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Open 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday. Multilingual call agents are available.
To request weekly benefits, daily 6 a.m.–10 p.m.
To check your claim or benefit payment status (*please do not transfer to an agent while in the system-this is not staffed at this time)
By appointment only, visit mass.gov/RECappointment to make an appointment.
To apply for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits, you need to provide personal information including your Social Security number, birth date, home address, email address (optional), and phone number.
You also need information about your employment history from the last 15 months, including:
You may need additional information in certain situations:
To receive payments by direct deposit, you’ll also need your bank name, account number, and routing number. Otherwise, the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) will send you a debit card.
If you’re a non-U.S. citizen applying for UI benefits, DUA must verify that you are legally authorized to work in the United States.
If you're not sure that UI is right for you, you can check your eligibility.
To file a claim online, you must create an account on the UI Online portal. Please follow the steps below to create your UI Online account. For additional tutorials, please click here
1. Follow these instructions to reset your UI Online password.
You can also apply for unemployment benefits or get help with your application by calling the TeleClaim Center at (877) 626-6800, Monday - Friday: 8:30am - 4:30pm.
You must request weekly benefits every week that you are unemployed. You will make your first weekly benefit request the week after you file your claim for unemployment benefits.
You must begin searching for work immediately (3 work search attempts). Track your search for new employment by using the Work Search Activity Log.
DUA will review your application and confirm details of your application with your former employer. If you provided an email address when you filed your claim, you will receive an email from DUA asking you to verify your email address.
This notice tells you how much you’ll potentially receive in unemployment benefits.
If there is a question of eligibility, you'll receive a fact-finding questionnaire from DUA requesting information from you. You must respond to this questionnaire by the deadline specified. Failure to respond may result in a disqualification from receiving benefits.
This notice tells you whether you’ve been approved for unemployment benefits. If your application is denied, you can appeal the decision within 10 days.
If determined eligible, you will receive your benefit payment according to the payment preference that you selected upon applying for benefits. You will receive benefits via the debit card unless you set up for direct deposit to a checking or savings account.
It can take a few weeks to process your claim. You should continue to request weekly benefits after you apply even if you haven’t heard back from DUA yet.
Open 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday. Multilingual call agents are available.
To request weekly benefits, daily 6 a.m.–10 p.m.
To check your claim or benefit payment status (*please do not transfer to an agent while in the system-this is not staffed at this time)
By appointment only, visit mass.gov/RECappointment to make an appointment.
