File for Unemployment Benefits

Filing for unemployment in Maryland requires creating a profile on Webcert. This site tracks your application, helps appropriate unemployment officials gauge your application, and helps you better understand your employment benefits.

It also helps connect you with Maryland's job search site, an important requirement you must meet when you file for unemployment. Filing is a relatively simple process, but it’s worth taking a few moments to understand what you can expect during the process.

Unemployment Application and Initial Claim

File Your Unemployment Application and Initial Claim Process

To file for unemployment in Maryland, you need to follow this simple initial claim process:

• Create a Personal Identification Number (PIN) in order to access your account later
• Use your PIN to create a new account on Webcert
• Fill in the appropriate information fields with accurate information
• Calculate your wages and indicating why you lost your job
• Double-check all information carefully
• Submit your application
• Sign up for Maryland's work search program (will be discussed later)

Once you're finished, wait at least a week to receive a letter in the mail or online on your Webcert account regarding your claim status.

NOTE: You cannot file over the Internet and must do so in person at an unemployment office if you did any of the following over the 18 months prior to your filing:

• Earned wages from a state other than Maryland
• Worked for the federal government
• Worked for more than three employers
• Filed for unemployment insurance in another state

Documents and Information Needed During Filing

• Social Security Number
• Mailing address
• Telephone number
• Name, birthdate, and Social Security Number of all dependents under the age of 16
• Proof of alien status if not a citizen
• Name, address, and dates of employment from all employers over the last 18 months
• Union hall number (if seeking work through union)
• DD214 form if you were in the military during the last 18 months

Claim Weekly Benefits

Before you receive any unemployment benefits, you need to claim them online or on the phone following a simple process. The weekly benefit claim process must be performed for the week preceding the week during which you are claiming benefits. Failure to perform this process will forfeit your claims for that week.

How to Claim Weekly Benefits

Every week, you must login to your Webcert account and verify that you are available for work, searching for work, and haven't turned down a suitable position. This requires:

• Clicking on “Claim Weekly Benefits”
• Filling out the required information (job contact name, type of contact, the date of the contact, and information on how to contact them)
• Reporting any wages you may have earned during the week
• Truthfully verifying that you did not receive a full-time job or turn one down

Answering all of these questions honestly is crucial. Failure to do so may result in criminal charges, as misrepresenting your unemployment claim is considered fraud. This is a felony that may result in fines or prison time.

You can also claim your weekly benefits and report your weekly claim information by calling one of the following numbers for the appropriate county:

College Park Claim Center 301-313-8000

Calvert County

Charles County

Montgomery County

Prince Georges County

St. Mary's County

Cumberland Claim Center 301-723-2000

Allegany County

Frederick County

Garrett County

Washington County

Salisbury Claim Center 410-334-6800

Caroline County

Dorchester County

Kent County

Queen Anne's County

Somerset County

Talbot County

Wicomico County

Worcester County

Towson Claim Center 410-853-1600

Anne Arundel County

Baltimore City

Baltimore County

Carroll County

Cecil County

Harford County

Howard County

Claim Denials or Discrepancies

Problems with your unemployment claim can be reviewed by the Appeals Division. This group holds hearings regarding claim denials and discrepancies that are brought to their attention. In this way, you can overturn a wrongly denied claim and receive benefits.

However, your employer or the state may also use the Appeals Division to check any discrepancies in your reporting. That's why it is so important to keep paperwork about your claim handy at all times and to make sure your records are filed in an easy-to-understand way.

Appeals Process for Denied Claims

To file an appeal on a denied claim, follow this process:

• Pick up an appeal form from a nearby unemployment office
• Fill out the form, including your name, Social Security Number, the reason for your appeal, and a signature
• Mail it to the appropriate office within 15 days of when the determination was mailed to you
• Wait to receive a notice indicating the date of your hearing
• Apply for funding for an attorney (should you choose one)
• Attend the hearing at the indicated office
• Present your evidence (including written warnings, explanations for firing, and eye witness testimony) to the Hearing Examiner
• Let your employer present their case
• Cross examine your employer, including bringing up witnesses that help your case
• Avoid interrupting any presentation, as this is considered a serious breach in procedure
• Wait to hear back from the Hearing Examiner

You should hear back from the Appeals Division within a week regarding your case. If your appeal was successful, you will be granted any funds that were denied to you.

If your appeal was not successful, you can appeal to the Board of Appeals. They will make another ruling based on the previous trial and new evidence you present. Further appeals would proceed to the state and federal court level.

Office of Appeals Contact Information

Appeals Division

1100 N. Eutaw Street, Room 505

Baltimore, MD 21201

Telephone: 410-767-2421

Fax: 410-225-9781