UIA Provides Resources to Help Workers Certifying Unemployment Claims

The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency has developed new resources to help Michigan workers certify their unemployment claims:

Infographic: Breaking down the certifying process.

Claimants asked to avoid certifying claims this Monday in order to keep the system functioning properly

In order to avoid slowdowns and keep the UIA’s online system functioning properly, the agency is directing claimants who need to certify next week to avoid doing so on Monday, April 20, and instead wait to certify throughout the week and during off-peak hours.

Mondays generally have the highest number of logins and web interactions

Under federal law, unemployed workers must certify that they are still unemployed two weeks after their initial claim is approved and every two weeks after. Once the claim is certified, benefit payments are disbursed. Claimants can certify their claim by visiting Michigan.gov/UIA and signing into their MiWAM account.

“Workers who need to certify their claims should avoid doing so on Monday and instead certify later in the week during off-peak hours,” said UIA Director Steve Gray. “The day of the week you certify doesn’t impact benefit amounts and by spreading out the certifications you’ll keep the system up and running and allow others filing claims to access their accounts.”

The UIA also urges all workers to use the system during off-peak hours between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. throughout the week and to stay off the system after they have filed and certified claims.

Benefits paid

Around $825 million in unemployment payments have already gone to more than 750,000 claimants affected by COVID-19 – and those numbers are increasing every day. According to the U.S. Dept. of Labor guidelines, more than 99% of eligible Michigan claimants are currently receiving their benefits in a timely manner.

All eligible workers will receive benefits

The UIA assures that every eligible worker in Michigan who applies for unemployment benefits will receive them. The UIA will be accepting claims and benefit applications back-dated to reflect the date on which the claimant was laid-off due to COVID-19, beyond the previously established 28-day period ($600 federal payment is only retroactive back to March 28).

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at: Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.