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Your rights and responsibilities as a claimant

Educate yourself about your rights and responsibilities as a claimant while receiving Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits.

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Your rights as a claimant

You may file an appeal with the Hearings Department within 10 calendar days of the mailing date on your Notice of Disqualification.
  • You have the right to appeal decisions made by the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) relating to your claim. In many instances, your former employer also has the right to appeal.
  • If either you or your former employer appeal within the period of time allowed by law, you will have the right to a hearing
  • You have the right to see any materials relating to your claim. Your unemployment records are considered confidential, and are not available to anyone (with the exception of your former employer) unless you provide authorization to DUA.
  • If you believe someone has applied for unemployment benefits using your personal information, use our secure fraud reporting form to alert us or call the DUA customer service department at (877) 626-6800.

Key Actions   for Your rights as a claimant

Appeal your unemployment benefits decision  Report unemployment benefits fraud 

Request weekly benefits

You must request weekly benefits every week that you are unemployed. No payment will be issued for any week that you fail to certify your eligibility for Unemployment Insurance (UI).

It is your responsibility to:
  • Report your employment status
  • Report your wages and additional income (including pensions)
  • Inform DUA if you were sick, injured, attending school, or were unable to work during any week that you request benefits for
  • Report any gross wages (wages before taxes) earned if you work part time while receiving unemployment benefits

Key Actions   for Request weekly benefits

Request weekly unemployment benefits 

Perform weekly work searches

In order to maintain eligibility for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits, you are required to conduct an active search for work each week that you request benefits.

It is your responsibility to:
  • Make at least 3 work searches per week.
  • Keep a detailed written log of your work search activities 
  • If you are required to attend a Career Center activity, remember to bring printed completed copies of all Work Search Activity Logs
  • Provide your work search information to DUA upon request. Keep all work search documents for 1 year after you stop requesting benefits.

Key Actions   for Perform weekly work searches

Work search examples  Find a job with MassHire JobQuest 

Additional Resources   for Perform weekly work searches

Open PDF file, 179.9 KB,  Work Search Log English (English, PDF 179.9 KB)

Report changes in your employment status

You must report any changes in your unemployment status while you are receiving benefits.

It is your responsibility to:
  • Stop requesting benefits once you return to full-time work. You do not need to call DUA but you must stop requesting weekly benefits. You cannot receive benefits after you have started work, regardless of when you get paid.
  • Report all your earnings when requesting weekly benefits if you get a part-time job. Earnings greater than 1/3 of your weekly benefit amount will be deducted from your weekly benefit payment.
  • Inform DUA if you are sick, injured, attending school, travel outside of the area or are otherwise unable to work during any week for which you request benefits. You are not eligible for benefits for any period of time you are outside of the United States, its territories, or Canada.

Key Actions   for Report changes in your employment status

Avoid unemployment penalties 

Report to a MassHire Career Center upon request

You will be required to report to a MassHire Career Center if you are selected to participate in either of the following programs:

If you are selected, you'll receive a notice by your previously selected correspondence method. Once selected, your participation is mandatory. Failure to comply with requirements by the deadlines specified in the notice may cause a delay or loss of your unemployment benefits.

To schedule your attendance at a Career Center Seminar, call the Automated Career Center Seminar Scheduling System at (800) 653-5586 or contact the Career Center nearest you.

Key Actions   for Report to a MassHire Career Center upon request

Find a MassHire Career Center 
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