To file for unemployment benefits in Michigan, apply online through Michigan.gov/UIA and MiLogin to reach MiWAM, or call the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) at 1-866-500-0017, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Online filing is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Check for an existing MiLogin account before creating another. Applying is the way to get an official eligibility decision: the UIA says, “The best way to see if you’re eligible is to apply.”
What to gather before you apply
Have the following details ready so you can complete the application accurately:
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- Your driver’s license or state ID and Social Security number. If you are not a U.S. citizen, prepare your USCIS number and work authorization card’s expiration date.
- The names and addresses of every employer you worked for during the last 18 months, your first and last dates of work, your pay rate and pay frequency, and information about why the job ended or your hours were reduced.
- Your bank routing and account numbers if you plan to request direct deposit. UIA says online-only and digital-only bank accounts cannot be used for direct deposit.
Your FEIN/EAN, recent pay stubs, and W-2 may help, but UIA’s Fact Sheet 160 says they are not required. Source: Michigan UIA Fact Sheet 160, updated July 2026.
How to file a Michigan unemployment claim
- Sign in or create a MiLogin account. Go to Michigan.gov/UIA, sign in through MiLogin, and access MiWAM. Avoid creating a second MiLogin account if you already have one. If you prefer to apply by phone, call 1-866-500-0017 during UIA’s weekday application hours.
- Complete the application carefully. Provide your identity, employer history, earnings, and separation information. Do not assume your application itself establishes eligibility; UIA reviews each claim and sends a determination.
- Complete both work-registration steps before your first certification. Create a job-seeker account at MiTalent.org, then meet with a Michigan Works! agent. Contact your local Michigan Works! office to ask whether a virtual meeting is available. UIA says failure to complete registration could stop benefits.
- Read your Monetary Determination and other notices. UIA sends Form UIA 1575C, the Monetary Determination, with your weekly benefit rate, number of weeks allowed, and when job searches and certification should begin. Check MiWAM and agency correspondence, and respond to any information request by the deadline in the notice.
- Certify every two weeks. Certification is separate from filing; it does not happen automatically. Use MiWAM or MARVIN at 1-866-638-3993, following your assigned schedule. UIA describes MiWAM as the easiest and fastest method and allows online certification during the certification week. Do not certify online and by phone for the same weeks.
- Report work searches and earnings. Report the required searches during each biweekly certification. Report gross wages in the calendar week you performed the work, including earnings from part-time work.
- Select a payment method and monitor status. Choose direct deposit or the UIA debit card issued by U.S. Bank. After you certify, UIA says payment should be available within 2–3 business days; this is an expected window, not a guarantee. If payment does not arrive, check MiWAM for status or a request for more information.
Meet Michigan’s weekly work-search requirement
For weeks claimed on or after July 19, 2026, Michigan requires at least three unique work searches each week. Report the activities in your biweekly certification. Each certification asks for employer contact information, and MiWAM lets you record searches. Keep proof of each activity because UIA may ask for documentation. See the UIA Fact Sheet 160 and the agency’s work-search guidance.
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Who may qualify, and how much can you receive?
Michigan unemployment insurance provides temporary income when someone becomes unemployed or an employer reduces their hours. Generally, claimants must be unemployed through no fault of their own and able, available, and actively seeking suitable full-time work, as well as meeting the work-registration requirement. Someone with reduced hours may qualify for a reduced payment. UIA makes the eligibility decision based on the claim’s facts, so a particular reason for leaving or losing work does not by itself guarantee approval.
For 2026 claims, UIA lists a maximum weekly benefit rate of $530 and a possible duration of 14 to 26 weeks. Those are limits, not a promised payment or duration; the claimant’s wage history and individual Monetary Determination control. UIA says extensions apply only when high unemployment and state or federal action make them available. The $614 rate scheduled for January 1, 2027 is not the current 2026 maximum. See Michigan UIA eligibility guidance.
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Choose online or phone service based on what you need
| Option | What it offers | Availability and notes |
|---|---|---|
| MiWAM online | File a claim, manage notices, certify, and record work-search activity. | Filing is available 24/7. UIA calls MiWAM the easiest and fastest certification method. |
| UIA phone application | Apply by phone at 1-866-500-0017. | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
| MARVIN phone certification | Certify at 1-866-638-3993. | Follow the certification schedule assigned to your claim. Do not also certify online for the same weeks. |
Sources: Michigan UIA and Fact Sheet 160.
If your claim is delayed or UIA asks for more information
Keep your contact information current, check MiWAM regularly, and meet every response deadline stated in a notice. For additional evidence on an open non-monetary issue, UIA’s after-filing FAQ directs claimants to “Pending Fact Finding-Add Additional Docs” under “Determination Status.” Follow the instructions and status shown for your claim in MiWAM.
UIA says it may investigate a benefit payment up to three years after payment. Keep accurate records of certifications, work searches, earnings, and information submitted. Source: Fact Sheet 160, updated July 2026.
How to protest a determination or appeal a decision
A protest and an appeal apply at different stages. In either case, UIA generally must receive the filing within 30 days of the relevant notice’s mail date—not simply by the date you post it. Use the applicable form or MiWAM route, and follow the notice for the controlling deadline.
| Review step | What it challenges | Deadline and filing route |
|---|---|---|
| Protest | A Determination; this is the first review level. | Generally, UIA must receive it within 30 days of the determination’s mail date. File through MiWAM or the official UIA process. |
| Appeal | A Redetermination or a later decision or order. | Generally, UIA must receive it within 30 days of the relevant mail date. File through MiWAM or the official form and process. |
If you miss the deadline, explain why in your filing. Do not use the UIA chatbot to file a protest or appeal. Continue certifying and reporting work searches while review is pending. Effective July 17, 2026, claimants may request that related matters be combined into one hearing through MiWAM when filing an appeal or by submitting Form UIA 6631. See Michigan UIA protests and appeals guidance.
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2026 changes relevant to Michigan claimants
- Three weekly work searches: at least three unique activities are required each week effective July 19, 2026.
- Leaving work for domestic violence or household safety: effective July 17, 2026, someone who had to leave a job because of domestic violence or to protect a household member’s safety may qualify if other requirements are met. This is not automatic eligibility.
- Combined hearings: effective July 17, 2026, claimants can request related matters be heard together through MiWAM at appeal filing or Form UIA 6631.
UIA also updated the employer Work Share program in 2026. Work Share is an employer program and is separate from an individual’s standard unemployment claim filing route. Details: Michigan UIA Work Share Program.
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