JANUARY 21, 2009 – Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) has expanded its online services to help relieve the flood of telephone calls to its automated MARVIN system.

"Unemployed workers can now go to the UIA website (www.michigan.gov/uia) to complete their biweekly certification through MARVIN, instead of calling the toll-free MARVIN telephone number," UIA Director Stephen Geskey announced today.

"Online MARVIN should reduce the number of calls to our telephone-based MARVIN system, while giving unemployed workers another option for completing their important eligibility certification," Geskey said.

Workers claiming unemployment benefits are required to certify with UIA's MARVIN (Michigan's Automated Response Voice Interactive Network) system every other week in order to receive their biweekly unemployment benefit payment.  Through MARVIN, workers certify that they are still unemployed and meet the program's eligibility requirements.  They also report any earnings they may have received.

The online- and telephone-based MARVIN systems have many of the same features.  The two systems:

• Use the same day and time reporting schedule (see schedule at end of release)
• Ask the same questions
• Require the same identification ? Social Security number and Personal Identification Number (PIN)
• Process benefit payments on the same day the certification is made, and if payments are authorized, they are added to the individual's debit card or directly deposited into his/her bank or credit union account two to three days following the individual's MARVIN certification
• Are available in English and Spanish

To use the online MARVIN system, individuals must create a free UIA online web account by visiting the UIA website at www.michigan.gov/uia and clicking on the link "UIA online services to unemployed workers."  Users will be taken to a login page where they can register and start the process of creating their own online account with the agency.

UIA will immediately give new users a temporary password ? good for only 10 days ? that will allow them to immediately certify through MARVIN online.  A second password will be mailed to the individual that will give them full access to all of the web account features.

"An online account gives users the ability to use online MARVIN as well access to a history of their unemployment benefit payments and the ability to change their benefit payment option," Geskey noted.  "And we anticipate adding additional features to web accounts in the future."

Online MARVIN is part of the agency's overall effort to help the state's unemployed workers who are attempting to reach the agency in order to file unemployment claims, certify through MARVIN and get answers to their benefit questions.

Geskey said the agency is investing heavily in information technology to better serve the state's unemployed.  He noted, for example, that unemployment claims filed over the Internet increased to account for 50 percent of all initial claims filed in November and December.

MARVIN Reporting Schedule
Based on the last two digits in a person's Social Security number