Welcome to the Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance BEACON System. Using a single system, you will be able to file a claim for many unemployment insurance (UI) benefit programs, including regular Unemployment Insurance (regular UI), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), and Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation (MEUC). You can also use BEACON to request your benefit payments each week by filing a claim certification.

On Sunday, July 4, 2021, the Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance (DUI) reinstated a requirement that regular unemployment insurance claimants must actively search for work to maintain their eligibility for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. Individuals who are receiving benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) programs will also be required to search for work beginning Sunday, July 18, 2021.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law on Thursday, March 11, 2021 and extended the temporary federal PUA, PEUC, FPUC, and MEUC unemployment insurance programs until the week ending Saturday, September 4, 2021 in Maryland.

As a result of this extension, you may be eligible for additional unemployment insurance benefits. Visit MDUnemployment.com for additional benefit details.

Note: “Apply for Benefits” Button in BEACON Portal if Missing Weekly Certification

If you are not able to file your weekly claim certification this week, please check your BEACON portal to see if you have an “Apply for Benefits” button. If you have this button, there could be several reasons including, but not limited to:

• You did not apply for benefits last week,
  
• Your benefit year has expired (52 weeks), or
  
• Your monetary eligibility needs to be redetermined.
  

Even if your account is active and you have a balance, if you have an “Apply for Benefits” button, then you need to re-apply for benefits to be able to file your weekly certification as required by Maryland unemployment law and federal program rules.

If you wish to re-apply for benefits, you should access your BEACON portal from an internet browser, click on the “Apply for Benefits” link on your home page, and follow the steps. You cannot complete this process from the MD Unemployment for Claimants Mobile App.

If you are a PUA, PEUC, MEUC, or former EB claimant, please take the appropriate action below in order to receive benefits:

• If you have an Action Item to file a weekly claim certification, please complete it.
  
  
• If you have a Reopen Claim link in the left hand margin, please select it to reopen your claim. Once you have completed the additional questions, you will be able to file a claim certification, if eligible.
  
  
• If you have an Apply for Benefits link in the left hand margin of your portal, please select it to apply for benefits.

NOTE: Every few months, certain claimants will need to reapply for UI benefits per federal requirements. This may happen if you are receiving benefits under either PUA or PEUC and have earned wages in either of the last two quarters. This is due to the Quarter Change. You will also need to reapply when your benefit year expires. Your benefit year is the 52-week period starting on the effective date of your regular UI claim. Even if you are receiving benefits under the PUA or PEUC programs, you will still need to reapply when that 52-week period ends.

It is a federal requirement that claimants reapply after the Quarter Change and Benefit Year Expiration. Due to these federal requirements, a claimant must receive regular UI if they are eligible for regular UI, even if their Weekly Benefit Amount under regular UI is less than they are eligible for under the PUA or PEUC program.

All claimants who are eligible to receive benefits (including regular unemployment insurance claimants) will automatically receive the $300 FPUC amount for the weeks ending March 27, 2021 through September 4, 2021. This includes regular unemployment insurance claimants, who should continue to file their weekly claim certification as they normally do.