Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance

Maryland · Unemployment

labor.maryland.gov/unemployment-insurance

State Unemployment Benefits in Maryland

The Maryland Department of Labor administers unemployment insurance through its Division of Unemployment Insurance and the BEACON portal. Benefits are paid only for weeks in which the claimant is able to work, available for work, and actively seeking work, so they stop at the death. An estate representative reports the death to the Division and asks how the claim will be closed out.

Steps to takeKey facts

Steps to take when someone dies

1
Report the claimant's death to the Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance at 667-207-6520 so that no further weekly benefit is issued.
2
Ask the Division how it will close out the claim, and whether anything is payable for weeks the claimant certified before the death.
3
If a benefit was issued for a week after the date of death, ask the Division for written instructions — it may recover benefits a claimant was not entitled to under Md. Code, Labor & Employment 8-809.

State Unemployment Benefits in Maryland: key facts

What Maryland says4

Benefits at and after the death

Md. Code, Labor & Employment 8-903 pays benefits only for weeks in which the claimant is able to work, available for work, and actively seeking work.1

Those conditions cannot be met after death, and no one else may file the weekly certification.1

Reporting a death

Report the claimant's death to the Division of Unemployment Insurance promptly so that no further weekly benefit is issued for a week the claimant was not eligible for, and ask how the claim will be closed out.2

Overpayments

Under Md. Code, Labor & Employment 8-809, the Secretary may recover benefits paid to a claimant who was not entitled to them.3

Claimant portal

Claims are handled through BEACON, the Division of Unemployment Insurance claimant portal at beacon.labor.maryland.gov.2

Governing law: Md. Code, Labor & Employment 8-903; 8-809

Not in Maryland's published guidance4

  • A procedure for paying a deceased claimant's remaining benefits
  • A statutory provision for benefits due a deceased claimant
  • A rule on paying benefits for weeks certified before the death
  • A rule on returning a payment issued after the death

Sources3

  1. 1.Md. Code, Labor & Employment 8-903
  2. 2.Unemployment Insurance (Maryland Department of Labor)
  3. 3.Md. Code, Labor & Employment 8-809

Maryland unemployment benefits

Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance

Automated system (Baltimore area or out of state)

1-410-949-0022

Automated system (Maryland outside Baltimore)

1-800-827-4839

Hours

Claims agents Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Verified Aug 2026

Tools for Settling an Estate in Maryland

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

How Do I Settle an Estate?

Settling an estate in Maryland: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysET §§ 7-201, 7-202, 7-203Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 6 monthsMd. Code, Est. & Trusts §§ 7-103, 7-103.1, 8-103, 8-104, 8-105, 8-107Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.

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

Maryland requires a final state income tax return for the decedent alongside the federal Form 1040Md. Tax-Gen. §§ 10-105, 10-217; Ch. 604 (2025 Acts) (HB 352)Verified 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.

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