Division of Unemployment Insurance

Contact Information

The Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance (the Division) offers several ways claimants, employers, and third-party agents can contact us. See the list below for our primary contact methods.

Please be assured that Maryland does not have a waiting week for UI claims, like many other states do. Claims are effective the week in which they are filed.

Important Contact Information and Links

**IMPORTANT WARNING**

The Maryland Department of Labor (MD DOL) Benefit Payment Control (BPC) Fraud Unit, or any other unit, will never ask for your BEACON username, password, or banking information through an email or a text message.

All Maryland Department of Labor (MD DOL) email addresses end in .gov. If you receive an email from Ui.fraud@maryland.dol.info and/or from “Maryland BPC Fraud Unit”, please delete it and mark it as Spam.

If you receive an email or text asking for your username, password, banking details, or knowledge-based questions that only you would know the answer to, NEVER respond or open any attachments it contains. You should NEVER provide your details through any website linked in the email or text. Your username and password are for your use only.

If you receive a questionable email or text and have questions, contact MD DOL at 667-207-6520.

Assessment Notice and Pending Civil Action Letters Reinstated

Effective May 2023, the Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance (Division) has reinstated the process of mailing the Assessment Notice and Pending Civil Action letters. These letters are sent to employers who were previously informed that they owe payments. 

The Division mails at least one delinquency letter to an employer before sending the Assessment Notice and Pending Civil Action letter. Please note that the Division seeks to assist employers in paying quarterly unemployment insurance taxes. 

• The Division offers payment plan options. See the Maryland's Unemployment Insurance Payment Plans webpage to learn more.
   
• Employers are encouraged to request interest and penalty waivers after filing the reports and paying applicable contributions or opting into a payment plan.
   
• Additional information about this process, including a video and Frequently Asked Questions, are available on our website.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact the Maryland Unemployment Insurance Contributions Division at 410-949-0033 or toll free 1-800-492-5524.

New Power of Attorney Form and Process

Effective April 28, 2023, the Division instituted a new Power of Attorney (POA) form and authorization process. As of April 28, employers are required to include the following on the POA form:

• Third Party-Administrator/Agent (TPA) Unemployment Insurance ID number.
• Communication preference for each power that is being granted to the TPA.

Please note that approving a POA designation for a TPA takes up to seven business days. No access will be granted to the TPA before the approval. Once approval is granted, the TPA will receive access to perform the requested functions.

To access the form, see the Power of Attorney Authorization Instructions and Form on the Flyers, Forms, and Publications for Employers & Third Party Agents webpage.

Important Unemployment Mobile App Update!

The Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance (the Division) updated the MD Unemployment for Claimants mobile app on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.

To accommodate this update, the Division will be releasing a new version of the app, which you can download from the Google Play Store and the iOS App Store.

If you previously downloaded the app, you must update it for the app to operate properly.

• If you set up automatic updates for the app, it should update without any action on your part.
   
• If you did not set up automatic updates for the app, you will be prompted to begin the update when you see one of the following error messages:
   
  • App Not Supported Error - This error message will include a Get Update button, which you should select to begin the update process. After selecting the button, you will be redirected to either the Google Play Store or the iOS App Store to update the app.

     

  • SSL Not Matching Error - If you see this error message, you should go to the Google Play Store or iOS App Store to update the app.

    

1099-G Information for Tax Year 2022

The tax form 1099-G (Statement for Recipients of Certain Government Payments) is issued to any individual who received unemployment insurance (UI) benefits for the prior calendar year.

For a claimant who received UI benefits in Maryland, the 1099-G reflects the total Maryland UI benefit payment amount that was issued within that calendar year. This may be different from the week(s) of unemployment for which the benefits were paid.  

A claimant’s 1099-G will be sent via mail (to the address on file in the claimant’s BEACON 2.0 portal) and will also be available in BEACON 2.0. However, a claimant can choose to receive the 1099-G electronically only (by providing consent in the claimant’s BEACON 2.0 portal or in the MD Unemployment for Claimants mobile app).

1099-G forms are issued for the prior calendar year. The Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance will send 1099-G tax forms (via mail and BEACON) for the 2022 calendar year in January 2023. 1099-Gs are only issued to the individual to whom benefits were paid.

Note: If a claimant moved since filing for UI benefits, the claimant’s 1099-G may NOT be forwarded by the United States Postal Service. The Benefit Payment Control unit cannot update the claimant’s mailing address.

To change the mailing address for the 1099-G, claimants must update their personal information in the BEACON portal, on the MD Unemployment for Claimants mobile app, or by contacting a claims agent at 667-207-6520.    

Claimants may request a duplicate paper 1099-G form sent by mail (after 1099-G forms are issued), by emailing the Benefit Payment Control Unit at dlui1099-labor@maryland.gov.

Note: If an individual receives a 1099-G tax form, but did not apply for or receive Maryland UI benefits in 2022, the individual should complete this Affidavit form and email it, along with a copy of a picture ID, to dlui1099-labor@maryland.gov for review.

For additional information, see the 1099-G Information for Tax Year 2022 FAQs and the IRS page on unemployment compensation.

To learn about FREE tax preparation services, see the CASH Campaign of Maryland webpage, and for information about assistance with health care coverage, see the Maryland Health Connection webpage.

Work Search Requirements

Claimants must meet several requirements to be eligible for UI benefits, including work search requirements.

To meet Maryland’s work search requirements, a claimant must:

• register in the Maryland Workforce Exchange (MWE) system;
• upload or create a résumé in MWE, make the résumé viewable to employers, and maintain an up-to-date résumé while collecting UI benefits;
  • After you complete your MWE registration, check your MWE inbox frequently for information about weekly tasks or actions that you are required to complete. Failure to complete these activities may result in a delay or denial of your UI benefits
• complete at least three valid reemployment activities each week, which must include at least one job contact; and,
• keep a detailed weekly record of all completed job contacts and valid reemployment activities. Claimants are strongly urged to use the Job Contact and Reemployment Activity Log, located in MWE, to keep this record.

Detailed instructions for completing the requirements listed above are available on the Maryland Work Search Requirements webpage. For work search exemptions, see the Work Search FAQs.

NOTE: The work search requirement was temporarily suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2021, the work search requirements were reinstated.

For additional information, see the:

• Work Search FAQs;
• Maryland's Valid Reemployment Activities list; and,
• Job Contact and Reemployment Activity Log video tutorial .

Information about additional claimant requirements is available in the Eligibility Requirements FAQs.

Fraudulent Unemployment Insurance Activity

Report Fraud

If you believe that your information has been used to fraudulently file an unemployment insurance claim, please contact the Benefit Payment Control Unit by completing a Request for Investigation of Unemployment Insurance Fraud form and e-mailing it to ui.fraud@maryland.gov.

If you received a 1099-G tax form, but did not receive unemployment insurance benefits in Maryland during the prior calendar year:

• complete this Affidavit form and submit it, along with picture ID, to the Benefit Payment Control Unit by e-mailing dlui1099-labor@maryland.gov.

If you are an employer and believe a fraudulent claim has been charged to your account, please file a benefit charge protest through your BEACON employer portal.

Avoid UI Scams by Email and Text Message

The Maryland Department of Labor continues to uncover fraud scams in which fraudsters are impersonating DUI in e-mail correspondence and text messages. If you receive an email or text message that appears to be from the Maryland Department of Labor DO NOT select any links in the correspondence. To complete any required unemployment insurance tasks:

• log in to the BEACON claimant portal directly by typing the following web address into your browser (https://beacon.labor.maryland.gov/beacon/claimant-page.html), or
• use the MD Unemployment for Claimants mobile app.

UI Fraud Prevention Information

To help you distinguish between legitimate assistance from Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance (DUI) staff and a potential scammer, please remember the following::

• DUI will never request or require payment for assistance with unemployment insurance, especially not through apps like Venmo or Cash App.
• DUI staff will not provide assistance to claimants through direct message on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
• DUI will never arrange for an adjudication or fact-finding interview over any teleconferencing platform, such as Zoom, BlueJeans, Google Hangout Meets, or Skype.
• DUI does not provide assistance through text message and will not send any links asking a claimant to verify their account through text.
• DUI will never ask for your bank account number, debit card number, or credit card number over e-mail or on social media
• DUI will never request your BEACON password over e-mail.
• All e-mails from legitimate DUI staff will come from a @maryland.gov e-mail address.
• Do not provide any sensitive information related to your Maryland unemployment insurance claim by e-mail unless it is to a @maryland.gov e-mail address.

Avoid Scams on Social Media

Please be aware of pages and scammers on social media pretending to be the Maryland Department of Labor. Scammers are replicating the Maryland Department of Labor’s social media pages, directly messaging claimants, and attempting to steal their identity by asking for their personal information. These pages are particularly targeting members of unemployment groups on Facebook.

Fraudulent pages may look similar, but are newly created, do not have a lengthy history of posts, spelled differently (often with typos), and not verified with a blue check mark. “Maryland department of labour” is an example of a fraudulent page that looks similar, but is spelled differently. If you find a fraudulent page, please report it to the social media platform immediately and DO NOT respond to their messages.

Links to the Maryland Department of Labor’s official government agency social media pages can be found below:

• Facebook - Maryland Department of Labor
• Twitter - @MD_Labor
• LinkedIn - Maryland Department of Labor

Identity Theft Resources

If you believe you have been a victim of identity theft, please read the Maryland State Police's Identity Theft Protection Quick Guide. For more information about identity theft, please visit the Commissioner of Financial Regulation identity theft page, and the Maryland Department of Labor and Maryland State Police information.

BEACON System

Overview

The BEACON unemployment insurance system launched in September 2020 for claimants, employers, and third party agents.

• Claimant BEACON portal
• Employer BEACON portal
• Third party agent BEACON portal

BEACON integrates all benefits, appeals, and tax functions of the unemployment insurance system. BEACON replaced a legacy mainframe IT system that was several decades old.

Download the Claimant and Employer Mobile App

The Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance created two BEACON mobile apps: MD Unemployment for Claimants; and MD Unemployment for Employers.

BEACON Mobile App for Claimants

MD Unemployment for Claimants is available to download for free from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store. The mobile app allows claimants to easily file their weekly claim certifications, view and update claimant information, and more directly from their mobile device.

BEACON Mobile App for Employers

MD Unemployment for Employers is available to download for free from the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store. Registered employers can use the mobile app to make contribution payments, submit wage reports, file appeals, and more directly from their mobile device.

Features

The BEACON system offers dozens of features for our stakeholders. Check out the functionalities and features below:

BEACON Resources

• BEACON Claimant Tutorial Videos
• BEACON Claimant FAQs
• BEACON Claimant Portal User Guide
• BEACON Glossary of Terms
• BEACON Employers and Third Party Agents Tutorial Videos
• BEACON Employer FAQs
• Employer and Third Party Agent Instructions for Submitting Files in BEACON

Need Help?

Claimants who have questions regarding BEACON should call a claims agent at 667-207-6520. Employers or third party agents who have questions regarding BEACON should call the Employer Call Center at 410-949-0033.

Additional State Resources

If you are in need of additional financial assistance, the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation website provides information about mortgage relief, foreclosure prevention, and student loan relief programs, as well as other consumer resources. 

You may be eligible for additional supportive benefits and services through the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS). In addition to cash and food purchasing support, you may qualify for counseling and other services. Find out what services may be available for you by completing an initial application online or by contacting the DHS 24-hour helpline at 1-800-332-6347.

For additional resources from the state departments of Labor, Human Resources, and Housing and Community Development, please visit the State of Maryland Financial Resources & Services.