MARYLAND — A number of Maryland unemployment claimants haven't been able to file weekly claim certifications through the BEACON portal.
Claimants are required to submit the information weekly to receive their benefits on time.
According to a Maryland Department of Labor spokesperson, claimants should check their portal for further instructions.
"Unemployment insurance claimants who are not able to fill out their weekly claim certification this week should check their BEACON portal to see if they have an 'Apply for Benefits' button. If they do, the claimant will need to complete this action in order to file their weekly claim certification.
Please note that the federal unemployment insurance programs have not ended and there are no issues with the BEACON system. Many claimants are exhausting their benefits and need to reapply per program requirements."
WMAR-2 News Mallory Sofastaii asked the Department what claimants should do if they don't see the button in their account.
A spokeswoman said claimants may have an open action item or may have a “Reopen Claim” button.
The Department also emailed claimants about this issue Sunday evening. They're letting claimants know that even if their account is active and has a balance, if there's an “Apply for Benefits” button, then claimants need to re-apply for benefits to be able to file weekly certifications as required by Maryland unemployment law and federal program rules.
Claimants may see this button for several reasons, they include not applying for benefits last week, their benefits year expired (52 weeks), or their monetary eligibility needs to be redetermined.
"Reminder: Claimants have through Saturday, June 12 to file their weekly certification for the week. If you have successfully filed your weekly certification this week, please ignore this email. There are no issues with the BEACON system.
Please note that the federal unemployment insurance programs have not ended and will continue until July 3rd. If claimants are waiting to receive an eligibility determination for any federal programs, the Division will ensure that they receive all payments owed to them for all weeks prior to July 3 that they are determined eligible for."
