First and foremost, apply as soon as you lose the job. State unemployment offices generally take 1-3 weeks to process your application, especially for the initial claim. The compensation will be paid from the week you applied and if you delay, you will lose the benefits prior to the week of filing. You won't be allowed to back-date your claims or claim the benefits for prior weeks.
Maine Unemployment Compensation Eligibility Requirements
There are some basic rules for eligibility. Even if you meet some of these rules partially, you should still apply for unemployment because state offices make a reasonable attempt to process your claim, as long as you provide a good justification.
- You must have lost your job through no fault of your own. That means if you have quit job voluntarily you may not qualify for unemployment insurance. However, there are exceptions - such as working in hazardous or inhuman working conditions etc. to this rule.
- You must be willing and able to work. If you are physically disabled, you do not qualify.
- You must have worked minimum number of weeks specified by the State. Colorado State minimum weeks of covered employment requirement (employer must have paid unemployment taxes on your behalf):
- You must have earned minimum amount of wages specified by State during this period. This amount may change every year. You can get get complete eligibility criteria and the benefits calculator from state website mentioned in the next section. Minimum wages earned during the base period:
Prepare documents required to apply for unemployment in ME
- Your name, address, social security number and other personal details such as telephone number, email address etc.
- Dependents name, date of birth and their social security number.
- Details of your previous employer. For each employer, you need to provide
- Name and address
- Telephone number
- Start and end dates of employment
- If you had out-of-state employment in the past 18 months, you also need to provide the employment details.
- Reason you lost the job – it has to be involuntary to be eligible to receive benefits.
- Your job skills summary
- If you are not an US citizen, keep your alien registration number and work authorization. However if you are on a work visa such as H1-B, immigration experts do not advise claiming unemployment insurance.
Apply for Benefits or Claim Extension
You can submit your application for unemployment compensation online, off-line (by mail or by visiting local employment office) or through telephone. Online application is the quickest and most efficient option which will also be available 24x7, 7 days a week.
Prepare and submit your application online here
If you choose to file over phone, call the unemployment compensation services toll-free number at 1-800-593-7660.TTY (for Deaf and hard of hearing): 1-888-457-8884; Unemployment Tax Related Queries: (207) 621-5120; Appeal: (207) 621-5001
If you are applying for unemployment extension in Maine, make sure you check the latest rules. Many states are in the process of revising the rules to extend the benefits beyond the initial period. Also, remember that you need to report unemployment benefits as an income when you file taxes with IRS at the end of the year.
All the major cities in Maine including Portland, Lewiston, and Bangor have an unemployment office location to process unemployment claims. You can visit the local office for consultation or to file for unemployment in person
Maine Unemployment Rate (Trend)
The graph below shows the current and historical unemployment rate in the state
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the base period?
The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the first day of your benefit year. We will use the last four completed quarters if you are not eligible using the regular base period quarters.
How long will I receive unemployment benefits?
The law establishes the maximum amount you may draw during your benefit year. This amount depends on your individual earnings and is limited to a maximum of 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits. Not all individuals qualify for all 26 weeks. You may also qualify for up to 20 additional weeks of benefits under a temporary Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Benefit program. (Additional benefits may also be available under Special Programs.)
Does Maine offer Employment Training Help?
Training is available. The Maine Department of Labor is a workforce development agency and uses a variety of federal and state programs. Workers who lose their jobs due to foreign imports may be eligible for training and other services if their employers have been "certified" under the Trade Adjustment Assistance laws (TAA). A list of certified employers is available under the Special Programs section. Contact the CareerCenter for more information.
Emergency Unemployment and Extended Benefits
Two temporary programs are providing extra weeks of unemployment benefits to workers who have run out of their up to 26 weeks of Regular Unemployment.
Emergency Unemployment Compensation for workers who have run out of Regular Unemployment and are still unemployed. It provides additional weeks of benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation (Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4)
Extended Benefits for workers who have run out of both Regular Unemployment and Emergency Unemployment Compensation and are still unemployed. This program provides up to 13 more weeks of benefits after Regular Unemployment benefits and Emergency Unemployment Compensation have run out.
Maximum Amount of Benefits
The maximum amount of benefits that may be paid to any eligible individual with respect to any benefit year, whether for total or partial unemployment, may not exceed the lesser of 26 times the individual's weekly benefit amount or 33 1/3%, rounded to the nearest dollar, of the individual's total wages paid for insured work during the individual's base period, plus the supplemental weekly benefit for dependents payable under subsection 6.
Minimum Wage Eligibility Criteria
For each eligible individual establishing a benefit year on or after January 1, 1980, the individual has been paid wages equal to or exceeding 2 times the annual average weekly wage for insured work in each of 2 different quarters in the individual's base period and has been paid total wages equal to or exceeding 6 times the annual average weekly wage in the individual's base period for insured work. The annual average weekly wage amount to be used for purposes of this subsection is that which is applicable at the time the individual files a request for determination of insured status.
Next steps
After you have submitted your application, you should actively look out for work because the benefits you receive will not be enough to cover your living expenses. The best thing to do is to take a look at your job skills and determine if you want to improve or learn new skills so that you can use this opportunity to revive your career. There are plenty of online opportunities to earn a living while working from home.
State Unemployment Guides
Ohio Unemployment Benefits GuidePennsylvania Unemployment Benefits Guide
Texas Unemployment Benefits Guide
Nevada Unemployment Benefits Guide
Oregon Unemployment Benefits Guide
South Carolina Unemployment Benefits Guide
Maine Unemployment Benefits Guide
Missouri Unemployment Benefits Guide
California Unemployment Benefits Guide
Wisconsin Unemployment Benefits Guide
Michigan Unemployment Benefits Guide
NJ Unemployment Benefits Guide
Florida Unemployment Benefits Guide
NY Unemployment Benefits Guide
Utah Unemployment Benefits
New Mexico Unemployment Benefits
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Massachusetts Unemployment Benefits
Arizona Unemployment Benefits Guide
NH Unemployment Benefits Guide
Washington Unemployment Benefits Guide
Maryland Unemployment Benefits Guide
Kansas Unemployment Benefits Guide
Georgia Unemployment Benefits Guide
Illinois Unemployment Benefits Guide
Colorado Unemployment Benefits Guide
North Carolina Unemployment Benefits Guide
