Department of Budget and Management

Unemployment Insurance business is conducted by telephone or by Internet. Claims can be filed by telephone through a claim center Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., in English or Spanish, or online 24 hours a day 7 days per week at www.mdunemployment.com.

How Do I Know If I Am Eligible For Unemployment Insurance?

Eligibility for unemployment insurance cannot be determined until you actually file a claim. To be monetarily eligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits you must have worked and had sufficient earnings during the “standard base period” and be separated from your employment through no fault of your own. The “standard base period” is a 12 month period made up of the first four quarters of the last five totally completed calendar quarters prior to the date you file your claim. For example, if you file your claim in:

"If you are not monetarily eligible using the 'standard base period,' then an 'alternate period' can be explored. An 'alternate base period' is the one year period made up of the four most recently completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the start of the benefit year. For example, if you filed your claims in July, 2015 and were not monetarily eligible using the 'standard base period,' then, at your request, eligibility using quarterly earnings from July 1, 2014 through June 20, 2015 can be checked."

Unemployment insurance benefits range from a weekly benefit amount (WBA) of $50 per week to a WBA of $430 per week. Your WBA is determined by your wages during your base period. Your claim is effective on the Sunday immediately prior to the date that you file for benefits, and remains in effect for one year. You can receive up to 26 weeks of total unemployment insurance benefits if you meet all the requirements of the Maryland Unemployment Insurance Law.  During periods of extremely high unemployment, a special federally funded program may be in effect, which provides additional weeks of benefits.

You will receive a Determination of Monetary Eligibility in the mail that will list all of your base period employment, and the earnings that were reported by your employer as paid to you during this period. If any employer, or any wage amounts are incorrect, you must contact your claim center within 15 days and file a wage protest. After opening your claim, you will be mailed a pamphlet with instructions on how to file your continuing claims (telecert/webcert) and what your responsibilities are as a claimant.