Maine Department of Labor, Bureau of Unemployment Compensation

Maine · Unemployment

maine.gov/unemployment

State Unemployment Benefits in Maine

The Maine Department of Labor administers unemployment compensation through its Bureau of Unemployment Compensation and the ReEmployME system. Benefits are payable only for weeks the claimant actually claimed and was able and available for work, and a survivor reports the death to the Bureau by phone or through its claimant contact form and asks what is owed.

Steps to takeKey facts

Steps to take when someone dies

1
Report the claimant's death to the Maine Bureau of Unemployment Compensation so benefit payments stop — by phone at 1-800-593-7660 (Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.) or through the claimant contact form.
2
Ask the Bureau what is payable for weeks the claimant already claimed before death, and what documentation it needs from the estate.
3
If a payment was issued in error, ask the Bureau about the waiver of recovery under 26 M.R.S. §1051(5) before repaying anything — recovery is barred where the person is without fault and repayment would be against equity and good conscience.

State Unemployment Benefits in Maine: key facts

What Maine says4

Benefits at and after the death

Under 26 M.R.S. §1192-A(2), an individual is eligible for benefits for a week only if the individual made a claim for that week and was able to work and available for work.1

A week the claimant did not live to claim therefore cannot be certified under 26 M.R.S. §1192-A(2).1

MDOL locks a claimant's PIN when the claimant has been reported as deceased to the Social Security Administration.2

Reporting a death

Report the death to the Bureau by phone, or electronically through the claimant contact form MDOL links from its contact page, and ask what, if anything, is payable for weeks the claimant already claimed.3

Written correspondence goes to the Bureau's Benefits Services Division.4

Overpayments

Benefits paid in error are recoverable under 26 M.R.S. §1051(5), but there is no recovery from a person who, in the commissioner's judgment, is without fault and where recovery would defeat the purpose of benefits or be against equity and good conscience.5

Under 26 M.R.S. §1051(5), recovery cannot be attempted until the erroneous-payment determination is final and the person has been notified of the chance to seek a waiver.5

Claimant portal

Claims are handled through ReEmployME (reemployme.maine.gov), the system the Bureau of Unemployment Compensation uses.6

Governing law: 26 M.R.S. 1192-A(2) (eligibility conditions); 26 M.R.S. 1051(5) (refusal to repay erroneous payments; waiver of repayment)

Not in Maine's published guidance2

  • An online death-reporting form
  • A separate procedure for a deceased claimant

Sources6

  1. 1.26 M.R.S. §1192-A
  2. 2.Claims FAQ (Maine Department of Labor)
  3. 3.Contact the Maine Department of Labor
  4. 4.Contact Unemployment (Maine Department of Labor)
  5. 5.26 M.R.S. §1051
  6. 6.Unemployment (Maine Department of Labor)

Maine unemployment benefits

Maine Department of Labor, Bureau of Unemployment Compensation

TTY

711

Hours

Customer service Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Mailing address

Benefits Services Division, 47 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0047
Verified Aug 2026

Tools for Settling an Estate in Maine

Free tools for settling an estate in Maine: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines, and inheritance taxes.

How Do I Settle an Estate?

Settling an estate in Maine: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 days18-C MRSA §§ 3-706, 3-707, 3-708Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 months18-C MRS §§ 3-801, 3-803, 3-805, 3-806Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.

Get Plan

Do I Have to File Tax Returns for Someone Who Died?

Maine requires a final state income tax return for the decedent alongside the federal Form 104036 M.R.S. § 5111 (sub-§ 1-F rates; sub-§ 7 surcharge); § 5124-C, sub-§ 1-C (standard deduction); § 5403 (sub-§ 1 rate-table indexing; sub-§ 12 surcharge indexing); PL 2025 ch. 650 (LD 2212), Pts. DDDD and KVerified Sep 20, 2026View source; a federal estate tax return (Form 706) is required only for estates above $15,000,00026 USC 2001(c), 2010; P.L. 119-21 §70106Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.

Check Requirements

Hire a Probate Attorney

Browse vetted attorneys handling probate matters across all 50 states.

Browse firms

All Maine tools