MA Unemployment Office Phone Issues???

Hey everyone,

Has anyone been having trouble lately with getting a live person on the phone at DUA? I have been trying to get through for 3 weeks now to no avail. There is not even an option available to be put on hold for x amount of hrs or mins, there is just this recorded message: “due to high call volume... please call back another time. Goodbye.” Then i am disconnected. Whenever I have called in the past there was an automated message that told u how long the wait time would be or on super days u would put in your SS# and they told u to call back on your designated day to call.

I called them on friday (designated day) and the following friday and both times i got that weird message. So all last week i took to calling every other day and again kept getting that odd message. Whenever i called in the past i could be put on hold and i think the longest wait time was 1 hr.

For like 8 months now DUA has been putting out info to the media and releasing these stats that unemployment rate is improving like crazy in MA ("outpacing the nation") and companies are hiring like gangbusters. If this is the case, then how come I can’t get through? Seems like there phone lines are jammed up more now than they ever were.

Any insight, suggestions (another secret number, perhaps), etc. is much appreciated.

HI Massgirl, I remember you! welcome to the forum!

I suggest using the number for problems with claims. I dont have the # off hand but Ive had great success using that.

YOU have to dig around a bit to get it but its there.

I am looking for any information about other people’s experiences with moving from Tier I to Tier II. The DUA’s website has the tier chart with a timetable of all the corresponding “cut off” dates and based on that info I’m eligible, however I exhausted Tier I on March 27 and my balance on WebCT is still at zero.

when my “26 weeks” wrapped up no one notified me about my benefits being exhausted and when I’d be moving to additional tier. I was just moved automatically with no problems.

There is a message at the bottom of my WebCT page that states: “The following message was provided to you on April 3, 2011. This information may no longer be applicable. Your claim is being processed. If additional information is required to determine your eligibility for benefits, you will be contacted.” Now that message has been there since March 27 (date of the message is updated daily but not the message!)

There is this ambiguous sentence on the tier chart page that says, “not everyone is eligible for the max amount of benefits” and to call if you’re wondering whether your eligible for an additional tier. Now, I have been trying to call to no avail but that’s a different story all together (please see my recent previous post about MA unemployment office phone issues).

To add further confusion DUA site info states, “We will notify you when you are eligible for the next tier of benefits and when you exhaust your benefits.”

So, who’s contacting who? Are they notifying me about my tier eligibility or am I to call them to find out whether I am eligible. I have no problem calling but nobody is picking up the line even just to tell me their gonna put me on hold for 1 hr.

Has anyone else received a WebCT message like the one above? And does anyone know of a reason why one would NOT be automatically moved to an additional tier (other than for obvious reasons)?

Thanks so much! and sorry for the long-winded post….

For reference, I have not been unemployed for a year yet (“anniversary” will be mid/end of May) and have not earned any money, so no part time or short term job that maybe would slow the process with say re-determining any new base pay for my benefit claim, etc.

I am not in your state but when I moved from tier 1 to tier 2 I was at the end of my BYE (benefit year end) I had to call in and start another BYE and then went straight to tier 2. I would say that this is your problem. I would go visit an office or call in as soon as you can. I missed two weeks of pay because it took me that long to get the phone to even ring.

To answer your original question, their phone system can only hold so many people at once so when it gets over loaded it just shuts down and won't let you in. Here in NC you just immediately get a busy signal. When I had to call to get on EB a couple weeks ago I got right through, I was shocked. I found that If I call at after 8:00 am, even by a minute, I could never get through but if I called at 7:59 and just hit redial until 8:00 I could be placed on hold. That might be a trick you can try on your phone system.

DIG AROUND IS RIGHT! you can find it if you really try...

If i opened up my claim in May 2010 then wouldn't my BYE date be May 2011? I was laid off March 27, 2010 but with severence pkg, etc. you can't open up a claim if your receiving severence pay so i called mid - May. after couple of weeks of processing got my first check right before memorial day weekend last year. I just assumed the BYE date was basically the anniversary of when you got your first check but perhaps there is some formula. Thank you for that piece of information. I am going to go see what i can dig up online from their site about this and hopefully fingers crossed i get through to them on the phone tomorrow!

Jobless_in_Ma wrote:HI Massgirl, I remember you! welcome to the forum!

I suggest using the number for problems with claims. I dont have the # off hand but Ive had great success using that.

YOU have to dig around a bit to get it but its there.

Hey, thanks for the quick reply! I actually did call that "issues with your claims" number but got the same message. I even called the number that is dedicated for employers. I did get a live person but she said since she doesn't work with claiments but with employers its best i call over to that office.

lendmeflight2 wrote:I am not in your state but when I moved from tier 1 to tier 2 I was at the end of my BYE (benefit year end) I had to call in and start another BYE and then went straight to tier 2. I would say that this is your problem. I would go visit an office or call in as soon as you can. I missed two weeks of pay because it took me that long to get the phone to even ring.

To answer your original question, their phone system can only hold so many people at once so when it gets over loaded it just shuts down and won't let you in. Here in NC you just immediately get a busy signal. When I had to call to get on EB a couple weeks ago I got right through, I was shocked. I found that If I call at after 8:00 am, even by a minute, I could never get through but if I called at 7:59 and just hit redial until 8:00 I could be placed on hold. That might be a trick you can try on your phone system.

I had a feeling it was b/c so many were calling and the system was overloaded. Unless there phone system can hold like 2 people calling them at a time then well they need to get a new phone system. (Gov Patrick could've taken the money from our state budget that he used to go on the vacation that he disguised as a"trade mission"). to me its just another conflicting and confusing message that DUA is sending out. Stop shouting out to the media that for the past 8 months the unemployment stitch is improving in MA and the # of people being laid off is decreasing and the number of people being hired is increasing.

That ### is 617-626-5400 in case anyone needs it.

Thank you rookie, this was the number I was given. Please all, contact your UC centers with questions. With the ever changing rules and the legislation in each state varying, it is imperative that you contact them yourselves. I have tried contacting various centers for information for members only to be told I cannot be given the information, other than phone numbers. They will only give information to specific claimants based on their claim. It's worth the call, you can get your eligibility to your specific claim. Sorry, but it would be wrong for anyone to misdirect you, even when intentions are good.