BEACON System Overview - Unemployment Insurance

BEACON is the Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance’s online unemployment insurance (UI) system. BEACON integrates all benefits, appeals, and tax functions, allowing claimants, employers, and third party agents to complete several UI tasks online.

• Claimants - Use the BEACON Claimant portal
  • A claimant refers to an individual who submits a claim for UI benefits.
• Employers - Use the BEACON Employer portal
• Third Party Agents - Use the BEACON Third Party Agent portal
  • A third party agent is an individual authorized by an employer to act on its behalf. A third party agent is required to have an active Power of Attorney (a document that gives an individual legal authority to act for another person) on file and approved by the Division to perform activity on an employer's behalf.

Creating / Activating a BEACON Account

An individual must create an account in BEACON to use the system. For instructions, see:

• BEACON Claimant Account Activation and Login Tutorial video
• BEACON Claimant Resource Document
• BEACON Quick Start Instructions

• BEACON Account Activation for Employers with an Unemployment Insurance Account (Instructions)
• BEACON Employer Account Activation Tutorial Video
• BEACON New Employer Account Registration (Instructions)
• BEACON Employer Account Registration Tutorial Video
  • An employer who has a Maryland UI employer account number (also called ID number) should follow the account activation instructions to create a BEACON account. An employer who does not have a Maryland UI employer account number should follow the account registration instructions to register for an account number and create a BEACON account.

• BEACON Third Party Agent Account Registration Tutorial Video
• BEACON Third Party Agent Account Activation Tutorial Video (to create a BEACON account if you have an UI agent account number)
• BEACON Third Party Agent FAQs
  • A third party agent who has a Maryland UI third party agent account number (also called ID number) should follow the account activation instructions to create a BEACON account. An agent who does not have a Maryland UI third party agent account number should follow the account registration instructions to register for an account number and create a BEACON account.

BEACON Features

Claimants can use BEACON to:

• Access their UI claim;
• File initial claims;
• File weekly claim certifications;
• Update account details (name, address, e-mail);
• Update requests for tax withholding;
• Review benefit payment history;
• Receive immediate updates regarding their claim status;
• Retrieve correspondence;
• Review benefit payment history
• Respond to fact-finding requests;
• Submit supporting documents;
• File appeals;
• Track and pay overpayments; and,
• Maintain their portal account.

• Submit required reports and information;
• Update their account information (address, contact, and ownership);
• Access their tax rate and other UI-related information;
• Submit wage reports and pay contributions;
• Submit adjustments to previously filed wage reports;
• Respond to Requests for Separation Information;
• File an appeal;
• Submit supporting documents;
• View all correspondence; and,
• Set up an agent to manage their account

• Submit a power of attorney online and access their customer’s account based on their privileges granted by the power of attorney
• File wage reports on behalf of their clients
• Make contribution payments on behalf of their clients
• File appeals on behalf of their clients
• Obtain rate information for their clients

Mobile Apps

In addition to the BEACON system, the Division created two BEACON mobile apps - MD Unemployment for Claimants and MD Unemployment for Employers.

MD Unemployment for Claimants is available to download for free from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store. The mobile app allows claimants to file weekly claim certifications, view and update claimant information, and more.

MD Unemployment for Employers is available to download for free from the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store. Registered employers can use the mobile app to make contribution payments, submit wage reports, file appeals, and more.

Resources

• BEACON Claimant Tutorial Videos
• BEACON Claimant FAQs
• BEACON Claimant Portal User Guide
• BEACON Glossary of Terms
• BEACON Instructions for Completing Common Claimant UI Tasks

• BEACON Employers and Third Party Agents Tutorial Videos
• BEACON Employer FAQs
• BEACON Instructions for Completing Common Employer Tasks
• BEACON Third Party Agent FAQs
• Employer and Third Party Agent Instructions for Submitting Files in BEACON

Assistance

Claimants who have questions regarding BEACON should call a claims agent at 667-207-6520 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Employers or third party agents who have questions should call the Employer Call Center at 410-949-0033 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).