefits of a state is determined by the state Unemployment Insurance Agency and the state’s unemployment rate. This article will look into the different unemployment compensation programs available in Michigan, the maximum number of weeks you are entitled to and what is the the time limit to apply for each program.

Michigan Unemployment Insurance Compensation.

Michigan offers up to 26 weeks of unemployment benefits to unemployed workers who are able and willing to search for a job and have earned a minimum of $4,307 in their previous base year ($2,871 must have been earned in one of the previous four quarters). Of course the size of your unemployment benefits paycheck will depend on how much you earned in your base period.

Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation, EUC Program.

The federal EUC program provides up to 53 weeks of unemployment benefits to unemployed workers who exhaust their standard Michigan UIA benefits. The program is divided into four tiers. Tiers III and IV are reserved for states, like Michigan, which unemployment rates. The amount you receive in your EUC checks drops with every tier you claim for. Tier I provides 80 percent of your basic UIA check, tier II 54 percent, tier III 50 percent and tier IV 24 percent. States with an unemployment rate higher than 6 percent qualify for tier III, while only states with a rate of 8.5 percent or higher qualify for tier IV.

Thanks to the fourth extension of the EUC program signed by President Obama on December 22, 2010, unemployed workers have up to January 3, 2012 before the EUC program phases out. In practical terms, this means unemployed workers applying for tier 1 have up to December 31st, 2011 to file for benefit weeks, while applicants of tiers II, III and IV have up to January 7, 2012.

Extended Benefits Program

When a state hits high unemployment rates for an extended period of time they can qualify for extended benefits programs. On January 10th, 2009 Michigan surpassed the 5 percent mark, a 42 percent increase from the unemployment rate of 2007. The week ending January 31st, 2009 was the first week Michigan unemployed workers were eligible for EB. The current extended benefits schedule will exhaust on December 25, 2010. You must have exhausted your EUC by this date to qualify for y0ur extra 20 weeks of EB. This brings the maximum weeks available to long term unemployed workers to 99.

Once you start receiving you state unemployment benefits you can roll from one program to another as long as you still meet the basic requirements of each program and are within the programs operating periods.

Learn how long you can wait before losing your right to apply for benefits at Michigan's UIA.

Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency has changed names many times throughout the years. It started in 1937 as the Michigan Unemployment Compensation Commission, then became the Michigan Employment Security Commission, after that the Michigan Employment Security Agency and the Bureau of Workers’ & Unemployment Compensation. Now it is called the Unemployment Insurance Agency. What hasn’t changed is the purpose of this organization: to provide a source of income to unemployed workers while they search for work.

A question we have been asked by many workers, unemployed and employed alike, is ‘How long do you have to file for unemployment?’

This is a good question because to answer it you must understand how Michigan’s UIA calculates benefits entitlements.Each state has authority to determine eligibility and benefit payment procedures for its unemployment agency, so it is important to look at the regulations that determine Michigan’s UIA to get a clear answer.

However, before we begin to answer this question, you need to understand two important terms: what a base year or period is and what a high quarter wage is. A base period, or year, is composed of the previous 52 weeks from the date you make your unemployment claim. Michigan requires unemployed workers to show a previous attachment to the workplace to qualify for UI benefits. In other words, to qualify you must have paid a minimum amount of unemployment insurance. This minimum is determined by your high quarter wages. A high quarter is the quarter (set of three months starting from January) you earned the most money. Because, unemployment insurance is determined by wages, the state of Michigan has determined unemployed workers must have high quarter wages of at least 388.06 times the state minimum hourly wage. This translates to $2,871 for benefit years starting after April 1st 2009. Also, your base period (previous 4 quarters or 52 weeks) must contain at least 1.5 times the wages you received in your high quarter.

So in short, once you lose your job and are unemployed, you must apply for unemployment before you no longer qualify for UI benefits. If your previous four quarters do not include a quarter where you earned $2,871 or more, and your total base period does not reach $4,307, you may not qualify for UI benefits.

Learn what the terms in your unemployment benefits application mean.

Although Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency strives to make things as simple as possible for unemployed workers, there are still many terms in forms and booklets you may have never heard off before and struggle to understand. This article will look at some of  the jargon found in Unemployment Insurance Agency publications.

Monetary Determination.

This is a document prepared by Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency  and sent to you to explain the status of your claim. If you qualify for  a claim it will specify how many weeks you are entitled to and how much money you will receive.

Benefits Year Beginning.

This is the date y0ur claim starts. You have 52 weeks, a whole year, to claim the 26 weeks you are entitled to. This 52-week period is your benefits year. Benefit weeks y0u don’t claim in your benefits year cannot be passed on to the next year.

Benefits Year Ending Date.

The date your benefits year finishes. After this date you can no longer reopen a claim on your 26 weeks of benefits. Of course, you may qualify for a new benefits year (with its 26 weeks) after the ending date of your current benefits year.

Base Period.

This is a key term if you want to understand how your benefits are worked out. It is a period of four calendar quarters (three-month periods) where the wages you were paid by your employer or employers are used to calculate your claim for unemployment compensation. The first base period quarter are as follows: Quarter 1 (January 1st to March 31st), Quarter 2 (April 1st to June 30th), Quarter 3 (July 1st to September 30th) and Quarter 4 (October 1st to December 31st). However your base year will be worked out from the last four quarters from the date you apply so quarter 1 does not have to start in January necessarily.

High Quarter Wages.

This is the quarter of your base period where you earned the most money. This the quarter used by Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency to calculate your unemployment benefits.

Reference Codes.

When y0u read your monetary determination (meaning of that term is explained above) you will see a load of reference codes. These codes provide you with important information on your claim. The meaning of these codes is explained on the back of your determination.

Number of Dependents.

This is the number of people that depend on you financially. That is, the people that live off your wage, or unemployment benefits. You cannot claim for more than five dependents. However, make sure you include everyone who you care for with your income because you cannot change the number of dependents during a benefit year.

You can continue to apply for EUC and wait to see if Congress extends the program.

The phasing out of the Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation program has caused many readers to ask what they should do to apply for extended benefits once their initial 26 weeks finished.

Take for instance the query of Lisa:

I have exhausted my 26 weeks of unemployment as of 10/23/10.  Am still filing bi-weekly with MARVIN but have no received any further information regarding the extension.  Unable to contact Unemployment by phone.  What is needed to be done to start receiving support?

You cannot claim for Emergency Unemployment Compensation over the phone. You must apply in person at your local employment office. Unfortunately, the deadline to apply for EUC’s first tier of 14 weeks of benefits ended the 27th of November. If you applied for tier 1 of EUC you will be able to collect payments until the 14 weeks end. However, you will not be able to automatically roll on to tier 2 unless Congress decides to extend the program.

If on the other hand you finished your tier 1 weeks and wanted to apply for tier 2, 3 or 4, your deadline ended the 4th of December.

If you are already receiving payments from the EUC program, you will continue to receive them until you exhaust your current tier.

Whatever your situation you should contact your local employment office and ask for help. For instance, you should continue to file your biweekly benefits with MARVIN in case Congress extends the program. This way you could receive a lump sum for the weeks you claimed for but did not receive compensation.

Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency is still accepting applications, although as mentioned above, payments will not be made unless Congress approves a further extension.

If you have any more questions phone 1-866-500-0017 and select Option 3. Operating times for that number run from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm. Some of our readers complain they can’t get through to anybody at this number. Continue trying, during busy times it might take a while to get connected.

You can also visit your local unemployment office. Here are the addresses of the main offices in Michigan.

Detroit 3024 W. Grand Blvd.

Lansing 5015 S. Cedar St.

Gaylord 400 W. Main St., Suite 102

Marquette 2833 U.S. 41 West

Grand Rapids 3391-A Plainfield NE

Saginaw 614 Johnson St.

Learn how to use MARVIN

Many of our readers have expressed their frustration with Michigan’s UIA MARVIN. MARVIN stands for Michigan’s Automated Response Voice Interactive Network, and is the new system Michigan unemployed workers must use to process their unemployment benefits claims.

The complaints range from long waiting periods to being unable to process their benefits application. This article gives you a quick guide on how to use MARVIN and get your biweekly certification processed as quickly as possible, so you can get back to what you really want to do –find a job.

First a few words of warning.

Do not call MARVIN for someone else, or ask someone else to call for you. Do not lie when answering the questions MARVIN asks. If you are caught you will be accused of fraud and could be forced to pay back up to four times the benefits you received, go to prison and/or perform community service. Being unemployed is hard enough, don’t make things worse by trying to cheat the system. If you are physically unable to make the call ask a friend or family member to contact the unemployment office and explain your situation.

Unemployed workers must claim every two weeks in order to receive their benefits check. Once you have registered for unemployment benefits, it is compulsory to certify further claims using MARVIN.

General Instructions.

You will nee a touch tone phone (a phone with a touch pad, a rotary phone will not work)  to use MARVIN.

When answering questions remember that if you press “o” (zero) MARVIN will repeat the question. Press “1″ for YES and “9″ for NO.

Do not hang up until you hear MARVIN say “goodbye”. If you do, your certification might not get registered in the system and your check could be delayed.

STEP 1. Call MARVIN. 1-866-638-3993

STEP 2. Choose your language. Press 1 for English.

STEP 3. When asked if you are using a touch phone, press 1. If you don’t you will not be able to continue.

STEP 4. Press 1 to claim weeks of unemployment. If you need to complete the Eligibility Review Process, press 4. You can only do this Thursdays and Fridays.

STEP 5. Enter your SSN. If you mess up, simply press star and introduce your SSN again.

STEP 6. Enter your PIN. You will have chosen your PIN when you first registered for unemployment benefits.

STEP 7. You will now be asked a series of Yes and No questions. Answer accordingly. Yes (1) or No (9).

Question 9 will ask you if you earned any money for the week you are claiming. If you did you will be asked how much. Introduce the dollar amount, press star, introduce the cents and press star.

STEP 8. At the end of the process MARVIN will review the answers you provided. Make sure you the information is correct and press 1. If the information is not correct press 9. MARVIN will repeat your questions. Do not hang up until you have confirmed your information and MARVIN says Goodbye.

You have up to three weeks to apply for a compensation benefit.

If you are not careful you could lose unemployment benefits by not applying for your benefits on time. Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency understands it sometimes can be difficult to find the time to process your benefits certifications when looking for work.

Traveling back and forwards to the unemployment office can also wast time and money. That is one of the reasons Michigan’s UIA installed MARVIN, Michigan’s Automated Response Voice Interactive Network. You can apply with MARVIN over the phone once every two weeks to certify your benefits and continue receiving your unemployment checks. But, what is the time limit to apply for unemployment compensation in Michigan.

If you apply through MARVIN your time limit is two weeks. Let us illustrate. If you call March the 30th (which falls on a Wednesday) you can apply for the last two weeks ending on Saturday. In our example the two weeks are those ending on the 26th and the 19th. If you want to apply for earlier weeks you will have to contact Michigan’s UIA inquiry line: 1-866-500-0017.

Some of our readers have complained that this number rarely works. Unfortunately the volume of unemployed workers can sometimes delay the processing time of an application. If you are having trouble click here and apply with MARVIN online, and ask an officer for help.

Another key to understanding MARVIN is to phone during your appointment time. Unemployed workers are assigned times they can call to minimize waiting period and make the system more efficient. Operating times for MARVIN range from 8.00 am to 7.00 pm from Monday to Wednesday. Times for calls are arranged in increments of one hour. If you are unable to get through during you appointment time you can call Thursdays and Fridays from 8.00 am to 7.00 pm.

Calling on time before your unemployment claim expires will allow you to receive your checks sooner without delays.

MARVIN’s network can be frustrating but it is safe for consumers and allows you to save time and money when claiming for insurance.

Why is the Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency using MARVIN instead of human operators?

Marvin works 11 hours solid, from Monday to Friday, without breaks or complaining. It can deal with over 800 calls at any one time. Working hours for Marvin go from 7 am to 7 pm and 7am to 3 pm on Saturdays. That is the equivalent of having 800 workers manning the phones. This allows workers to deal with other issues. If Marvin does not provide you with the information you need, you will be referred to a someone who can help. The main benefit is that routine procedures can be handled immediately without having to wait.

What will you need to use MARVIN?

A phone with a touch tone or tone/pulse system, your social security number and your personal identification number. Your PIN is a four-digit number provided by Michigan’s UIA when you register for unemployment benefits.

When you register you will be given an appointment day and hour to call MARVIN. Although you can call at other times, it is recommended you call during your appointment time to speed up your benefits payment.

To contact MARVIN call 1-866-638-3993.
How can MARVIN help?

MARVIN allows you to file your continued weeks of unemployment claims, which saves you time and money. You can also ask for more information on your claim, such as how much you will get in your check and the date of your last check.

I hate machines do I have a choice?

Not really. Using MARVIN after your have registered with Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency is compulsory. However, if you are unable to use MARVIN, you are self-employed, you are applying for a flexible week or you are in training with a Michigan UIA approved course you can call 1-866-500-0017 and ask for help.

Searching for work in Michigan is much easier when you have the right tools.

Sadly, one of the most frequently asked questions we get from our readers is how to get in touch with a local unemployment office or branch of Michigan Works. I say sadly, because contacting your local unemployment branch is key to claiming for benefits and finding a new job in Michigan.

This article will focus on providing you with the contact details you need to get the job of finding employment done and receive the help you need while you are searching.

The Easiest Method.

The easiest method of claiming benefits, registering for work and renewing your biweekly claim is to visit Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency. At Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency website you can file an unemployment benefits claim, an emergency extended benefits claim, find a job and file for your biweekly certification. All from the comfort of your home and without spending a dime on gas or public transport.  You can file an unemployment claim online from 7 am to 7 pm, Monday to Saturday.

You can also visit Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency’s Online Services for Unemployed Workers and sign on for a free web account. This account will allow you to access your unemployment file, benefit payment history and even change your method of payment. This is especially useful to check your benefit payment history to work out your unemployment benefits payment schedule and plan ahead when applying for emergency extended benefits. If it is the first you visit, you will have to register. Just click on the blue link on the left of the welcome page.

Jump-start your search for employment at the State of Michigan’s Helping Hand website. This website acts like a hub connecting unemployed workers with government websites to help them find the information they need on jobs, training, unemployment benefits, family support, housing and health care.

If you do not have access to internet visit you local Job Corps office ask for help and use their connection to visit the UIA website. Here are the contact details for the Job Corps centers in Michigan.

Detroit
11801 Woodrow Wilson Street
Detroit, MI 48206
Tel: (313) 852-0300
Fax: (313) 865-8791

http://detroit.jobcorps.gov

Flint/Genesee
2400 North Saginaw Street
Flint, MI 48505
Tel: (810) 232-9102
Fax: (810) 232-6835

http://flintgenesee.jobcorps.gov

Gerald R. Ford
110 Hall Street S E
Grand Rapids, MI 49507
Tel: (616) 243-6877
Fax: (616) 243-4012

http://geraldrford.jobcorps.gov

Problem Resolution Offices for Michigan’s UIA are also available throughout Michigan. Call 1-800-500-0017  and ask about opening times and locations.