Apply for UI benefits after your last official day of work.

• If you are on administrative leave, you are not considered to be unemployed. If you become unemployed after your leave ends, you may be eligible for UI benefits.

Apply in Maryland if:

• your last official duty station was in Maryland, or,
• you are a Maryland resident, and your last official duty station was outside of the United States; or,
• you are a Maryland resident, separated from federal employment, and then worked in non-federal employment in Maryland.

For more, see Maryland Unemployment Insurance Information for Federal Employees: FAQs.

Apply for UI benefits (called filing an initial claim) 24/7 online through BEACON or by phone at 667-207-6520 (select option #9), Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more, see How to Apply for UI Benefits in BEACON and Claims Filing - Initial Claims FAQs.

You may need the following documents to apply: Standard Form 8, Standard Form 50, W-2, and a recent pay stub. For more, see Information and Documents Needed for Claims Filing.

You may be prompted to complete the TrueID identity verification process, which involves taking a picture of the front and back of your photo ID (see TrueID Identity Verification FAQs).

If you choose direct deposit as your benefit payment method, your account may be verified by a micro deposit process (see Benefit Payment Options - Direct Deposit or Check FAQs).

It is important that you log in to the BEACON (see BEACON System Overview) and/or check your preferred communication method regularly for correspondence. You will have the opportunity to indicate your preferred communications method (email, mail, or text message) during the application process.

After you apply, complete a 935 affidavit (sent through your preferred communication method and in BEACON) to provide additional employment information (see FAQs for Federal Employees).

After you apply (even if you have not received a decision about your UI benefits), file timely weekly claim certifications to request benefit payments (see How to File a Weekly Claim Certification).

You must report wages (from part-time work, temporary work, self-employment, etc.) and certain payments (severance, retirement pay, back pay, vacation pay, etc.).

• Do not report Social Security income. For details, see Information for New Claimants.

You are required to be able and available for work without undue restrictions (see Unemployment Insurance in Maryland; A Guide to Reemployment).

You must register with the Maryland Workforce Exchange (MWE) system (see Maryland Work Search Requirements).

You must complete at least three valid reemployment activities each week, which must include at least one job contact.

•  Keep a detailed record of your job contacts and valid reemployment activities (you are strongly urged to use the MWE Job Contact and Reemployment Activity Log). For more, see Maryland Work Search Requirements.

If you are selected for a Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) workshop, you are required to complete the workshop. For more, see Unemployment Insurance in Maryland; A Guide to Reemployment.

You must accept an offer of suitable work. For details, see Information for New Claimants.