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Employment Law -- Employee

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How Do I File A Claim For Unemployment Insurance Benefits?

You may either file your initial claim by phone or in person.

  1. File by telephone:

    Call the TeleClaim Center at 1­877­626­6800
    if you are calling from the following area codes:
    351, 413, 508, 774, and 978.

    Call the TeleClaim Center at 617­626­6800
    if you are calling from any other area code.

    TeleClaim Center hours are Monday ­ Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

  2. File in person:

    If you choose to do so, you may file your claim in person at a Walk­In Center. There are locations throughout Massachusetts. Click on the following link to find the office nearest you.

When you file a claim, you will need the following information:

  • Your Social Security Number
  • The year you were born
  • Your home address and telephone number
  • Whether you have filed an unemployment insurance claim in Massachusetts or in any other state during the past 12 months
  • Your last day of employment
  • The names and addresses of all of the employers you have worked for during the 15 months prior to filing your claim and the dates you worked for each of these employers.
  • The reason that you are no longer working or that your hours have been reduced
  • The names, dates of birth and social security numbers for any dependent children, if you are going to apply for dependency allowance
  • Your alien registration number if you are not a U.S. citizen

An unemployment insurance orientation session will provide you with information about:
collecting unemployment insurance, being covered by health insurance while you are collecting UI, obtaining job search assistance, and applying for training to help you become re­employed.

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