Maryland Unemployment Login: How To Manage Your Benefits Online

The Maryland Department of Labor is committed to safeguarding and protecting Marylanders. They support the economic stability of the state by providing businesses, the workforce, and the public with high-quality, customer-focused regulatory, employment and training services. The Maryland Unemployment Login portal also known as Beacon 2.0 allows you to manage your claimant account online.

This page contains general information regarding UI benefits. Additionally, it discusses steps you need to take in order to receive and maintain those benefits, including when and how to apply for and request weekly benefits by establishing a UI Online account. This guide will help you understand eligibility requirements and your responsibilities while receiving UI benefits, and assist you in your efforts for re-employment.

What is BEACON 2.0?

The Maryland Department of Labor (Labor), Division of Unemployment Insurance (the Division) launched BEACON 2.0 on Sunday, September 20, 2020, for claimants, and on Monday, September 21, 2020, for employers and third-party agents. BEACON is a fully modernized system which integrates benefits, appeals, and contributions functionalities. In BEACON 2.0, claimants can file claims for ALL unemployment insurance benefit programs.

BEACON also allows claimants to:

file claim certifications each week;
upload supporting documentation;
review their benefit payment history;
retrieve correspondence and other claimant information;
respond to fact-finding requests;
submit supporting documents for adjudication or appeals;
file appeals;
track and pay overpayments;
use reemployment services; and,
maintain their portal accounts.

BEACON 2.0 Features

The new BEACON 2.0 system offers dozens of new features and will greatly improve the user experience for both claimants and employers. Check out the new functionalities and upgraded features below:

New Features for Claimants

Claimants will now be able to:

Receive immediate updates regarding their claim status, including up-to-date information about their eligibility
Retrieve correspondence and other claimant information
Review benefit payment history
Respond to fact-finding requests (as required) for additional information
Submit supporting documents for Adjudication or Appeals
File appeals
Track and pay overpayments
Use reemployment services
Maintain their portal account

Existing Features for Claimants

Claimants will still be able to:

Access their unemployment insurance claim 24 hours / 7 days per week
File initial claims for all program types:
- Regular UI
- Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE)
- Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Servicemembers (UCX)
- Combined Wage Claim (CWC) – Maryland and Out-of-State Claim
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
- Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)
- Extended Benefits (EB)
- Workshare Claimants
- Trade Claimants
File weekly claim certifications
Update Account details
- Name
- Address
- E-mail
Update requests for Tax withholding
Mobile App
Review benefit payment history

Maryland Unemployment Insurance Requirements

To expedite your reemployment, they strongly encourage you to develop your skills and position yourself to be rehired. You must meet certain requirements each week to maintain your eligibility for UI benefits. Failure to complete these requirements may result in a delay or denial of your benefits. The requirements for claimants are listed below:

1: Be Able To Work and Available For Work: You must be able and available for work without restrictions throughout the life of your UI claim.

2: Actively Search for Work: You must actively search for work each week to maintain your eligibility for benefits.

To fulfill the active search for work requirement, you must submit at least three valid reemployment activities each week, which must include at least one job contact, in the Job Contact and Reemployment Activity Log located in the Maryland Workforce Exchange (MWE). You are required to complete these activities to maintain your eligibility for UI benefits. Before you can submit your weekly activities in the Job Contact and Reemployment Activity Log, you must complete a one-time registration in MWE.

Valid reemployment activities refer to actions that may reasonably lead to you becoming reemployed, including activities that remove barriers to reemployment. Several of these activities can be completed online in MWE.

3: File Your Weekly Claim Certification: You must file a weekly claim certification for each week that you are requesting UI benefit payments. The claim certification is a legal document which includes questions to certify your ongoing eligibility for UI benefits. The questions pertain to an entire week. DUI’s benefit payment week is from Sunday to Saturday, and you must wait until after that week ends to file your claim certification.

You may file your claim certification (immediately following the week for which you are requesting payment) beginning on Sunday at 12:01 a.m. until Saturday at 11:59 p.m. If you file after Saturday at 11:59 p.m., your claim certification is considered late and your benefit payments may be delayed or denied. Review questions carefully and respond accurately. After you successfully submit your claim certification, you will receive a confirmation number which you should keep for your records.

4: Create a BEACON Account: You are required to complete a one-time registration with BEACON 2.0.

How To Create a BEACON Account

To use BEACON 2.0, you must create an account, including a username and password, which you will use to log in to the system. When you log in to BEACON 2.0, you will be in your claimant portal. In your claimant portal you can receive notices and alerts about your account, including notifications regarding any missing documentation. Additionally, you can select your preferred method of communication: e-mail, text message, or postal mail. All communications will be available in your portal immediately, which drastically reduces the time it takes for you to receive updates about your claim.

NOTE: If you created an account in the BEACON One-Stop application, prior to the BEACON 2.0 launch, you may use this username and password to access BEACON 2.0.

To create a BEACON account:

Go to the BEACON 2.0 claimant portal login web page.
Select the “Get Started with BEACON” link.
Follow the prompts and input your information.

Maryland Unemployment Login Steps

After activating or creating your new BEACON account, you can manage your account online at any time. You will need your newly-created BEACON user account information to login. If you activated your account in the One-Stop application, you will access your BEACON account with the same username and password.

In BEACON, you can: –

File a claim for Regular UI benefits
File a Weekly Certification
Maintain your account information; and, – Change or reset your password.;

If this is your first time filing for unemployment benefits in Maryland, please go to https://beacon.labor.maryland.gov/claimant/ and then select “Begin My BEACON One-Stop Application”. From here you will be able to create a user account and begin the claim filing process.

If you have already started an application in BEACON, but have not completed it yet, please go to https://beacon.labor.maryland.gov/claimant/ and then select “Complete an Unfinished Claim Application”. From here you will be able to continue the application process.

If you have previously filed for unemployment benefits in Maryland using the NetClaims system, or by speaking to a Maryland Department of Labor representative, please go to https://beacon.labor.maryland.gov/claimant/ and then select “Account Activation”. From here you will be able to activate your account in BEACON.

If you have activated your account and want to manage your account… Select “Login to my Account” anytime that you are returning to BEACON to manage your account.

If you have activated your account, but are still unable to login and you receive the message: “User ID is not defined” Please ensure that you have typed in the correct Username. If the correct Username was typed in, and you previously activated your account through the Account Activation process, please return to https://beacon.labor.maryland.gov/claimant/ and then select “Account Activation” to try to activate your account again.

Unemployment Logins

How To Reset Your BEACON 2.0 Username And/or Password

To reset your BEACON 2.0 username or password:

Go to the BEACON 2.0 claimant portal login web page.
Select “Login to my Account.” You will be taken to a web page where you can input your username and password.
Select either “Forgot Username” or “Forgot Password.”
If you selected, “Forgot Username,” input the email address associated with your BEACON account and input the Captcha code.
If you selected “Forgot Password,” enter your BEACON username and input the Captcha code.
Follow the prompts and input any requested information.
If you could not reset your username or password, call a live claims agent at 1-667-207-6520.

Maryland Unemployment Contact Information

If you are still experiencing issues after following the appropriate instructions above… Please email the Beacon One-Stop support team at [email protected] and include a detailed description of the problem(s) that you are encountering. Please include as much detail as possible, including username, claimant ID, screen shots, the type of browser and device that you are using, specific error messages that you are receiving, and whether you already had an existing claim with Maryland Department of Labor, etc.

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