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Home Em ployment &a mp; Unemployment Unemployment Insurance How to apply for Unemployment Insurance in Ma ssachusettsHow to apply for Unemployment Insurance in Massachusetts
Al so in Es pañol Listen Sh ow En dnotes By Gr eater Bo ston Le gal Se rvices Re viewed Reviewed No vember 20 23 Te xtIf you lo
Wi se yo ur jo b, you may be ab le to get Unemployment Insurance (U I) be nefits. Le arn mo re ab out wh ether you qu alify for UI and wh at be nefits you can ge t. On ce you apply for UI, you may be wo ndering wh en you wi ll he ar ba ck and wh at ot her st eps you ne ed to ta ke to get yo ur benefits. dgets Ap ply on line, by ph one, or in pe rson You can apply for UI on line . In formation ab out UI be nefits and in structions for how to apply on line are al so av ailable in Sp anish, Po rtuguese, Ha itian Cr eole, Ch inese, Vi etnamese, Ru ssian, Kh mer, La o, It alian, Fr ench, Ko rean, and Ar abic . You can al so apply for UI ov er the ph one wi th the De partment of Unemployment As sistance (D UA): 87 7-626-6800. He lp is av ailable in ma ny la nguages ov er the ph one. To apply in pe rson, you mu st ma ke an ap pointment at DU A’s Bo ston Re -Employment Ce nter, 2 Av enue de La fayette, Bo ston, MA 02 111.See the DUA we
bsite to le arn wh at in formation you wi ll ne ed for yo ur ap plication or “claim.”It so
metimes ta kes se veral we eks to get a de cision ab out yo ur UI be nefits. You ne ed to st art re questing be nefits and “c ertifying” yo ur job se arch the we ek af ter you ap ply, ev en if you ha ve not he ard fr om DUA yet .Th
Re is vi deo by the DUA ex plains how to use the UI Online sy stem to fi le for Ma ssachusetts Unemployment Benefits. mote vi deo URL Re quest we ekly be nefitsYou ne ed to ask for Unemployment Insurance (U I) be nefits ea ch we ek you are un employed, st arting the we ek af ter you apply for UI. The be nefits you get are for the we ek be fore. You can re quest we ekly be nefits ei ther on line or by phone:
Online: On UI Online , go to “R equest be nefit pa yment.” Ph one: Ca ll (6 17) 626-6338.Ma ke su re you have:
Yo ur so cial se curity number, The am ount of wa ges you ea rned if you wo rked du ring the we ek you are re questing UI fo r, and Yo ur Te leCert 4- digit PIN (if you are re questing by phone).See mo re de tailed in structions on the DUA website.
ce rtify “C ertify” th at you are lo oking for wo rkOn ce you apply for Unemployment Insurance , you ne ed to ce rtify yo ur wo rk se arch ev ery we ek by ph one or on line. Th is me ans you ne ed to be lo oking for a job and ha ve pr oof if th ey ask yo u. You al so ne ed to ce rtify any ea rnings. Vi sit DU A’s website for in structions on how to ce rtify by ph one or online.
You ne ed to st art ce rtifying 1 we ek af ter you ap ply, ev en if you ha ven't he ard fr om DUA yet.
The DUA re quires th at you:
do at le ast 3 “w ork se arch ac tivities” ea ch we ek you get benefits; ke ep a log of th ese wo rk se arches; and sh ow th is log to DUA if th ey ask.See a sa mple wo rk se arch log . “W ork se arch ac tivities” in clude ac tivities li ke fi lling out a job ap plication, go ing to a job in terview, lo oking at job po stings on line, or co ntacting an employer.
If DUA de nies yo ur application , ke ep ce rtifying wh ile you are ap pealing. If you win yo ur ap peal you can get be nefits ba ck to the da te you ap plied for UI.
Pr ove yo ur id entity and an swer ot her qu estions fr om DUAIf DUA as ks you to pr ove yo ur id entity, th ey se nd you a le tter or em ail as king you to use the we bsite ID.me to se nd th em pr oof. See How can I pr ove my identity? to le arn how to sh ow proof.
DUA mi ght al so ask ot her qu estions to ma ke su re you are el igible for UI be nefits. Th ey se nd you a qu estionnaire and a de adline to an swer it. You can an swer it on line, by ph one, or by ma il. Le arn mo re ab out how to an swer re quests for information ab out yo ur ap plication on the DU A’s website.
Important
Ev en if you ha ven't he ard ba ck fr om the DUA ye t, you ne ed to re quest we ekly be nefits and “c ertify” th at you are lo oking for wo rk ea ch we ek af ter you apply for UI.
See the DUA we
bsite to le arn wh at in formation you wi ll ne ed for yo ur ap plication or “claim.”It so
metimes ta kes se veral we eks to get a de cision ab out yo ur UI be nefits. You ne ed to st art re questing be nefits and “c ertifying” yo ur job se arch the we ek af ter you ap ply, ev en if you ha ve not he ard fr om DUA yet .Th
Re is vi deo by the DUA ex plains how to use the UI Online sy stem to fi le for Ma ssachusetts Unemployment Benefits. mote vi deo URL 2 Re quest we ekly be nefitsYou ne ed to ask for Unemployment Insurance (U I) be nefits ea ch we ek you are un employed, st arting the we ek af ter you apply for UI. The be nefits you get are for the we ek be fore. You can re quest we ekly be nefits ei ther on line or by phone:
Online: On UI Online , go to “R equest be nefit pa yment.” Ph one: Ca ll (6 17) 626-6338.Ma ke su re you have:
Yo ur so cial se curity number, The am ount of wa ges you ea rned if you wo rked du ring the we ek you are re questing UI fo r, and Yo ur Te leCert 4- digit PIN (if you are re questing by phone).See mo re de tailed in structions on the DUA website.
3 “C ertify” th at you are lo oking for wo rkOn ce you apply for Unemployment In surance, you ne ed to ce rtify yo ur wo rk se arch ev ery we ek by ph one or on line. Th is me ans you ne ed to be lo oking for a job and ha ve pr oof if th ey ask yo u. You al so ne ed to ce rtify any ea rnings. Vi sit DU A’s website for in structions on how to ce rtify by ph one or online.
You ne ed to st art ce rtifying 1 we ek af ter you ap ply, ev en if you ha ven't he ard fr om DUA yet.
The DUA re quires th at you:
do at le ast 3 “w ork se arch ac tivities” ea ch we ek you get benefits; ke ep a log of th ese wo rk se arches; and sh ow th is log to DUA if th ey ask.See a sa mple wo rk se arch log . “W ork se arch ac tivities” in clude ac tivities li ke fi lling out a job ap plication, go ing to a job in terview, lo oking at job po stings on line, or co ntacting an employer.
If DUA de nies yo ur application , ke ep ce rtifying wh ile you are ap pealing. If you win yo ur ap peal you can get be nefits ba ck to the da te you ap plied for UI.
4 Pr ove yo ur id entity and an swer ot her qu estions fr om DUAIf DUA as ks you to pr ove yo ur id entity, th ey se nd you a le tter or em ail as king you to use the we bsite ID.me to se nd th em pr oof. See How can I pr ove my identity? to le arn how to sh ow proof.
DUA mi ght al so ask ot her qu estions to ma ke su re you are el igible for UI be nefits. Th ey se nd you a qu estionnaire and a de adline to an swer it. You can an swer it on line, by ph one, or by ma il. Le arn mo re ab out how to an swer re quests for information ab out yo ur ap plication on the DU A’s website.
Important
Ev en if you ha ven't he ard ba ck fr om the DUA ye t, you ne ed to re quest we ekly be nefits and “c ertify” th at you are lo oking for wo rk ea ch we ek af ter you apply for UI.
He
How wi aring ba ck fr om the De partment of Unemployment As sistance (DUA) ll DUA te ll me if I am ap proved for Unemployment In surance? Af
Th ese le tters wi ll te ll you if the DUA has de cided to gi ve you be nefits or no t. Sa ve th ese letters! If the DUA sa ys you ca nnot get be nefits, you wi ll ne ed in formation fr om the le tters to ask th em to lo ok at yo ur ca se mo re ca refully. See How to ap peal . It is im portant th at you ap peal any of th ese de cisions th at you di sagree wi th separately.
The DUA is bu sy. It so metimes ta kes se veral we eks to get a de cision on yo ur Unemployment Insurance benefits.
If you ha ve wa ited se veral we eks and st ill ha ven’t he ard ba ck fr om the DU A, you can try ca lling yo ur st ate re presentative or se nator. Th ey can so metimes ca ll DUA on yo ur be half, wh ich mi ght he lp get the ag ency's at tention. Fi nd out who yo ur re presentative and se nator are.
You can al so ca ll DUA at 877-626-6800.
Wh at if DUA de nies me UI be nefits?If the De partment of Unemployment As sistance (D UA) sa ys you ca nnot get UI be nefits, you can ask it to lo ok at yo ur ca se ag ain. Th is is ca lled ap pealing a de nial. Le arn how to ap peal a denial .
It is im portant th at you ap peal the de nial wi thin 10 da ys of ge tting the DU A’s decision.
How lo ng do es it ta ke to get my UI be nefits?You get UI be
nefits ei ther th rough di rect de posit to yo ur ba nk ac count or a de bit ca rd . Bu t, yo ur pv rkjttcdgtz be nefit pa yment wi ll be a pa per ch eck.If you set up di
rect de posit to a ch ecking or sa vings ac count, it wi ll ta ke 9 bu siness da ys to ve rify yo ur ba nk ac count. Af ter th at, ea ch we ek on ce the DUA ap proves yo ur re quest for be nefits, it wi ll ta ke 2 bu siness da ys for the mo ney to be de posited in to yo ur account.To ch
eck the st atus of yo ur pa yment, ca ll (6 17) 626-6563.To set up, ch
Ex ange, or st op di rect de posits of yo ur UI be nefits, ca ll the DUA Di rect De posit Li ne at (6 17) 626-6570. pand All How wi ll DUA te ll me if I am ap proved for Unemployment In surance? Af
Th ese le tters wi ll te ll you if the DUA has de cided to gi ve you be nefits or no t. Sa ve th ese letters! If the DUA sa ys you ca nnot get be nefits, you wi ll ne ed in formation fr om the le tters to ask th em to lo ok at yo ur ca se mo re ca refully. See How to ap peal . It is im portant th at you ap peal any of th ese de cisions th at you di sagree wi th separately.
The DUA is bu sy. It so metimes ta kes se veral we eks to get a de cision on yo ur Unemployment Insurance benefits.
If you ha ve wa ited se veral we eks and st ill ha ven’t he ard ba ck fr om the DU A, you can try ca lling yo ur st ate re presentative or se nator. Th ey can so metimes ca ll DUA on yo ur be half, wh ich mi ght he lp get the ag ency's at tention. Fi nd out who yo ur re presentative and se nator are.
You can al so ca ll DUA at 877-626-6800.
Wh at if DUA de nies me UI be nefits?If the De partment of Unemployment As sistance (D UA) sa ys you ca nnot get UI be nefits, you can ask it to lo ok at yo ur ca se ag ain. Th is is ca lled ap pealing a de nial. Le arn how to ap peal a denial .
It is im portant th at you ap peal the de nial wi thin 10 da ys of ge tting the DU A’s decision.
How lo ng do es it ta ke to get my UI be nefits?You get UI be
nefits ei ther th rough di rect de posit to yo ur ba nk ac count or a de bit ca rd . Bu t, yo ur pv rkjttcdgtz be nefit pa yment wi ll be a pa per ch eck.If you set up di
rect de posit to a ch ecking or sa vings ac count, it wi ll ta ke 9 bu siness da ys to ve rify yo ur ba nk ac count. Af ter th at, ea ch we ek on ce the DUA ap proves yo ur re quest for be nefits, it wi ll ta ke 2 bu siness da ys for the mo ney to be de posited in to yo ur account.To ch
eck the st atus of yo ur pa yment, ca ll (6 17) 626-6563.To set up, ch
ange, or st op di rect de posits of yo ur UI be nefits, ca ll the DUA Di rect De posit Li ne at (6 17) 626-6570.See mo
Unemployment Insurance Em re in ployment &a mp; Unemployment Re source Bo xes Mo re Re sources Co ntact the De partment of Unemployment As sistance UI - Co ntact the De partment of Unemployment As sistance On line: Log in to UI Online to apply for UI, ap peal a de nial, re quest we ekly be nefits, and mo re. Phone: 87 7-626-6800. Op en 8: 30 AM – 4: 30 PM, Mo nday – Fr iday. You can get he lp in ma ny di fferent la nguages . Mo re UI in formation UI - Mo re UI in formation Fi nd ge neral in formation at the DU A's we bsite . Fi nd de tailed in formation in the Unemployment Insurance Ad vocacy Gu ide , wr itten by le gal aid la wyers.Feedback
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