How to File for Unemployment Benefits in Michigan?

Claims through nearest state unemployment offices
One way is to contact your nearest state unemployment office for information, instructions and forms. You can apply online on the internet or through the phone. In others, you might have to visit the local offices personally to complete the formalities yourself. You can look up the nearest office in the phone book from your local telephone company.These offices are gemerally listed under State Government Offices or similar heading in the government section near the front of the phone book. However, it might not be listed as the State Unemployment Office. Each directory is different.
Claims by Mail
Jobless workers may take cuts in line by using convenient Claims by Mail service. Mail-in applications are available in Bureau branch offices, most Michigan Works! Service centers and in the Forms section of our Web site.

Internet Claims
To use the on-line service, applicants must be filing a new or additional claim. An additional claim is one filed to reactivate benefits when a person already has a claim in existence, interrupts the payment of benefits on the claim by returning to work, and then becomes unemployed again.

Applicants filing new claims must meet these criteria:
• Are not employed full time.
• Have been employed during the past 18 months.
• Live in Michigan.
• Were employed by only one Michigan employer during the past 18 months.
• Filed a claim for unemployment benefits during the past 10 years.
• Did not work in family employment.
• Were not in Military Service during the past 18 months.
• Were not employed by the federal government during the past 18 months.
• Did not work in another state during the past 18 months.
• Did not file a claim against another state during the past 12 months.
• Did not work under more than one social security number during the past 18 months.
• Are not trying to claim past weeks of benefits.

Eligibility for Michigan Unemployment Benefits
The basic requirements for collecting unemployment benefits are:
• You must have been employed. The Michigan Consumer and Industry Services publish requirements for wages earned or time worked during an established period of time referred to as a “base period.”
• You have to determine that your unemployment was not due to fault of your own as defined under Michigan law.
• You must file ongoing claims and respond to questions concerning your continued eligibility. Any earning from work and job offers or refusals from work must be reported during the claim period.

To Make the Process Easier
In order to make the process of submitting your application run smoothly, try to ensure that you have details of your recent employer including their name, address and the dates of your employment. Copy any written evidence you have that shows that your unemployment was not through any fault of your own.
If your claim is successful you should receive Michigan unemployment benefits for a period of between 14 and 26 weeks. At present, Michigan unemployment benefits average between $81 and $362.

Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits are available to long-term unemployed workers in Michigan who do not find work after their initial state unemployment benefits (usually 26 weeks) expires. If you are in this situation you might wonder what you should do to apply for EUC benefits. We often receive this question, or a similar variation, from our readers. Take, for example, Mrs. Richardson’s query:

I received a letter from UIA two weeks ago stating that i was close to the ending of my benefit weeks and that i may qualify for an EXTENSION or EUC. I applied on line but never received an determination letter. A week later i received the same letter but has not received my determination. i do have my confirmation number.

What should Mrs. Richardson do? This article and the next will provide detailed directions you can follow to apply and qualify for EUC benefits in Michigan.

The Program

In Michigan (this varies somewhat from one state to another) the EUC program provides up to 53 weeks of Emergency Unemployment Compensation. These payments will be similar to your initial unemployment insurance benefits with the Michigan Insurance Agency.Note these benefits are paid by the Federal government not by your employer employment insurance.

The program is divided into four tiers of 20 weeks, 14 weeks, 13 weeks and 6 weeks, respectively. Only states with high unemployment rates, such as Michigan, qualify for all four tiers.

How to Apply?

Unlike regular Michigan UI benefits, you do not apply for EUC online. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency will send you a notification by mail if you qualify for EUC benefits when they are close to exhausting their UI benefits.

You should fill in this application as soon as possible and return it to the address specified in the instructions. How soon you receive your EUC benefits will depend on if and when the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency has this information, so please do not procrastinate. Fill in and send back this form as soon as possible.

In our next article we will provide a complete list of requirements for the EUC program. However, we would like to highlight two requirements many applicants fail to meet and that could jeopardize the chances of your application being accepted.

1) You must be registered with Michworks.org, the Michigan State work search website and your resume must be up-to-date. 

2) You must continue to file for your weekly EUC benefits over the phone, by using Michigan’s MARVIN system or online.

Our next article will provide a complete list of program requirements and contact details for the main unemployment insurance offices in Michigan.

This is the second part of our guide on Michigan EUC benefits. As we discussed in the previous article, many of our readers have enquired about the process of applying for EUC benefits. There are significant differences with the general system used to apply for Michigan State UI benefits which are important to understand.

First, the process for applying for EUC benefits begins with a written form which will be sent to you when you are close to ending your UI benefits. If you have less than 2 weeks left of your Michigan State unemployment benefits and still have not received a form informing you of your eligibility for EUC benefits and you feel (after reading this article) that you still qualify, contact one of the Michigan Employment Insurance Agency’s Problem Resolution Offices. We include below the contact details for Michigan’s UIA Problem Resolution Offices with Mapquest directions.

Problem Resolution Offices

Once you receive your form by mail you must fill it in and send it back to the address specified in the letter.

Requirements

- You must be unemployed. This may sound obvious, but some workers who have seen their hours reduced may apply for UI benefits without qualifying for EUC benefits. If in doubt, contact one of the PRO offices above.

- You must register with www.MichWorks.org.

- You must update your résumé with Michworks.

- You must make weekly benefit claims either online or overt the phone using MARVIN, Michigan’s automatic claim filing system. The process for this is similar to when you received UI benefits. Our next article will provide extra information on how you should file for EUC benefits using MARVIN. The toll free number you need to use is 1.866.638.3993 or you can click here to file online.

- You must be fit and willing to accept any employment you are qualified for.

If you meet these requirements your application for EUC benefits should be accepted. Again, if you have any issues with your application you can ask for assistance at one of the eight PRO offices in Michigan.

Being your own boss isn’t always the dream job it portrayed as. Although setting your own hours and the satisfaction of knowing all your work is going towards your business are nice perks, self employment is not without its drawbacks. For instance, you must pay your own social security, Medicare and you do not receive unemployment benefits. However, it is possible you consider yourself self-employed and still be eligible for unemployment insurance in Michigan. How is this possible?

Let’s start by stating what the Michigan Employment Security Act has to say about unemployment insurance and self-employed workers. For starters, the law says that only insured employees of registered employers in Michigan are eligible for UI benefits. This disqualifies self-employed workers although it does include the employees of self-employed workers. However, the Michigan Employment Security Act defines self-employment by the type of relationship between employer and employee not by the agreement or understanding between two parties. What does this mean? Well, even if you consider yourself self-employed and your have a written agreement to work as a contractor for another individual or company, you are an employee if you meet the definition of an employee as set by the Michigan Employment Security Act.

For example, if you work as a plumbing contractor and invoice a client as a self-employed contractor but use the main contractor’s materials and tools, follow the work schedule set by the main company and barely work for any other clients, you may be considered an employee and therefore deserve to receive unemployment benefits if you lose your job or contract.

So what are the guidelines that determine your status as an employee or self-employed worker? There are several factors the Michigan UIA takes into account when assessing the status of a self employed worker. For example, the UIA may ask the following questions to determine if an employee is being treated as a self-employed worker.

- Is the work carried out by the self-employed worker an integral part of the work generally performed by the main contractor?

- Does the “self-employed” worker depend entirely on the payment (or wages) of a single client?

- What level of control does the self-employed worker have while working? Can he, or she, hire or fire his own workers?

- Does the self-employed worker advertise his or her services elsewhere to the public?

- Does the employee (or self-employed worker) pay for his own materials and tools or does he rely on the materials provided by an employer?

The answer to these questions and the evidence presented by the employer and the employee will determine what status a worker is granted.

he Michigan Unemployment Insurance program encourages workers to accept any type of work they can, even if it is only part-time or temporary. However, many workers shy from accepting odd-jobs and part-time work when unemployed because they fear their unemployment insurance claim could be cancelled.

As long as you follow the rules set by Michigan’s UI regulations you can safely work and claim benefits. However, it is important to understand what these rules are and to claim your UI benefits correctly or your claim could be denied as well as face other disciplinary measures.

These rules can be summarized within one formula, which sets how much money you can earn before your benefits are cancelled. This formula makes sure it is financially worthwhile to work small job while searching for a full-time job. However, you will have to deduct a percentage of your earnings from your weekly benefits.

The Formula

The Michigan UI program allows workers receive UI benefits while they work, although their benefits will be deducted 50 cents for every dollar they make. However, once your total income (including UI benefits and your income) reaches 150 percent of your weekly benefit amount, your Ui benefits will be deducted dollar for dollar.

Example

Let’s illustrate how this would work in the real world. Imagine you receive $300 in UI benefits and earn $160 a week for temporary work. Up until $450 you would only have to deduct 50 cents on the dollar for your income. Once your income exceeds $450 your UI benefits will be deducted dollar for dollar. This means you can never earn more than 150 percent of your UI weekly benefit amount. Following our example above, you would receive a maximum UI benefit amount of $215.

This process can be summarized in the following instructions provided by the Michigan UIA set in 8 easy to follow steps.

WORKSHEET FOR CALCULATING WEEKLY BENEFITS
WHEN UNEMPLOYED WORKER HAS EARNINGS IN THE WEEK

A
Enter the unemployed worker’s weekly unemployment benefit amount.
$300

B
Enter the amount of the unemployed worker’s gross earnings (before taxes) in the calendar week (Sunday through Saturday week). Round down to the nearest whole dollar.
$100

C
Divide "B" by "2".
$100 ÷ 2 = $50

D
Subtract "C" from "A". Round down to the nearest whole dollar. If the result is zero or less than zero, enter "0" as your answer.
$300 – $50 = $250

E
Add together "B" and "D."
$100 + $250 = $350

F
Multiply "A" by 1.5 (that is, 1½)
$300 x 1.5 = $450

G
Subtract "F" from "E". Round down your answer to the nearest whole dollar. If the result is zero or less than zero, enter "0" as your answer.
$350 – $450 = -$100
Enter "0"

H
Subtract "G" from "D". Round down your answer to the nearest whole dollar. The answer you get will be the amount of the unemployed worker’s unemployment benefit payment for the week.
$250 – 0 = $250

Are you underemployed? What does that mean, you may ask. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance provides help not only to unemployed workers but also underemployed, so you may be eligible for help without even  realizing it.

Underemployed workers are workers who receive some income in a week but is still eligible for temporary unemployment benefits from the Michigan UI program. So, how can you know if you are eligible for underemployment benefits? Can full-time workers receive this kind of assistance? If not, what are the requirements to be considered and underemployed workers? These are some of the questions this article will answer.

What does the law say about underemployment?

Unemployment describes a worker who has no work whatsoever. If you are receiving unemployment insurance benefits and cannot find any type of employment you are considered unemployed. However, if your hours have been reduced due to no fault of your own or you found some side-work while you were receiving unemployment benefits, you are considered underemployed. It is important to understand the distinction between a part-time worker who works less than 40 hours a week out of choice and someone who had a full time job and whose hours were reduced due to lack of work. According to Section 48 of the Michigan Employment Security Act you must be either unemployed or underemployed to receive temporary unemployment financial assistance.

Can full-time workers receive underemployment benefits?

No, only workers who work less than a full-time week due to no fault of their own can qualify for underemployment benefits.

How does the Michigan UI determine how much underemployment benefits you receive?

The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency tries to balance between encouraging unemployed workers to find whatever work they can while searching for a full-time or better job and only providing financial assistance to those that need it.

How does it draw the line between those who can receive underemployment benefits?

The Michigan Unemployment Insurance program uses a formula to determine how much a worker can receive in unemployment benefits when they receive some other type of work. Incidentally this income does not only include regular wages and salaries, it also includes rent and board, interest or investment dividends and cash payments for odd-jobs. It is important to include any income you earn during a week you claim for UI or extended unemployment benefits or your claim could be permanently cancelled. Failure to declare income could also lead to fines and other disciplinary measures.

When you think of unemployment benefits, you automatically think about the financial assistance provided every week through the Michigan UI program. However, this is only one of the services available to Michigan unemployed workers. This article will focus on some of the most useful and generous services unemployed workers can apply for. We also provide contact details and information on how to apply for each of these programs.

General Services Aid

This includes the main programs people associate with unemployment services. These include Cash Assistance for low-income and needy families, medical services, food assistance and emergency services. These programs are all sponsored by the Department of Human Services and you can find out more information by visiting their official website (click here).

If you are interested in the Food Stamps program you can contact directly by calling 1-800-481-4989.

Health and Insurance Aid

One of the biggest perks of being employed (besides getting a wage) is to be part of a health insurance program. Self-employed and unemployed workers generally have to pay much higher premiums than workers who are part of a medical program. The State of Michigan offers unemployed workers health programs such as Medicaid Help Line (1-800-642-3195), Free Clinics (1-888-877-6769 or www.FCOMI.org) and the Michigan Prescription Drug Discount Card.

Job Assistance

Need help finding a job? Two of Michigan’s UIA biggest departments: Michigan Works! and Talent Bank Help Line are designed to help you find a new job.

Foreclosure Protection

Often losing your work can affect your ability to meet your mortgage payments, which can lead to foreclosure. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) provides counseling and practical assistance to avoid this. This program helps homeowners who have lost their job organize their finances and join government sponsored programs designed to provide temporary assistance to cover mortgage payments while searching for work.

Utility Budget Help

Are you struggling to pay your utility bills? Is there a possibility your service might get cut off? If this is a problem you are going through, you should contact the Consumers Energy (1-800-477-5050), the DTE Energy (1-800-477-4747) or SEMCO Energy (1-800-624-2019) and ask for assistance. They can provide emergency assistance so your heating, water and electricity services are not disconnected.

These are only a small sample of the social programs available to unemployed and underemployed workers in Michigan. If you have any questions on the programs offered by Michigan UIA, please leave a comment below and our team of researchers will be happy to reply any question you may have.

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.

Michigan Works is a State funded organization that connects employers and unemployed workers.

Many readers have asked for information on contact details for Michigan Works offices. This article provides a brief overview of what Michigan Works is about and where you can find more information. Although Michigan Works is not a State Michigan government agency, part of the unemployment agency or a social services organization. It is however, supported by the State of Michigan, and can prove useful for employers looking for staff and unemployed workers searching for a job.

The organization is funded by federal and state tax funds and governed by board members, most of which are business leaders in their industry.
This article provides a review on what you can expect from Michigan Works and contact details for Michigan Works Service Centers.

The main role of the company is to help connect employers with unemployed workers.The services Michigan Works provides employers include publishing online advertisements, checking referrals, filing resumes and providing an up-to-date workers search engine.

If you are unemployed, Michigan Works can help by assisting you in writing your resumes, search for jobs online, search for training options, network with other employers in the area and provide you with career counselors to help maximize your results.

You can contact and join Michigan Works online through this link or visit one of their local offices. Contact details for Michigan Works offices are listed below. Although we strive to keep our information current, opening times can change at any moment, so contact your local office before you go.

Michigan Works! Service Centers has four main locations across the state.

Saginaw (on Bay Road across from Value City)
3875 Bay Road
Saginaw, MI 48603
Phone (989) 249-5232
Fax (989) 249-5250
Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 8:00AM – 5:00PM
Wednesday: 8:00AM – 5:00PM

Saginaw (downtown across from STARS bus depot)
614 Johnson
Saginaw, MI 48607
Phone (989) 776-1511
Fax (989) 755-8758
Hours:
Monday – Friday: 8:00AM – 5:00PM

Bay City (North Pointe Plaza Corner of Wilder and Euclid)
4061 N. Euclid
Bay City, MI 48706
Phone (989) 667-0500
Fax (989) 892-1537
Hours:
Monday – Friday: 8:00AM – 5:00PM

Midland (next to Farmer Jack’s in Midland Towne Center)
1409 Washington
Midland, MI 48642
Phone (989) 631-3073
Fax (989) 631-3990
Hours:
Monday – Friday: 8:00AM – 5:00PM

Chesaning Satellite Center
110 S. Chapman, Unit B
Chesaning, Michigan 48616
Phone (989) 845-1427
Fax (989) 845-1466
Hours:
Monday – Friday: 8:00AM – 5:00PM

ALERT: You should investigate new health insurance since your last employer will no longer be paying for your health insurance.

The Michigan government has established a toll-free telephone number that can be accessed from anywhere in the United States. This number is specifically for filing for unemployment benefits claims whether new or re-opened cases. You can find it online or in a local telephone book.

If you have access to the Internet then filing for a unemployment benefits claim is even easier. Whether at home, the library or an Internet Cafe the claims office for your unemployment benefits is open 7:00 a.m. Monday to 7:00 p.m. Saturday. Here it is easy to work your way through filing a new claim or re-opening a previous case.

With Internet access you can find a wide range of extra services not available over the telephone. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency does not limit their service to filing claims by through offering other helpful services. By signing up with them on their website, you can access a growing number of unemployment benefits services for those seeking employment. They are available to both new accounts and re-opened cases.

As well as the unemployed, the Unemployment Insurance Agency has a section of help for the employer. You will be able to access and track your UIA payments and schedule and utilize other organizational tools. Your portal into the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency’s benefits begins at http://www.michigan.gov/uia/

The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency has a wealth of other beneficial information online to help you through a troubled time. Informative articles abound on everything from managing your unemployment benefits claim to updates and new policy notifications. Breaking news on government actions to reduce unemployment and create better working conditions for all.

Subscribing to the Michigan Employer Advisor Newsletter will help the business owner keep up with the latest tends and information to remain successfully operational.

Since fate can turn at any moment you can file an Emergency Unemployment Compensation (Extension) to provide quick, emergency aid until the regular process kicks in. Access to application for Emergency Aid is also easily found online for the citizens of Michigan through the UIA website.