Unemployment Insurance
Filing for Unemployment Insurance
There are no walk-in UI offices, only call centers. Currently, UI staff can be reached by phone or Internet.
The phone number for customers to file an initial claim with UI is (877) 293-4125 or (301) 723-2000. The phone number for questions is (800) 827-4839. Calls are routed to the next available staff person, regardless of location across the state; don’t be alarmed or hang up if another county is mentioned.
Because of the increased number of UI claims, phone lines are very busy. Mondays are the busiest day of the week. Call as early as possible during the day, 7:30 a.m. seeming to be the least busy. Be patient; the wait to talk to a staff person could be very long.
The website to file an initial claim with UI is www.mdunemployment.com. If a customer does not have access to a computer, he or she can use the Customer Resource Lab at Frederick County Workforce Services to file an initial or continued UI claim.
Once the customer’s claim is established, he “files” his continued claim bi-weekly, either by phone, called a telecert, at 1.800.827.4839, or by Internet at www.mdunemployment.com, called a webcert.
Frequently Asked Questions about Unemployment Insurance
Additional Information about Unemployment Insurance
- UI is taxable.
- UI is typically 26 weeks. Each person’s circumstance can affect this.
- Currently there is a 13-week extended UI benefit. Once the initial 26 weeks is exhausted, a person may qualify for the extended benefits.
- Some UI recipients are “profiled” and invited to come to a mandatory Early Intervention (EI) workshop. In Frederick County, this is taught at the Business and Employment Center, by Frederick County Workforce Services staff person, Sue Roach. If a customer chooses not to come without approval from Sue, that customer may loose his UI benefits.
- UI is a tax that the employer pays; none of the worker’s taxes goes towards this insurance.
- In order to receive UI, a person must be able and available for full-time work.
- UI is not meant for people to live off of; it usually is significantly less money than what they were earning. It is an insurance plan that they “cash in” to help cover expenses while looking for work.
- Very recently UI went to a direct deposit system and claimants may receive a debit card. You must establish a pin (personal identification number) to access this debit card. You must also establish a pin for your telecert. These pins can be the same, but it requires two separate processes to establish both.