How to File for Unemployment in MA
- 1). Gather the information the state needs to process your claim. According to the Massachusetts Department of Labor and Workforce Development, you'll need to provide the following: your home address, phone number and Social Security number; your birthdate; the date you were last employed; the names and addresses of all of your employers over the past 15 months; and the reason you are applying for benefits, such as a layoff or a reduction in your work hours. If you have filed a claim for unemployment benefits in the past 12 months, either in Massachusetts or another state, you'll need to report that fact, too.
- 2). Look up and write down the Social Security numbers of your dependent children, if you plan to apply for a dependency allowance.
- 3). Call the Massachusetts Unemployment Insurance TeleClaim center. If you are calling from the Boston area -- area codes 617, 339, 781 and 857 -- call 617-626-6800. If you're calling from another part of Massachusetts, call 877-626-6800. The TeleClaim Center accepts calls from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday.
- 4). Listen to the options. Depending on whether extended benefits are currently available in Massachusetts, the first question may ask whether you are filing a claim for extended benefits. Since you're filing an initial claim, this doesn't apply to you. If you hear this question, press "2" for all other options.
- 5). Choose your language by pressing the appropriate number. You'll then hear a list of services, with the appropriate number to push for each service.
- 6). Press "1" to file a new claim for unemployment benefits.
- 7). Enter your Social Security number and birth year when prompted, using the keypad on your phone. You will be connected with an agent who will take your information to begin your claim. If no agents are currently available, you may have to wait, or the system may ask you to call back another time.
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