State Unemployment Benefits in Montana
The Montana Department of Labor and Industry administers unemployment insurance through its Unemployment Insurance Division, with claims filed through the MUSE Claimant Center. When a claimant dies, Mont. Code Ann. 39-51-2205 directs all accrued benefits due and payable at the time of death to the surviving spouse, then to surviving children, then to the next of kin — with no letters testamentary or letters of administration required.
Administering agency
Montana Department of Labor and Industry — Unemployment Insurance Division
Authority
Mont. Code Ann. 39-51-2205
State Unemployment Benefits in Montana: key facts
- Administering agency
- Montana Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), Unemployment Insurance Division.
- Claimant portal
- MUSE Claimant Center at uiclaimant.mt.gov.
- Claims Processing Center
- (406) 444-2545. P.O. Box 8020, Helena MT 59604-8020.
- After a death
- Mont. Code Ann. 39-51-2205 pays all accrued benefits due and payable at the time of death to the surviving spouse; if there is none, to the surviving children; if there are none, to the next of kin. The recipient does not need letters testamentary or letters of administration to be paid.
- No agency form
- The Division publishes no deceased-claimant form or procedure page — the statute is the whole published rule. Report the death to the Claims Processing Center at (406) 444-2545 and ask what proof of relationship and death the Division wants before it releases the accrued benefits.
Governing law: Mont. Code Ann. 39-51-2205
Steps to take when someone dies
- Report the claimant's death to the Montana Unemployment Insurance Claims Processing Center at (406) 444-2545.
- Identify who is entitled under Mont. Code Ann. 39-51-2205 — the surviving spouse first, then the surviving children, then the next of kin.
- Ask the Division which weeks were certified and remain accrued, due, and payable as of the date of death.
- Provide what the Division asks for, such as a certified copy of the death certificate and proof of your relationship to the claimant. Letters testamentary or of administration are not required by the statute.
Montana Department of Labor and Industry — Unemployment Insurance Division
Phone: (406) 444-2545
Visit the agency website →Frequently asked questions
The Montana Department of Labor and Industry administers unemployment insurance through its Unemployment Insurance Division, with the MUSE Claimant Center at uiclaimant.mt.gov and a Claims Processing Center at (406) 444-2545.
Mont. Code Ann. 39-51-2205 states that all accrued benefits due and payable at the time of death are paid to the surviving spouse, or if there is no surviving spouse, to the surviving children, or if there are no surviving children, to the next of kin. The person receiving the payment does not have to obtain letters testamentary or letters of administration.
No. Mont. Code Ann. 39-51-2205 pays accrued benefits directly to the surviving spouse, children, or next of kin "without the necessity of any recipient obtaining letters testamentary or of administration." Report the death to the Claims Processing Center at (406) 444-2545 and ask what proof of death and relationship the Division requires.
Sources
Data sourced from State Unemployment Benefits in Montana primary sources (5 pages reviewed). How we research.
Administering agency
Montana Department of Labor and Industry — Unemployment Insurance Division
Authority
Mont. Code Ann. 39-51-2205