Thursday, October 9, 2025
DUA Pilot Update
Please see update on the DUA pilot results to date shared
with my office from the Massachusetts Labor & Workforce Development.
Since August 1st, the Department of Unemployment Assistance
has temporarily adjusted call center hours as part of a 3-month pilot to help
deliver benefits to eligible claimants faster. | New hours: Monday–Thursday,
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (ET)
Key service highlights from August 2025 include:
Decreased open work items by over 25%
$190.6 million in benefits paid to 62,691 individuals
64,053 calls handled
Average call wait time: Between 5 minutes – 12 minutes
1,872 individuals received in-person help through the Boston
Re-employment Center and new resources
provided by DUA at MassHire Career Centers.
Through the pilot, DUA has prioritized making claims
processing more efficient and strengthening its operations.
Current phone hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m.
On Fridays, DUA staff are prioritizing processing claims and
working on other outstanding customer requests.
At the end of the 3-month pilot, DUA will reassess its call
center hours.
Please know improving customer service at DUA remains a top
priority for EOLWD and DUA, and they remain committed to addressing issues that
we often hear from our constituents.
Their office remains a resource for questions concerning
unemployment claims or constituent matters. If you have additional questions,
please feel free to reach out.
Helpful Quick Links:
Find out if you may be eligible for unemployment insurance
benefits:
https://www.mass.gov/.../unemployment-insurance-eligibility
File your weekly unemployment claim:
https://www.mass.gov/.../file-your-weekly-unemployment-claim
What to expect after you apply for unemployment insurance:
https://www.mass.gov/.../what-to-expect-after-you-apply...
Respond to requests for information from DUA:
https://www.mass.gov/.../respond-to-requests-for...
Make an appointment with DUA:
https://www.mass.gov/info.../make-an-appointment-with-dua
