UIA expands virtual Coaching Session choices, including Spanish-language option for first-time filers

The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) today announced three more virtual Coaching Sessions to help claimants better understand the filing process and their responsibilities when receiving benefits. One of the new choices is a Spanish-language version of the First-time Filer Coaching Session, making this training accessible to more Michiganders.

Coaching Sessions are one of the many ways UIA is working to ensure all Michiganders can access the benefits they deserve, including the UIA Claimant Roadmap, and the Community Connect Program. These and other resources are available to all Michiganders who need help navigating the unemployment benefits process.

The new sessions are:

• Know Your Protest and Appeal Rights. This session explains the protest and appeal process if a filer disagrees with a decision by the UIA. Users will learn what, how, and when to protest or appeal.
• Seeking Work/Registration Requirements. This session explains the next steps a claimant needs to follow after filing for unemployment benefits.
• First-time Filer Coaching Session in Spanish. This session -- which is also offered in English -- teaches anyone new to filing for unemployment how to apply for benefits and is based on the six steps outlined in the UIA Claimant Roadmap.

Also available is the weekly Understanding Your Monetary Determination Letter Coaching Session. This session walks workers through the letter that tells workers whether their claim was allowed or denied and how that decision was reached.

The free online Coaching Sessions provide support for claimants in a group setting with a seasoned UIA staff member so they have a better understanding of the benefit-filing process. Claimants do not have to attend a Coaching Session to receive benefits.

These sessions are not intended to address individual claims. Questions about individual claims can be answered by claimants calling 1-866-500-0017, chatting with an agent in MiWAM, or scheduling an appointment.

Claimants can sign up for any session, offered throughout the week, using the Online Coaching Sessions Page at Michigan.gov/UIA. The sessions allow for topical questions and answers in an online chat forum, providing clarity on key aspects of filing for and maintaining benefits.

Topics for Coaching Sessions are based on feedback from claimants who reach the agency by phone, chat, or attend an appointment at a Local Office.

Enhancing access for Michigan’s workers

The UIA’s expanded services are supported by a $6.8 million U.S. Department of Labor grant awarded in 2022 to ensure equitable access to unemployment services. This funding has enabled the agency to provide resources such as the Coaching Sessions and the Community Connect program.

Community Connect liaisons assist residents and employers across the state with unemployment tax, claim filing, and payment processes. To date, liaisons have attended more than 900 events in 77 of Michigan’s 83 counties.

Additionally, the grant has allowed the UIA to implement a robust Language Access Plan which will ensure equitable access to services for limited English speakers.

The Coaching Sessions and Community Connect Program are important resources for workers that were developed by the UIA as part of a wide-scale transformation of the agency. Others include:

• Expanding the ability to schedule in-person, phone, or virtual appointment times from seven to 14 days in advance. Appointments can be made at Michigan.gov/UIA.
• Renovating UIA Local Offices in Grand Rapids, Lansing, Saginaw, and Sterling Heights to create an improved user experience and make security upgrades.
• Adding six advocates to the Advocacy Program to provide free legal help to workers and employers who have UIA redetermination appeals.

Commitment to modernization

Other recent UIA accomplishments to improve the agency include:

• Launched the UIA Economic Dashboard, a deep dive into underlying trends in unemployment insurance in Michigan. Data provides a rich understanding of the impacts of unemployment across industries, occupations, and communities, and provides insights into which sectors are experiencing layoffs, claimant demographics, and the regions most affected. Access the dashboard at Michigan.gov/UIAEconomicDashboard.
• Formed a coalition of thought leaders from the labor, business, and jobless advocate communities as part of the UIA Modernization Workgroup to provide insight on significant improvements in how the agency can better serve Michigan workers and employers.
• Developed the Employer Help Center, a plain language guide that answers employers’ questions on unemployment tax and claim issues and UIA programs. The innovative Help Center can be found at Michigan.gov/UIAEmployerHelpCenter.
• Issued savings to employers for the 2025 tax year by lowering the taxable wage base to $9,000 per employee, based on growing the Unemployment Trust Fund to nearly $2.8 billion.
• Introduced new ethics and security policies for employees and contractors.
• Extended employment for nearly 80 temporary staff in Fraud and Investigations Division through June 2025.
• Worked with local, state, and federal law enforcement to catch bad actors. Since March 2020, 166 individuals have been charged, 125 convicted, and 106 sentenced to prison and must pay restitution for stealing taxpayer money and unemployment benefits.
• Received 100 percent scores on employer audit from the USDOL for the fifth year in a row, from 2020-24, meeting the reasonable assurance of quality benchmark.
• Introduced comprehensive training programs for Benefits Customer Service and Benefits Operations staff.
• Suspended overpayment collections on claims filed since March 1, 2020, while addressing pending protests and appeals.

Need help or have questions about a claim?

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

Chat with an agent: Log into your MiWAM account during normal business hours.

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

Ask Ava: Our chatbot at Michigan.gov/UIA can answer many general questions.

Find answers: View FAQs, videos, toolkits, and other resources at Michigan.gov/UIA.