Skip to main content
SimplyTrust
SimplyTrust
Create a TrustSettle an EstateForms & ToolsFreeResources
OverviewEstate Law
OverviewEstate Law
Attorneys
All Massachusetts Attorneys
Forms
Revocable Living Trust for Massachusetts ResidentsMassachusetts Last Will and TestamentMassachusetts Pour-Over WillMassachusetts Healthcare Power of AttorneyMassachusetts Financial Power of AttorneyMassachusetts Transfer on Death DeedVehicle Transfer on DeathMassachusetts EIN ApplicationMassachusetts Petition for Probate and LettersMassachusetts Notice to CreditorsMassachusetts Small Estate AffidavitLetter of InstructionDigital Assets Recovery Letter
Getting Prepared
Massachusetts Estate Planning Cost CalculatorMassachusetts Revocable Living Trust Cost CalculatorMassachusetts Will Cost CalculatorMassachusetts Life Insurance CalculatorMassachusetts Beneficiary Designation CheckerMassachusetts Name a Guardian GuideMassachusetts Burial & Cremation Law GuideMassachusetts Signing Requirements CheckerMassachusetts Document Portability CheckerMassachusetts Trust Need AssessmentMassachusetts TOD Deed AssessmentMassachusetts Vehicle TOD AssessmentMassachusetts Trust or Will Decision Tool
Someone Just Passed Away
Massachusetts Death Certificate CalculatorMassachusetts Probate Decision ToolMassachusetts Estate Settlement Plan
I'm an Executor
Massachusetts Probate Cost CalculatorMassachusetts Executor Fee CalculatorMassachusetts Self-File Probate AssessmentMassachusetts Executor Appointment GuideMassachusetts Creditor Claims DeadlinesMassachusetts Personal Property Value Estimator
I'm a Trustee
Massachusetts Trustee Compensation CalculatorMassachusetts Trust Settlement Plan
Taxes & Inheritance
Massachusetts Who Inherits CalculatorMassachusetts Estate & Inheritance Tax CalculatorMassachusetts Inheritance Tax GuideMassachusetts Step-Up Basis CalculatorMassachusetts Post-Death Tax Filing Guide
Massachusetts Agencies
Medicaid Estate RecoveryUnclaimed PropertyUnemployment BenefitsPublic Pensions
Federal Agencies
Administration for Community Living (ACL)Black Lung Benefits ProgramBureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)Defense Health Agency (DHA)Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)DOD Casualty Assistance ProgramDrug Enforcement Administration (DEA)Energy Employees Occupational Illness Program (EEOICPA)Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)Federal Communications Commission (FCC)Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)Federal Election Commission (FEC)Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)Federal Student Aid (FSA)Federal Trade Commission (FTC)Indian Health Service (IHS)Internal Revenue Service (IRS)National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)NOAA Commissioned Officer CorpsOffice of Personnel Management (OPM)Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)Radiation Exposure Compensation Program (RECA)Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (9/11 VCF)Social Security Administration (SSA)Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)Transportation Security Administration (TSA)U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)U.S. Coast Guard Casualty Assistance ProgramU.S. Copyright OfficeU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)U.S. Department of StateU.S. Department of the TreasuryU.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHS)U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)United States Postal Service (USPS)USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)
Home→Agencies→Unemployment Benefits→Massachusetts→When someone dies

State Unemployment Benefits in Massachusetts: when someone dies

A 3-step process for Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) after a death in Massachusetts.

OverviewWhen someone dies

Unemployment

Massachusetts

mass.gov/orgs/department-of-unemployment-assistance→

Administering agency

Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA)

Phone877-626-6800
WebsiteVisit website →

Authority

M.G.L. c. 151A, s. 68 (payment of benefits due a deceased person)

Verified Jul 2026

Steps to take

  1. Report the claimant's death to the DUA Call Center at 877-626-6800.
  2. Ask DUA whether benefits are due for weeks the claimant qualified for before death, and what documentation DUA requires to pay them.
  3. Identify who receives the payment: the estate’s legal representative if one has been appointed, or — where no petition to administer the estate has been filed within 30 days of the death — the person the DUA commissioner finds entitled under M.G.L. c. 151A § 68.

Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA)

Phone: 877-626-6800

Visit the agency website →

Frequently asked questions

The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) administers unemployment insurance. Claimants use Unemployment Services for Workers at unemployment.mass.gov, and the DUA Call Center can be reached at 877-626-6800, Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Weekly eligibility requires the claimant to be capable of, available for, and actively seeking work in the week claimed (M.G.L. c. 151A § 24(b)), so only weeks the claimant qualified for before death can be paid. A payment issued for a week the claimant was not entitled to is an erroneous payment that DUA may recover, or deduct from future benefits, under § 69(a).

Call the DUA Call Center at 877-626-6800 to report the death and ask what documentation DUA requires. Under M.G.L. c. 151A § 68, where no petition to administer the estate has been filed within 30 days after the death, the DUA commissioner may pay benefits due the deceased claimant to the person the commissioner finds entitled to them, and that payment is as valid as one made to the estate’s legal representative. Where a personal representative has been appointed, benefits due are payable to that representative.

SimplyTrustSimplyTrust Editorial·Updated July 14, 2026

Sources

  • malegislature.gov
  • mass.gov

Data sourced from State Unemployment Benefits in Massachusetts primary sources (4 pages reviewed). How we research.

Unemployment

Massachusetts

mass.gov/orgs/department-of-unemployment-assistance→

Administering agency

Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA)

Phone877-626-6800
WebsiteVisit website →

Authority

M.G.L. c. 151A, s. 68 (payment of benefits due a deceased person)

Verified Jul 2026
SimplyTrust Logo

Every family deserves a plan. We'll help.

Get startedApp StoreGoogle Play

Forms

  • EIN Application
  • Petition for Probate and Letters
  • Notice to Creditors
  • Small Estate Affidavit
  • Letter of Instruction
  • Digital Assets Recovery Letter

Tools

  • Do I Need Probate
  • Probate Calculator
  • Settle an Estate
  • Settle a Trust
  • Executor Fee Calculator
  • Trustee Compensation

Compare

  • Compare Services
  • vs LegalZoom
  • vs Trust & Will
  • vs Rocket Lawyer
  • vs Quicken WillMaker

Learn

  • Revocable Living Trusts
  • Last Will and Testaments
  • Articles
  • State Guides
  • Estate Law
  • Life Events

Directories

  • Law Firms
  • Financial Assets
  • Digital Assets
  • Government Agencies

Company

  • About
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Create a Trust

SimplyTrust is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice, legal counsel, or attorney review. Information on this platform is for general informational purposes only. Use of SimplyTrust does not create an attorney-client relationship. You are solely responsible for all documents you create. For advice tailored to your circumstances, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

© 2026 SimplyTrust Software Inc. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy·Terms of Service·Security··AI Access

All content, data, and calculations are proprietary. Automated scraping, systematic downloading, or data extraction is prohibited under our Terms of Service. Product visuals are simulated for illustrative purposes and may differ from actual experience. Logos provided by Logo.dev.