What Happens When Unemployment Runs Out in Massachusetts?

When unemployment runs out in Massachusetts, your weekly payments stop, but several other programs can help bridge the gap: extended benefits during statewide downturns, a training-based extension of up to 26 weeks, health coverage through MassHealth or the Health Connector, food and cash assistance through the Department of Transitional Assistance, utility help, federal student loan deferment, and reemployment services through MassHire.

Which of these apply depends on your income, your family situation, and whether you planned ahead while your claim was still active. A few of the most valuable options have strict deadlines that are easy to miss.

Can You File a New Claim?

Your benefit year lasts 52 weeks from the date your original claim began. Once that year expires, you cannot collect any remaining weeks on the old claim. If you worked and earned enough wages since you first filed, you may qualify to open a new benefit year based on those more recent earnings. Contact the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) to find out whether your recent work history meets the threshold.¹

Extended Benefits During High Unemployment

Massachusetts participates in the federal-state Extended Benefits (EB) program, which adds extra weeks of payments when the state’s job market is especially weak. It activates automatically, so you do not apply separately; if you are already collecting when it turns on, DUA notifies you through its online portal.

Two tiers exist. A regular EB period can add up to 13 extra weeks, and a high unemployment period can add up to 20 extra weeks. Both are tied to the state’s Total Unemployment Rate meeting specific thresholds compared with the same months in prior years.²

The important thing to understand: EB depends on statewide economic conditions, not your personal situation. In most years, it is not active. If the program is off when you exhaust your benefits, there is no individual appeal that turns it on.

Up to 26 More Weeks Through the Training Opportunities Program

Under M.G.L. c. 151A, § 30, the Training Opportunities Program can extend your benefits by up to 26 additional weeks while you attend an approved full-time vocational or skills training course aimed at a high-demand occupation. Eligible programs include GED preparation, English language courses, and certificate programs in technical fields.³

The deadline is the catch. You must apply to DUA by the 20th week of your unemployment claim, even if you still have standard weeks left. Miss the window and you are generally disqualified from the extension. DUA can waive the deadline for good cause, such as domestic violence situations or periods when federal emergency benefits are available. If an initial application is denied, the commissioner can extend the deadline by up to two weeks so you can reapply.³

Training benefits do not start until you have fully exhausted your regular and any extended benefits. Once enrolled, you must attend consistently; skipping sessions can cost you the extension.

Health Insurance After Your Benefits End

Losing unemployment income usually means a drop in household income, which often changes what health coverage you qualify for. Massachusetts has more options than most states.

MassHealth and ConnectorCare

If your income has fallen below roughly 138 percent of the federal poverty level, you may qualify for MassHealth, which provides free or very low-cost coverage. For 2026, the federal poverty level for a single person is $15,960 per year.⁴

If your income is too high for MassHealth but still modest, the Massachusetts Health Connector offers ConnectorCare plans for residents earning between 100 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level. The lowest-tier plan (Plan Type 2A, for incomes between 100 and 150 percent of FPL) has a $0 monthly premium. Higher income brackets range from $53 to $235 per month per person. You cannot have access to affordable employer-sponsored insurance and must not be eligible for MassHealth or Medicare.⁵

COBRA and the ACA Marketplace

If your former employer had 20 or more employees, COBRA lets you continue your old employer plan for 18 to 36 months. You have 60 days from the date coverage ends to enroll, and you pay the full premium yourself plus a small administrative fee, which is often several times what you paid as an employee.⁶

Losing job-based coverage also opens a Special Enrollment Period on the federal ACA marketplace or through the Health Connector. You can report the loss up to 60 days before or 60 days after it ends, and you have 30 days after selecting a plan to submit confirming documents.⁷ Compare COBRA against a marketplace or ConnectorCare plan before deciding; subsidies often make a new plan cheaper.

Food and Cash Assistance

The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) administers several programs that can replace some of the income you lose when unemployment ends.⁸

SNAP

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides monthly funds on an EBT card usable at most grocery stores. Massachusetts sets the gross income limit at 200 percent of the federal poverty level, which works out to roughly $2,608 per month for a single person in the current benefit period, with higher limits for larger households. Unemployment benefits count as income for SNAP, so you may actually qualify while still receiving your final checks if your total income is low enough.⁸

TAFDC

Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children provides cash benefits to families with children 18 or younger, pregnant individuals, and caregivers of related children who are not their biological or adopted children. Your household must live in Massachusetts and have gross income below TAFDC limits, which vary by family size and housing type.⁹

EAEDC

Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children serves people who do not qualify for other cash assistance. You may be eligible if you are 65 or older and not receiving Supplemental Security Income, unable to work due to a disability expected to last at least 60 days, living with and caring for a distantly-related or unrelated child, or caring for a disabled person who would otherwise need institutional care. Monthly payments are generally lower than TAFDC. You will need medical documentation or proof of age when you apply.¹⁰

Help With Heating and Electric Bills

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps cover heating and electric costs during colder months. Massachusetts uses 60 percent of state median income to set eligibility, which is above the federal baseline of 150 percent of the poverty guidelines, so more households qualify here than in states that use the federal standard. Applications go through local Community Action Agencies, and the program typically runs November through April.¹¹

Pausing Federal Student Loan Payments

If you have federal student loans, an unemployment deferment can pause required payments for up to 36 months total across the life of the loan. It applies to Direct Loans, Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL), and Perkins Loans. Interest continues to accrue on unsubsidized loans, so your balance grows during the pause.¹²

To qualify, you must either be receiving unemployment benefits and provide documentation, or show that you are actively seeking but unable to find full-time employment, defined as 30 or more hours per week in a position expected to last at least three consecutive months. If you are not receiving benefits and are extending a previous deferment, you must certify that you made at least six job-search attempts in the most recent six months and registered with a public or private employment agency within 50 miles of your home. Online job boards and temp agencies do not count as employment agencies for this purpose.¹²

Taxes You May Still Owe

Unemployment compensation is taxable at the federal level. You will receive a Form 1099-G showing the total paid to you during the year, which you must report on your federal return. Massachusetts also taxes unemployment benefits as income. If you did not have taxes withheld, you may be hit with a bill in April. Going forward on any future claim, you can submit IRS Form W-4V to have federal tax withheld from each payment, or make quarterly estimated payments to avoid underpayment penalties.¹³

Getting Back to Work Through MassHire

The MassHire Career Center system is the state’s primary resource for returning to work. You will need a MyMassGov account to log into MassHire JobQuest, where you can upload your resume, search openings, find job fairs, and register for career center events.¹⁴

Local MassHire offices run voluntary workshops on interviewing, resume writing, networking, and industry-specific job searches. You can find and register through the JobQuest dashboard or by calling DUA at (888) 822-3422.¹⁵

1
Mass.gov. How Unemployment Insurance Benefits Are Determined
2
eCFR. 20 CFR Part 615 – Extended Benefits in the Federal-State Unemployment Compensation Program
3
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part I, Title XXI, Chapter 151A, Section 30
4
HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – 48 Contiguous States
5
Massachusetts Health Connector. ConnectorCare Plans
6
U.S. Department of Labor. COBRA Continuation Coverage
7
CMS. Understanding Special Enrollment Periods
8
Mass.gov. Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA)
9
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC)
10
Mass.gov. Emergency Aid to the Elderly Disabled and Children (EAEDC)
11
LIHEAP Clearinghouse. LIHEAP Income Eligibility for States and Territories
12
Federal Student Aid. Unemployment Deferment Request
13
Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 418, Unemployment Compensation
14
Mass.gov. Log In to MassHire JobQuest with MyMassGov
15
Mass.gov. Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA)