UIA’s Saginaw Local Office reopens after renovations to improve visitor experience, security

The Saginaw Local Office of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) reopened this week for in-person appointments following renovations to create a welcoming atmosphere for Michiganders who want to meet with a UIA agent.

The Local Office is on the first floor at 515 North Washington and has a new lobby, furniture, customer service windows, and security upgrades. Anyone who needs in-person help with questions about their claim can go to the Schedule an Appointment page at Michigan.gov/UIA to make an appointment up to 14 days in advance for the Saginaw Local Office.

During the two-month renovation period, UIA staff served customers on the sixth floor of the same building in Saginaw.

The renovations are part of the UIA’s focus on improving the customer experience and creating a national model for fast, fair, and fraud-free service.

Four other Local Offices across the state are also being renovated. Sterling Heights has been completed and reopened. The Grand Rapids Local Office closed last week with staff moving to the Department of Health and Human Services office at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Street SE, Grand Rapids to help claimants in person. In June, the Lansing Local Office is scheduled to close temporarily (with staff moving to the Capital Area Michigan Works! office, 2110 South Cedar Street, Lansing), and the Detroit Local Office is expected to close temporarily later this year (with staff moving to across the lobby in Cadillac Place, 3024 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit).

The temporary closures do not affect phone or virtual appointments, which can be scheduled online. Claimants can also use the Chat With An Agent feature through the Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM), the Ask Ava chatbot at Michigan.gov/UIA, or call Customer Service at 1-866-500-0017 Monday through Friday during normal business hours.

Helpful resources for workers

The five Local Office renovations are among a variety of modernization reforms launched by Director Julia Dale that benefit workers navigating the application process. Other reforms include:

• The UIA Claimant Roadmap, which is an easy-to-follow, user-friendly six-step guide to applying for and understanding unemployment benefits. The roadmap can be accessed 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.
• The Advocacy Program has added new advocates who provide free legal advice to workers and employers who appeal UIA determinations.
• Claimants can now book in-person appointments up to 14 days in advance to meet with an agent at any of UIA’s 12 Local Offices.
• Planning and design are under way for a new computer system that will be easy to use, speed claims processing, and build on the agency’s aggressive anti-fraud tactics. Expected to be fully operational in 2025, it will replace the decade-old MiWAM computer system used by workers to apply for benefits and employers to pay unemployment insurance taxes.
• The UIA Community Connect program embeds UIA staff in 10 regions across Michigan to provide hands-on expertise to workers about how to navigate the unemployment insurance application process. Liaisons also connect workers and employers to UIA’s outreach and education resources.
• UIA’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 by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to lead the UIA in October 2021 – the agency's 11th director in as many years – Director Dale has launched a sweeping transformation of the agency to create a model for fast, fair, and fraud-free service, including:

• Creating a new Economic Dashboard, a transformative tool designed to enhance transparency and guide policy decisions that improve service to Michigan’s workers and employers. It can be found at Michigan.gov/UIAEconomicDashboard.
• Developing the innovative Employer Help Center, found at Michigan.gov/UIAEmployerHelpCenter. The plain language Help Center answers employers’ questions on unemployment tax and claim issues and UIA programs.
• Establishing 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.
• Extending through 2024 nearly 80 limited term employees in the Fraud and Investigations Division.
• 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 contributing to the agency’s case backlogs.
• Rebuilding the UI Trust Fund to more than $2.3 billion (and growing). Weekly benefits are paid to workers from the Trust Fund, which is supported by taxes on employers.
• Halting overpayment collections on claims filed since March 1, 2020, while the agency addresses pending protests and appeals.
• Implementing new ethics and security clearance policies for employees and contractors.

Need help with a claim or have questions?

Meet 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.