UIA's Saginaw office to close next week for renovations

Staff will serve claimants at temporary location in the same building

The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency’s (UIA) Local Office in Saginaw will close beginning Monday, March 25, 2024, for renovations that will create a welcoming atmosphere for Michiganders who seek face-to-face service on their jobless claims.

While construction is underway, UIA staff will serve claimants from a location on the sixth floor of the same office building at 515 North Washington where the current Saginaw Local Office is located. Renovation work on the current first floor public space is expected to take two months.

Saginaw is one of five UIA Local Offices undergoing renovations this year. The other offices are Sterling Heights, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Detroit. Temporary office locations will be set up near each Local Office so UIA staff can continue to help workers in person who have questions about their claims. Once renovations are complete, the UIA offices will reopen at their permanent locations to help claimants by appointment.

Those needing help with their claims can go to the UIA's appointments page at Michigan.gov/UIA to schedule in-person appointments up to 14 days in advance at the temporary offices.

What is construction’s impact on claimants?

Here are answers to important questions about the renovation projects at all five locations.

Will UIA staff still meet with claimants? Yes. UIA has secured temporary locations near its offices that are undergoing renovations so that claimants won’t have to travel far to speak with an agent face-to-face.

How else can claimants reach the UIA? The closures will not affect access to UIA staff by phone or online. Claimants can also use the Chat With An Agent feature through their MiWAM account at any time.

Where will claimants go to meet with UIA staff?

• Saginaw. Temporary location: Sixth Floor, Saginaw Office Building, 515 North Washington, Saginaw. Project start date: Monday, March 25.
• Sterling Heights. Temporary location: MichiganWorks! office, 43630 Hayes Road, Clinton Township. Renovations started Monday, March 4.
• Grand Rapids. Temporary location: Department of Health and Human Services, 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Street SE, Grand Rapids. Expected project start date: May.
• Lansing. Temporary location: Capital Area MichiganWorks! office, 2110 South Cedar Street, Lansing. Expected project start date: June.
• Detroit. Temporary location: L450 Cadillac Place, 3024 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit. Expected project start date: July.

How long will renovations take? Construction at each location is expected to take approximately two months.

What’s driving the changes? The renovation plans were developed after UIA performed site assessments. Work will include reconfiguring public areas and making security changes.

How will claimants be notified? Signs at Local Offices will direct claimants to the temporary office locations. Claimants will also receive appointment reminders by text message with the address of the temporary location for their visit. Project updates will also be provided on the appointments page at Michigan.gov/UIA.

Which Local Offices are not being renovated? The UIA has 12 Local Offices. The seven not being renovated are in Kalamazoo, Benton Harbor, Muskegon, Gaylord, Traverse City, Marquette, and Sault Ste Marie will not be affected by the renovations. Check Michigan.gov/UIA for the addresses of your nearest Local Office.

Commitment to customer service

The renovations at five Local Offices will improve the user experience for claimants who want to speak directly with an agent. UIA is committed to providing exemplary customer service to all of its customers and creating a national model for fast, fair, and fraud-free service. Among the recent reforms UIA has launched that benefit workers:

• The UIA Claimant Roadmap is an easy-to-follow, user-friendly six step guide to applying for and understanding your benefits. You can find the roadmap at Michigan.gov/UIAClaimantRoadmap.
• First-time filer coaching sessions use online group sessions to guide claimants through the steps needed to complete an application and qualify for payments.
• UIA’s Advocacy Program has added new advocates and raised their compensation by 30 percent. The Advocacy Program provides free legal advice to workers and employers who appeal UIA determinations.
• Planning and design are underway to replace the decade-old MiWAM computer system used by workers to apply for benefits and employers to pay unemployment insurance taxes. The new computer system will be easy to use, speed claims processing, and build on the agency’s aggressive anti-fraud tactics. It is expected to be fully operational in 2025.
• The number of days available to schedule appointments has been extended to 14 days in advance.
• UIA staff are located in 10 regions across Michigan as part of the UIA Community Connect program. This program provides hands-on expertise to employers and workers about how to navigate the unemployment insurance application process. Liaisons also connect workers and employers to UIA’s outreach and education resources.
• The agency’s public website at Michigan.gov/UIA has been revamped to be more user-friendly and responsive for those accessing services using cell phones or tablets.

Transforming the UIA

Since being named to lead the UIA in October 2021 – the agency's 11th director in as many years – Director Julia Dale has launched a sweeping transformation of the agency. Director Dale has implemented a number of other significant changes that benefit workers and employers:

• Developing the innovative Employer Help Center, which can be found at Michigan.gov/UIAEmployerHelpCenter. The plain language Help Center provides answers to employers on unemployment tax and claim issues and UIA programs.
• Creating the UIA Modernization Workgroup, consisting of labor, business and jobless advocates to advise the UIA on significant improvements in how it can better serve Michigan workers and employers.
• Naming a Legal Advisor and creating the Legal and Compliance Bureau to leverage collaborative anti-fraud practices to pursue bad actors, in collaboration with the Michigan Attorney General’s office, and local, state and federal law enforcement. To date, 162 people have been charged, 91 convicted, and 71 sentenced.
• Scoring 100 percent for the third year in a row from the USDOL, meeting the reasonable assurance of quality benchmark for employer audits in 2022, 2021, and 2020.
• Reassigning staff and resources to address the largest categories of claims that are contributing to the agency’s case backlogs.
• Rebuilding to more than $2.3 billion (and growing) the UI Trust Fund, from which weekly benefits are paid to workers.
• Approving more than 76,000 overpayment waivers (with more to come) of state and federal benefits paid out during the global pandemic, waiving more than $555 million.
• Halting overpayment collections on claims filed since March 1, 2020, while the agency addresses pending protests and appeals. More than $13 million was refunded to workers since May 2022.
• Implementing new ethics and security clearance policies for employees and contractors.

Need help with a claim or have questions?

Speak with an agent: Schedule an in-person, phone, or virtual meeting at Michigan.gov/UIA.

Call Customer Service: 1-866-500-0017 during regular business hours.

Chat with Ava: Our chatbot can answer many questions at Michigan.gov/UIA.

Guidance for workers

• Follow the UIA Claimant Roadmap at Michigan.gov/UIAClaimantRoadmap.
• Schedule a First-time Filer Coaching Session.

Guidance for employers

• Go to the Employer Help Center at Michigan.gov/UIAEmployerHelpCenter.