New unemployment guide helps Marylanders navigate updated website

There’s a new guide to help Marylanders filing for unemployment during the coronavirus pandemic navigate the state’s website after a number of system failures. It’s part of an effort to make the process more user-friendly.

The Beacon One-Stop application system has presented a number of problems for an overwhelming number of applicants, some waiting hours to go through the website’s check-in process.

Now, with new features like a virtual waiting line with updated wait times and limits on which days new claims can be filed, the online handbook provides step-by-step solutions to issues many applicants may have to deal with.

It explains how to create an account, what to do if disconnected in the middle of a claim and how to reset a password — all with photos.

As the state’s Department of Labor works to continue making improvements, applicants are also encouraged to use the site on a laptop or desktop.

Officials say the site will be taken down from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. daily until all problems are fixed and to resolve any ongoing technical issues.


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Melissa Howell

Melissa Howell joined WTOP Radio in March 2018 and is excited to cover stories that matter across D.C., as well as in Maryland and Virginia. 

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