How to Claim Unemployment Benefits in Massachusetts

To claim unemployment benefits in Massachusetts, confirm you meet the state’s eligibility rules, gather your identification and work-history documents, and file an application through the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) using the Unemployment Services for Workers online portal or the TeleClaim Center. Once your claim is approved, you receive weekly payments of up to $1,105 for as long as 30 weeks, depending on your earnings and the state’s unemployment conditions.¹ You pay nothing into the program; it’s funded entirely by employer taxes.²

Confirm You Qualify Before You File

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 151A sets two main eligibility tests: a wage test and a separation test.³

The wage test looks at your earnings during your base period, which is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. You need to have earned enough across those quarters to qualify, and those same wages determine the size of your weekly check.¹

The separation test looks at why you stopped working. A layoff, a reduction in force, or a business closing all qualify. You also have to be physically able to work and available for full-time employment the entire time you collect benefits.⁴ Self-employed workers and independent contractors generally are not covered under the standard program.

Quitting does not automatically disqualify you. If you had “good cause attributable to the employer” — the kind of situation where a reasonable person in your position would also have left — you can still qualify. The DUA has recognized ongoing harassment the employer failed to address, unpaid wages or pay cuts, a significant drop in hours or shift to unreasonable working times, uncorrected health or safety hazards, and substantial unilateral changes to your role or location.⁵

If you were fired, poor performance or not being the right fit generally still qualifies you. Deliberate misconduct — intentional rule-breaking, dishonesty, or repeated refusal to follow reasonable workplace policies — can disqualify you. You are also disqualified during an active labor dispute at the workplace where you were last employed.⁶

Gather Your Documents First

Having everything ready prevents data-entry mismatches that can trigger an investigation and slow down your claim.⁷ Pull together:

Your Social Security number, date of birth, home address, phone number, and email address.
Names, addresses, and dates of employment for every employer you worked for in the past 15 months. Use the exact employer names from your tax documents.
Recent pay stubs or W-2 forms to confirm your earnings.
The reason you stopped working at each job and your last day of employment.
Names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers for any dependent children you plan to claim for the $25-per-week dependency allowance.
Your Alien Registration Number or other proof of work authorization, if applicable.

If you served in the military within the past 18 months, bring your DD-214 (Member 4 copy). Former federal employees need the SF-50 (Notice of Personnel Action) and SF-8 (Notice about Unemployment Insurance).⁷ If you worked in another state within the past 15 months, note those jobs too; the DUA may process a combined wage claim using earnings from more than one state.

File Your Application

The primary way to apply is through Unemployment Services for Workers, the state’s online portal. The older “UI Online” system has been retired and those login credentials no longer work, so you’ll need to create a new account.⁸ The application walks you through a questionnaire on your identity, work history, reason for separation, and dependents. Review every entry on the confirmation screen before submitting; corrections after the fact slow processing.

If you don’t have computer access or you hit a technical problem, call the TeleClaim Center at (877) 626-6800, Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.⁷

Verify Your Identity

Within 72 hours of filing, the DUA may notify you by mail or email that you need to verify your identity before your application can move forward. Massachusetts handles verification itself rather than using a third-party service. Depending on what the notice tells you, you’ll complete one of the following:⁹

An online quiz through your Unemployment Services for Workers account.
An in-person visit to a participating U.S. Post Office with a photo ID and your verification notice.
Direct document submission to the DUA, used in rare cases, typically only during an appeal.

Choose How You Want to Be Paid

During the initial application you pick either direct deposit into your bank account or a U.S. Bank ReliaCard, a prepaid debit card mailed to your home. Direct deposit needs your bank’s routing number and your account number. If you later cancel direct deposit, all future payments switch automatically to the ReliaCard.¹⁰

What Happens After You Apply

The DUA contacts your former employers to verify the wages you reported and the reason you left. Most applications take about three to four weeks to process.¹¹ If something is disputed — for example, your former employer disagrees about why you were separated — a claims adjudicator reviews the case and the timeline runs longer. Watch your dashboard and email for a Monetary Determination letter, which tells you your approved weekly benefit amount and how many weeks you’re eligible for.

Your weekly benefit is roughly half of your average weekly wage during your base period, up to a $1,105 maximum as of October 2025.¹ Add $25 per week for each qualifying dependent child, up to half your weekly benefit.

Every claim includes a mandatory one-week unpaid waiting period that begins the Sunday before you register your claim.¹² You don’t get paid for that week, but you still need to file a weekly claim and complete your work search activities to establish your eligibility record. Once your claim is approved, payments typically arrive about two business days after each weekly certification.⁴

File a Weekly Claim to Keep Getting Paid

Approval alone doesn’t trigger payments. Each week you want to be paid, you have to file a weekly claim, sometimes called a certification. You can file starting Sunday for the prior week and have through the following Saturday to complete it. File online through your Unemployment Services for Workers account, or by phone on the TeleCert line at (617) 626-6338, daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.¹³

Each certification asks whether you received any job offers, earned any income from part-time work, and remained available for full-time work. You must also report at least three work search activities for that week. Acceptable activities include applying for jobs, attending interviews, and networking with potential employers. Fail to report three activities and you lose eligibility for that week’s payment.⁴

The DUA no longer requires a paper work search log; activities go directly into your online certification. If you file by phone, keep a written record in case the DUA asks for documentation later. The only exception to the work search requirement is participation in a DUA-approved training program.

Working Part-Time While You Collect

Taking a part-time or temporary job doesn’t automatically end your benefits. Massachusetts uses an earnings disregard: if you earn less than one-third of your weekly benefit amount in a week, the DUA ignores that income and pays your full benefit. Earn more than one-third and the DUA reduces your payment dollar-for-dollar by the amount above the threshold.¹⁴

So if your weekly benefit is $600, you can earn up to $200 without any reduction. Earn $300 and the DUA reduces your check by $100, paying you $500. Report every dollar you earn on your weekly certification, even small amounts. Unreported earnings turn into an overpayment the DUA will eventually recover.

Taxes on Your Benefits

Unemployment benefits are taxable at both the federal and Massachusetts state level. The DUA does not automatically withhold taxes, so if you want them taken out you have to opt in during your initial application or update your preferences later through your account.¹⁵

Withholding rates are 10 percent for federal income tax and 5 percent for Massachusetts state income tax.¹⁵ If you skip withholding, set money aside; many claimants are surprised at tax time. After the end of each calendar year, the DUA sends you a Form 1099-G showing total benefits paid and any taxes withheld, which you use to file your return.¹⁶

If Your Claim Is Denied

You have 10 calendar days from the mailing date on the determination letter to appeal a denial or disqualification. File online through your Unemployment Services for Workers account, or mail a written request to the DUA Hearings Department at 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 400, Boston, MA 02114.¹⁷

When you file, you choose whether your hearing happens by phone, virtually, or in person. You can also request an interpreter and upload supporting documents. At the hearing, a neutral reviewer examines evidence from you and from your former employer under relaxed rules of evidence; documents, witness testimony, and even hearsay can be considered as long as it’s relevant. You can bring witnesses and cross-examine any witnesses your employer presents.

Miss the 10-day deadline and you generally forfeit your right to a hearing, so act quickly. If you lose at the hearing level, you can appeal further to the Board of Review.

1
Mass.gov. How Unemployment Insurance Benefits Are Determined
2
Mass.gov. Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund (UITF)
3
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 151A – Unemployment Insurance
4
Mass.gov. FAQs About Unemployment Insurance for Workers
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Mass.gov. VL 300.00 Good Cause Attributable to the Employer
6
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 151A Section 25
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Mass.gov. Apply for Unemployment Insurance Benefits
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Mass.gov. Log In to Unemployment Services for Workers
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Mass.gov. Verify Your Identity for Unemployment Benefits
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Mass.gov. Unemployment Insurance Payment Options
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Mass.gov. What to Expect After You Apply for Unemployment Insurance
12
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 151A Section 23 – Payment of Benefits and Waiting Period
13
Mass.gov. File Your Weekly Unemployment Claim
14
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 151A Section 29 – Weekly Benefit Rates
15
Mass.gov. Tax Responsibilities While Collecting Unemployment Benefits
16
Internal Revenue Service. About Form 1099-G, Certain Government Payments
17
Mass.gov. Appeal an Unemployment Decision as a Claimant