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 benefits, you need to provide personal information including your Social Security number, birth date, home address, email address, 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.
To file a claim online, you must create a MyMassGov personal account and link it to Unemployment Services.
For every week that you are unemployed and wish to receive unemployment benefits, you must file a weekly claim at the Unemployment Services website. File a weekly claim even if your case is still under review. Learn more about the weekly requirements to get unemployment assistance.
If you have previously filed for unemployment benefits and forgot your password, follow these instructions to reset your MyMassGov password.
This video explains step-by-step instruction for filing an initial claim in Unemployment Services.
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.
For every week that you are unemployed and wish to receive unemployment benefits, you must request weekly benefits. Start requesting weekly benefits the week after you file your claim. Request weekly benefits even if your claim is still under review. Learn more about the weekly requirements to get unemployment assistance.
If you received a confirmation number, your claim has been successfully submitted, and we are processing it. There’s no need to call for a status update. Claims are typically processed within 3–4 weeks. If we need additional information, we will contact you through the Unemployment Services website, by mail, or by phone.
For every week that you are unemployed and wish to receive unemployment benefits, you must request weekly benefits at the Unemployment Services website. Your initial unemployment claim will need to be verified before you can request benefits for additional weeks. Typically, you can start requesting weekly benefits the week after you file your initial unemployment claim. Once you are verified, you will have one week to request benefits for the weeks during which you were waiting for verification.
Additionally, to qualify for benefits, you must complete at least three work search activities each week, starting with your first week claimed.
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.
