Massachusetts Unemployment Weekly Claims

Like many other states, Massachusetts has experienced higher than normal traffic to the unemployment insurance phone system, resulting in busy signals and disconnected calls during peak periods. Please be assured that you will not lose benefits because of these delays.

Since November 2012, the labor and workforce division have more than doubled staff hours and made many adjustments to the technology. To help claimants certify weekly benefits more efficiently, there are some tips below.

By following these suggestions, you will be able to access services you require more effectively.

Certifying Weekly Benefits on the Web: If you have internet access, it is advised to claim weekly benefits online. WebCert allows you to certify for benefits without delay. Additionally, you can verify weekly payment information during the same session using the Claimant Account Inquiry option. To sign up for WebCert, just click the First-Time User Login button on the website and complete the online registration.

If you had formerly registered for online services but have misplaced/forgotten your username and password:

  • call 617-626-5700 to retrieve your username
  • click on the ” Forgot Your Password” link on WebCert Login Page to reset your password

Certifying Weekly Benefits by Phone: You can claim weekly benefits by phone or web. If web is not an option, it is recommend that you call TeleCert after 2:00 pm and later in the week. A recent study showed a 97.5% success rate on calls placed after 2:00 pm on a Sunday. Some delays should be expected if you certify by phone.

New Extended Hours on Sunday for Weekly Certification: Sunday hours have been extended to 10:00 p.m. to let more claimants to certify for previous week’s benefits on the first day.

Account Status: It is easier to access Claimant Account Inquiry on the web rather than to call Check Status on the phone to verify your payment information. Calling Check Status ties up phone lines, blocking individuals who need to get through to file an initial claim or claim weekly benefits.

Payments: Certifying weekly benefits early in the day provides no advantage. All payments are sent at the same time on the next business day. Direct Deposit is the fastest, most dependable way to obtain your benefit payments. Over 40% of claimants are already receiving payments through direct deposit. Sign up for direct deposit.

Heaviest Traffic Times/Days: Busiest times are Sunday through Tuesday, especially from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Long waits and busy signals can be expected during these times. To help space out the calls, please try to call outside of these peak periods, and refrain from using automatic redial as it ties up valuable telephone capacity.

  1. Hi , I was wondering , if I’m on vacation out of the country for 1 week how do I decline benefits for that week ? Do I just not call in for that week ? I’ve been trying to call Dua for 2 weeks to ask this question & can’t get anyone to answer

    • Hi, Marisa – if you’re unavailable to accept work, you should reach out to the Massachusetts unemployment office and let them know. You won’t receive benefits for that week, but it is possible to put your eligibility on hold until you’re once again available to work. What number have you been calling? If you’re not getting an answer, you may be able to try a different line.

  2. Was wondering what it means when it says paid but the status says pending in the payment status? It’s been five weeks stuck like that.

    • Alicia,

      It looks like someone in the Unemployment Office has to click a button to move it forward. Please see if you can follow up.

      • Hi Jeff I filled for unemployment. I did my questionnaire and when I do my weekly claim it says it’s pending because of a questionnaire.

  3. Hello, i filled my weekly claim since sunday, i checked back yesterday it says “paid” and in the issued payment status, it says “pending” since on Tuesday. It is already Wednesday and i want to know how long it will take to get my money in the bank. I used direct deposit.

  4. I had missed submitting my claim for the past two weeks and now when I log on to claim them, it says it has expired. I was able to get reactivated but now I have to wait till the following week to claim again and am not able to claim those weeks. Any advice/suggestions on what I should do? I’m worried when I call in they will just say continue claiming since I don’t lose potential weeks to claim, just can’t claim those missing weeks in June now and I’m worried that will result in ultimately losing potential CARE act payments (since I can only claim July till those payments expire and not June till those payments expire).

    • Benjamin,

      I have the same issue. Did you get those weeks back?

      I called, but they only issued me the prior week and said good luck…

  5. I’m trying ro reach a representative because I’ve been claiming unemployment for 3 weeks and i haven’t got paid i don’t know what going on

    • I haven’t received my check for the week ending 04/11/20 and says it was processed on 04/12/2020. I called in this week and says my claim is all set but still did not get last weeks check

    • Yesenia,

      Please provide more details surrounding your question. You can also check your claim status online, on the department’s website.

  6. I opened a claim for benefits 6-24-2019 they accepted claim called in following Sunday 6-30-2019 they said that my claim is currant. Have called in again and they say currant ,check in payment status was told I don’t have enough in base period to establish anew benefit claim. Have worked for same employer for 10 yrs. What do I do tocorrect this problem

    • Stacy,

      I am not sure what you mean. Can you please provide more details surrounding your question? Alternatively, please also consider visiting an Unemployment Office in the vicinity for a quick resolution.

      • Hi, please, my payment status shows paid, my bank is active cos I used direct deposit option. But the issued payment amount still shows pending. Its been like this for too long! and The two weeks I’ve claimed shows paid but the payment issue amount shows pending.. what do i do??? please help!

  7. I’m unable to contact the Claims Center at all because it states I need to set a 4 digit PIN (which I already had) but the system is not accepting the first four letters of my mother’s maiden name, which of course, I know is correct. It then will prompt back to the initial TeleServe standard greeting and go back to “you need to create a four digit pin”. This also occurs with the TeleServe payment status line. If anyone could help, it is appreciated!!

    • Rebecca,

      You’ll be required to submit periodic work search log in accordance with the rules. For clarification, please call the Claims Center and speak to a representative.

  8. This is my first time collecting, so bear with me. I received my first paper check in the mail, and signed up for DD. I submitted my weekly claim today. When will the direct deposit arrive? Tomorrow? I’ve still got bills to pay and I’m not trying to delve into my savings. Also, I was hired at USPS on Friday, but I won’t be starting for a few weeks, at least. Do I still have to report to this seminar at the career center?

    • Will,

      I suggest you reach out to the Claims Center (by phone) for specific answers to both your questions. In order to ensure uninterrupted weekly payment, you will be required to fulfill certain obligations.

  9. This week, I’m receiving my final reimbursement of expenses (mileage) from my employer and I’m anticipating receiving my tax refund from the IRS.

    Do I need to report those when filing a claim for unemployment benefits?

  10. Today, I couldn’t even log in. It wouldn’t accept the password. It wouldn’t accept my answers to the security questions. I tried calling and because of the number that my Social Security Number ends with, they can’t even take a call from me until tomorrow.

    I just want help with the web site so I can complete my request. Why is it so difficult to do that?

    Does it have to be difficult?

  11. I’ve tried for four hours to complete my claim on the web site, but at some point in the process, I always get an error message that the connection timed out.

    Is there anything I can do to avoid that or is the problem on their end?

    Is it also possible that this is a deliberate attempt to discourage people from filing claims?

    • Steve,

      I don’t think its a deliberate attempt to discourage claimants from applying. I am guessing this can be attributed to website security. Please try clearing browser cache or try a different browser. If it continues, please call the Claims Center for assistance.

  12. I just called claim center and had difficulties to get the clear answer why my home page is not working right.
    The expiration date mentioned on the page is April 2019. Please help to address the issue. Thanks

    • Why does my “current week status” say Paid for two weeks but than on “issued payment status” it says pending for both weeks?

    • I noticed that! i am also having problems. I went to click on “forgot password” as somehow, th einfo that should be correct is not. So, they send me to a page to put in info, and after i do …no errors…nothing just red Xs in circles, stating my info is not correct when i know for a fact it is. Then, last year i wasnt even able to finish the application, because it was listing every single job i ever had back when i was like 15! they are only suppose to go back 5 years!! so, because of this (pretty obvious design flaw on purpose at this point,), i couldnt finish the application!!! they wanted all info i couldnt possibly get, all the way back to the point i began. Because of this, i was unable to file!! this should be ILLEGAL!! this, losing my job of no fault of my own, and now our taxes will be late. wth is going on?! MASSACHUSETTS FIX YOUR DAMN WEBSITE! your setting people up to fail by allowing such glitches to occur so often and right near holidays.

  13. Actually, I tried again after I left previous massage and was able to go on line, but there is no “request weekly benefit ” I can chose, instead I only got “view weekly claims” option. The last week end that I could request was Nov 17. I wasn’t able to request week end Nov 24 and Dec 1. Please help

  14. I request my benefits on Sunday, this sunday the site has been down all day for maintenance. Will I lose my benefits for this week. I tried to call and the message stated the system is down.

      • One of the eligibility questions is, “were you offered employment?”
        If I am, but my start date is a month away – does answering “yes” stop my payments?

        • Moses,

          It will certainly have an impact on the weekly claim amount. Please speak to a representative from the claims center for more.

    • I tried a few times last week, the website not available, and now I tried again for both weeks, still not working. what to do?

    • You won’t lose your weeks benefits you have until Saturday to file for that week but I’ve bee trying since yesterday and still down called as well got the same info as the web site

    • Same problem. And its still down this morning.Monday November 5th.2018. You will not loose your weekly filing. You just wont recieved till the day after you get it called in. So you know if you call in on Sundays you usually recieved your payment on Tuesday. So now if you still cannot call in today you probly wont get your payment till Thursday. If you can get threw the telecert system by today or tomarrow. Im having the same issue. Plus next week being Veterans day it will hold up payments another day as well due to the offices being closed next Monday. Hopefully they will have the maintnance finished quickly. I couldnt even file online yesterday or this morning. Says they are trying to fix the problem and apologize for the inconvenience!! Lol

    • SAME HERE. ITS TERRIBLE. YOU WOULD THINK THEY WOULD HAVE SENT AN EMAIL THAT THE SYSTEM WILL BE DOWN. THEY SHOULD SEND CHECKS AS NORMAL SINCE ITS THEIR FAULT. SO FRUSTRATING.

    • David,

      Please note this is a private website and we do not administer the claims system. Please call the Claims Center for assistance.

  15. i forgot to file sunday 12/31 i did on monday 1/1/18.. online says i was paid then status says pending. will i recieve my funds?

    • Zayna,

      I hope you’ve received the funds by now. If not, please chase the claims center on the phone numbers provided.

  16. I’m due to have an operation for breast cancer in roughly 2-3 weeks, on Dec.5. I will not be able to work, per doctor’s orders for at least another 2 weeks. How will this affect my applying for unemployment benefits?

    • Unemployment Insurance benefits are only extended to those who’re able and available for work.

      Our best wishes for the surgery.

  17. I have been on unemployment for about 2 months now. Every thing has gone “smooth” until now. I called on monday (presidents day) feb 20th. I understand the payment takes 2 days. That should put me at Thursday feb 23rd for payment. Have not received it. Also called the check status line and they stated that a payment of 0.00 was issued on that monday 20th. I am also have trouble obtaining my claiment ID and password to check via online. Please help. Thankyou

    • We’re a private forum and do not have access to the Claims System. Please call the Claims Center for further instructions in this regard.

  18. I filled for unemployment since 11/20/16 and still haven’t received funds it’s been two plus months now, I have been filing every week I tried to call but couldn’t get through I just don’t know how much longer I have to wait.

    • It should not take so long unless they keep you informed about the delay.

      Please consider the option of visiting an office in the vicinity for an update.

  19. How many days after my last work day can I file OR are required to file? Is thee a certain amount of weeks or time before I would receive my first check after last day worked?

    • We suggest that you file as soon as you become unemployed. The first claim takes about 7-10 days to be processed and paid.

  20. I’ve been signed in and collecting for three weeks and then this week it says I’m not eligible, why?

  21. Just got layed off today. Been working since 16 yrs.old never collected before.I am 54 yrs. Old. Do the early years count towards benefits. If not I took weekly gross times 4.333 then times 3 for quarterly wages. Is this correct? Thank you. Little overwhelmed to say the least!

    • Generally,most of the states consider wages earned during 4 of the last 5 calender quarters. You should be eligible to receive UI. Please consider applying for benefits.

  22. Have been unable to “request benefits” last week and this week. There is no longer an option to do so on my webcert account. When I call to request through Telecert I just get a message saying that I can request benefits after a certain date . . . as if I successfully requested benefits for the current week. What’s going on? I know EUC has not been extended but we are being instructed to file our weekly claims anyway, except there is no way for me to do so.

  23. What’s going on? I have not received a weekly payment since applying for benefits on Nov 1, 2013. 8 weeks. Now I find I can’t claim benefits because both the web and phone systems are down. Not good

  24. I tried to submit my still employed questionnere and it’s telling me that Employer information is required for Still Employed – Full Time Employment issues. (0).. I was hired as a full time and clicked yes to confirm it but it kept bouncing me out. So I just clicked no and it was submitted. I put detailed notes stating I am a full time employee will it bounce to me that I was incorrect on my report?

  25. I filled out the form 10/8/13 and it said my application was being processed. I never received anything through my email and now I am trying to get on to put in my claim for this week and it keeps telling me my ss# is not correct and won’t let me continue. I am going on webcart. Help!

    • I think you should have received something in the mail – a financial determination. Have you checked the status of your claim online? It seems you may have typed your ss# wrong. You could try applying again, this may involve backdating your claim – which may mean you have to have a person in the unemployment office help you – if you try it yourself online try to put the original start date. You could also try by phone. You probably have used this, but here’s the link:
      https://www.mass.gov/node/7226

  26. Received letter saying I qualify for benefits starting 10/12/2013.Called teleclaim center all week cannot get through nor do I understand how to use website to open claim. Thank you,

    • This is not the unemployment office – I deleted your personal information – this is a public website.

      https://www.massresources.org/ This link has a lot of helpful information.

      If you want to apply online: https://www.mass.gov/node/7226 (which I found by first starting at the link above)
      If you are on this page, look for “log in to your account” and just below it you will see the links you need to get started.

  27. Have been set up for weekly claim – but have not received any payment after 3 weeks- tried to call unemployment office – and there is no customer service response-says to call back next day-very frustrating – trying to figure out when I will be compensated and what I need to do to receive weekly benefit until I find a new situation of employment -Thanks for the help

    • You may find information online at the Massachusetts Unemployment website. We are not the unemployment office. I have noticed an upswing in people from Massachusetts posting problems here – perhaps high volume of unemployment in the state?

  28. I have been calling the Tele Center all day, it just says that it is closed, gives regular business hours. Why is this? I was told to call on Sunday.

  29. Hi, I can not set up my pin. Been trying for a week and I keep getting told the system is down. Can’t claim my weekly benefits without it. What am I supposed to do?

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