Massachusetts Unemployment Application

Generally it takes about 3 weeks to process a claim; however you will still require claiming benefits every week. Once a determination is made, and if you are entitled, you will get checks for the weeks that you claimed before. In case you do not claim benefits while your claim is being processed, you will have to talk with a representative to re-open your claim, and you may not be qualified to obtain benefits for those weeks.

Information Needed

Be sure to have these information ready before you file your claim:

  • Your Social Security Number
  • The year you were born
  • Your home address and telephone number
  • Whether you have filed an unemployment insurance claim in Massachusetts or in any other state during the past 12 months
  • Your last day of employment
  • The names and addresses of all of the employers you have worked for during the 15 months before filing your claim and the dates you worked for each of these employers. If you are reopening a claim, be prepared with the same information for the past 8 weeks
  • The reason that you are no longer working or that your hours have been reduced
  • The names, dates of birth and social security numbers for any dependent children, if you are going to apply for dependency allowance
  • Your alien registration number if you are not a U.S. citizen

If You Are Not a United States Citizen

You must provide confirmation that you were legally eligible to work in Massachusetts and that you are presently qualified to begin a new job. Be prepared with this verification.

File by Phone

You must contact TeleClaim Center in order to file your initial claims or reactivate an existing claim. The telephone numbers to call is 1-617-626-6800 or toll free 1-877-626-6800 from area codes 351, 413, 508, 774 and 978.

File in Person

You may file your claim in person at a walk-in site, located at One-Stop Career Centers all through Massachusetts.

Some walk-in sites have limited hours. Verify the hours of the walk-in site nearest you.

Note: During times of high volume or other special situation, One-Stop Career Centers may alter their UI Walk-In operating hours, or customers may be given an appointment to return on a different day/time to avoid long waits.

At walk-in sites, you can:

  • File a new claim for benefits
  • Reopen an existing claim
  • Be interviewed if there are issues that affect your eligibility
  • Resolve problems with your claim
  • Attend a career seminar session

File Online

Use WebCert to file for your weekly unemployment insurance benefits and login using your username and password

Note: If you have not filed or reopened an unemployment claim you must do so before you can begin to use Webcert.

In order to initiate an unemployment claim, call 617-626-6800 or from area codes 508, 978, or 413, call 877-626-6800. Claimants outside of Massachusetts must call 617-626-6800.

Want to know about how much you will receive?? —–> Calculate benefits

Unemployed?? ——> Check Eligibility

  1. I completed an application online. In spite of having proofread it, there was missing information. This past Friday (12/27/2019), when I visited the DUA office, I was told I could correct the errors online and that the deadline was 12/28/2019. I logged in to my account, but could not find anything to click on that would let me make any corrections. Please help me. Also, why is there a deadline, and what is the penalty for missing it?

  2. My son is very mentally disabled with very limited speech. He is on strike from Stop and Shop. I am 82. I tried to do the unemployment on the computer but I can not do it.

    Is there any help for the disabled?

  3. I have filed for unemployment on October 20th 2017 and have been claiming every week up until the present day which is 12/29/2017. I keep calling the DUA and I am told they are short staffed and can’t give me a date range of whether I will reciev e unemployment or not. My pending issue is due to me being discharged and it has been almost 10 weeks and each week it says “hold”. What do I do? I tried calling the DUA again and now I can’t even get a hold of a representative! How do they expect me to live. I am looking for a job. This is so frustrating!

    • Mike,

      I can understand your frustration. I am guessing this happened due to the holiday season. Please call and ask for a supervisor or consider the option of visiting an office in the vicinity.

  4. Trying to get extension of benefits but have only received voice mails saying “longer than average wait time”. I have been trying for 3 weeks!!!!

  5. I recently quit my job to focus on my studies due to being a fulltime student at BunkerHill community college. Do I qualify for benefits while I’m attending school?

    • You may not be eligible since unemployment insurance is only extended to those who become unemployed due to involuntary reasons.

      Please call the Unemployment Office for further clarification.

  6. I have call to open a claim but they tell me to call the next day because they r busy no matter when I call this has gong on for 3 days now what can I do????

    • The only way you can get through with them is by calling different numbers.

      Please check the official website for contact information. Insist on speaking to a supervisor.

  7. Massachusetts’ logic:

    “You never made the amount of money that would qualify you as an investment for us, so clearly, you don’t need help at all. That’s right- believe it or not, you’re too poor and unfortunate to need help. You’re obviously some mystical, other-worldy being that doesn’t require food, shelter, or medical care. Now, stop infecting our gene pool and please disappear so we can sit in peace and twiddle our thumbs and hand out thousand-dollar MBTA passes like candy to career criminals who are in no financial need whatsoever. This is Massachusetts: we’re not here to help you, and we hope you die.”

  8. My social security number is not being accepted on line. I am unemployed single mom and need to find out what steps I need to be taken so I can start getting the unemployment finished and start receiving income.

    I tried to call and can’t get through.

    I don’t know where the there are locations I can stop in.

    Thank y ou

  9. ihgood night I would like to apply for unemployment I wanted to know if in leaving the country for 8weeks can I still call and collect or can I wait till I am back the country and start collecting

  10. I retired in June of 2012. To compensate my income I took a part time job. Unfortunately, the company is closing and I need to know if I can collect unemployment. I worked 24 hours a week. I do receive a retirement from the Worcester County Retirement. I retired from a school system. I am confused when I come to the part of the application that asked about pensions. Do I list my pension, and if so, how? Thank you.

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