Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency requires bi-weekly certification through MiWAM — the Michigan Web Account Manager — at michigan.gov/uia. Unlike most states that certify weekly, Michigan claimants certify every two weeks, covering the two most recent weeks in a single session. This bi-weekly structure is important to understand: missing a certification period forfeits payment for both weeks. Michigan has a maximum of 20 weeks of benefits — losing a bi-weekly certification forfeits 10% of your total potential benefit window.
- Michigan certifies bi-weekly — every two weeks through MiWAM. Each session covers two weeks. Missing a session forfeits both weeks' payment.
- Report all earnings, job offers, work search activity, and availability changes accurately during each certification.
- Certification opens on Sunday after your two-week period ends — complete it before the Saturday closing deadline.
Always verify exact numbers, deadlines, and forms on the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency's official website – this page provides general guidance, not state-specific legal advice.
What MiWAM Asks During Certification
Each bi-weekly MiWAM certification covers both weeks in the period with these core questions: Did you work or earn wages in either week? Were you able and available for full-time work in each week? Did you refuse any job offers? Did you make your required 2 work search contacts in each week? Answer each question for each week separately. Michigan UIA cross-matches your certification answers against employer quarterly wage data — discrepancies in earnings reporting generate overpayment notices and fraud flags.
Reporting Part-Time Earnings
Report gross earnings — before taxes — for work performed in each week of the certification period, even if you have not received the paycheck yet. Enter the amount earned, not the amount deposited. Michigan allows a small earnings disregard; earnings above that amount reduce your benefit dollar-for-dollar for that week. Certify both weeks together but enter the correct earnings for each specific week. Even in weeks where your earnings reduce your benefit to zero, certify accurately — that week still counts toward your 20-week maximum and preserving your claim record matters for any retroactive corrections.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why does Michigan certify bi-weekly instead of weekly?
- Michigan UIA implemented bi-weekly certification as an administrative efficiency measure — processing claims in two-week batches reduces system load and administrative costs. Most states use weekly certification, but Michigan's MiWAM system is designed around the bi-weekly cycle. For claimants, the practical difference is that you certify less frequently but each certification covers two weeks of benefit questions at once. The risk is also doubled per session: missing the bi-weekly window forfeits both weeks' payment rather than just one. Set a calendar reminder for your certification due date — missing it is the most common preventable cause of lost benefits in Michigan's UI system.
- I missed my Michigan bi-weekly certification. Can I certify late and recover both weeks?
- Michigan UIA generally does not allow retroactive certification for missed bi-weekly periods — both weeks' payment is typically forfeited. If you missed a certification due to circumstances genuinely beyond your control — a documented medical emergency, a natural disaster, or a verified MiWAM system outage — contact the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency immediately and explain the situation with documentation. UIA evaluates these case-by-case. Approval for late certification is uncommon but possible in documented emergencies. Prevention is far more effective: set phone calendar alerts for your bi-weekly due date. Michigan's 20-week maximum makes each missed certification twice as costly as missing a weekly certification in other states.
- I worked part-time last week earning $300 and this week earning $0. How do I certify in MiWAM?
- Report each week's earnings separately in MiWAM: $300 for the first week and $0 for the second. MiWAM applies Michigan's earnings formula to each week independently. For the first week, your benefit is reduced by the amount your $300 earnings exceed Michigan's small disregard. For the second week, you receive your full weekly benefit amount. Total payment for the two-week certification period = reduced week one benefit + full week two benefit. Always enter gross earnings (before taxes), not take-home pay. Entering $0 in both weeks when you earned $300 in one week is underreporting — Michigan UIA will identify this through employer wage cross-matching and issue an overpayment notice.
- MiWAM is showing an error when I try to certify. The deadline is tomorrow. What should I do?
- Screenshot or record the error message with a timestamp immediately. Try a different browser (Chrome and Firefox typically work better with MiWAM than Internet Explorer or Edge). Clear your browser cache. If MiWAM continues to error, call the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency immediately — do not wait until after the deadline. Explain the technical issue and request assistance completing the certification by phone or note. Michigan UIA can process certifications by phone in documented technical failure situations. Your documentation of the error and the call attempt is evidence that you tried to certify on time. Document everything: the error, the time, the browser, and any reference number from your call to UIA.
- I am going on a planned vacation for two weeks. Will this affect my Michigan UI certification?
- Yes. You must be "able and available" for full-time work in each week you certify for benefits. If you travel on vacation during a benefit week, you are generally not available for immediate work, which disqualifies you for that week under Michigan UI rules. Two options: take the two weeks off from UI and do not certify for those vacation weeks (preserving those two weeks in your 20-week window for future use), or accept that certifying "available" during vacation weeks when you are not actually available is a misrepresentation that creates an overpayment. The most straightforward approach is to defer certification for vacation weeks — Michigan allows partial benefit periods — and certify again when you return and are genuinely available for work.