Maine Unemployment

Eligibility

If I am monetarily eligible (I have the required wages in my base period), will I receive benefits?

Not necessarily. The monetary allowance of an application means only that you have sufficient qualifying weeks and wages. We must determine if you meet all of the eligibility requirements.

What can keep me from qualifying for Unemployment?

You may have enough covered wages in your base period and still be denied for other reasons. Some of the reasons for disqualification are listed below.

Disqualification Reasons

You may be disqualified if you:

• were discharged or fired for misconduct.
• voluntarily quit without good cause attributable to the employment.
• are not able and available for full-time work.
• are not a U. S. citizen and not authorized to work in this country.
• have limited the wages, hours, days, or areas of a job you would accept
• do not report for or satisfactorily participate in reemployment services as directed.
• are self employed.
• are involved in a strike.
• are not looking for work.
• refuse suitable work.

Other types of disqualification?

Yes. The law imposes a special “between-terms” disqualification whereby certain college and school employees cannot be paid benefits for any week of unemployment which begins during the period between two successive academic years or terms. Also, professional athletes cannot be paid benefits for weeks of unemployment between two successive sports seasons. You should always file a claim to determine your eligibility if any of these conditions apply to you.

Requirements For Continued Eligibility

Weekly claims are filed on a calendar-week basis, Sunday through Saturday. Weekly claims forms must be filed within 14 days of the date that the claim form is issued to you. If filed later, you will have to show good cause for late filing. The unemployment call center that you call will send you a booklet on your rights and responsibilities while filing claims. Claim forms will be sent to you on a weekly basis which must be returned to continue receiving benefits.

How do I file for unemployment benefits?

You can file a Maine Internet claim if:

• You have worked in the state of Maine or served in the military within the past 18 months.
• You have not filed a claim for unemployment benefits against another state in the past 12 months.

You will need the following information to complete your claim:

• Your Social Security Number;
• Alien Registration Number, if applicable;
• The business name, address and telephone number of each place you worked at during the past 18 months;
• The jobs you held and the dates you worked for each employer within the past 18-month period.

The last page of the Internet application will state that your claim has been completed and will give you a confirmation number. Warning! Unless you receive a confirmation number, your claim will not be processed. If you exit the system before receiving a confirmation number, any information that you have entered will be discarded.

https://gateway.maine.gov/dol/mics/

http://www.maine.gov/labor/unemployment/benefits.html

Unemployment Office Contact Information

By Phone:

General Inquiries: (207) 623-7900

TTY (for Deaf and hard of hearing): 1-800-794-1110

Unemployment Claims: 1-800-593-7660

TTY (for Deaf and hard of hearing): 1-888-457-8884

Unemployment Tax: (207) 621-5120

Other Unemployment Contacts

Employment Services: (207) 623-7981

TTY (for Deaf and hard of hearing): 1-800-794-1110

CareerCenter Hotline: 1-888-457-8883

Labor Standards: (207) 623-7900

TTY (for Deaf and hard of hearing): 1-800-794-1110

Wage and Hour / Child Labor / Overtime: (207) 623-7900

SafetyWorks: (207) 623-7900

Public Sector Safety Enforcement : (207) 623-7900

Foreign Labor Certification (207) 623-7900

Rehabilitation Services: 1-800-698-4440

TTY (for Deaf and hard of hearing): 1-800-755-0023

Local Office Directory

Center for Workforce Research and Information: (207) 623-7900

TTY (for Deaf and hard of hearing): 1-800-794-1110

By Mail

Maine Department of Labor

54 State House Station

Augusta, Maine 04333

Physical Address:

Administrative Office: 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta, Maine

By Email:

mdol@maine.gov

http://www.maine.gov/labor/contact/index.html