Today is the Last Day for Claimants to Select New Benefit Payment Method to Prevent Delay in Payments

Nearly 280,000 Claimants Have Made Their Selection
85% of Claimants Have Selected Fast, Safe, and Convenient Direct Deposit Payments

BALTIMORE (May 21, 2021) – Maryland Department of Labor (Labor) Secretary Tiffany P. Robinson announced that today is the last day for Maryland’s unemployment insurance claimants to select their new payment method in their BEACON portal to prevent their benefit payments being delayed. In the past three weeks, 279,947 claimants have selected their new payment method, with 238,335 (85%) selecting direct deposit and 41,612 (15%) selecting paper check.

“Beginning next week, the large majority of Maryland’s unemployment insurance claimants will begin receiving their benefits through fast, safe, and convenient direct deposit payments,” said Labor Secretary Robinson. “If claimants do not select their new benefit payment method by the end of the day today, they will be required to make a selection the next time they log into their BEACON portal to ensure they are able to receive the financial relief they are eligible for.”

Claimants should pay close attention to the following timeline and take the necessary actions by the deadline:

Date	Claimant Action Needed
April 30 - May 21	Beginning Friday, April 30 through Friday, May 21 claimants will be prompted to select either direct deposit or paper check as their payment method through their BEACON portal or mobile app. Please note that claimants cannot select a new payment method through the IVR phone system.
May 21	Claimants must select direct deposit or paper check as their payment method by Friday, May 21. Benefit payment will not be automatically defaulted to paper check because claimants must first verify their address in their BEACON portal to prevent fraud. If claimants do not make a selection by Friday, May 21, their benefit payments will be delayed. Benefit payments will not be loaded onto existing debit cards and new debit cards will not be issued after Friday, May 21. If claimants do not make a selection by May 21, they will no longer have the option to postpone the pop-up window and will be required to make a selection the next time they log into their BEACON portal .
May 24	Beginning Monday, May 24 all unemployment insurance benefit payments will be made by either direct deposit or paper check to eligible claimants who have made their selection in BEACON.
July 14	If claimants have been issued a Bank of America UI Benefits Debit Card and cannot locate that card, they must contact the Bank of America Customer Service Center at 855-847-2029 to order a replacement by July 14.
August 1	If claimants have a balance on their Bank of America debit card after Friday, May 21, they will have until August 1, to withdraw, transfer, or use these funds. After August 1, Bank of America debit cards will be deactivated.

All claimants have received a series of emails throughout the transition reminding them of these critical deadlines and the actions they need to take. Each time a claimant has logged into their BEACON 2.0 portal, they have seen a pop-up window providing instructions to select their preferred payment method. If claimants do not make a selection by the end of the day today, they will no longer have the option to postpone the pop-up window and will be required to make a selection the next time they log into their BEACON portal. The department strongly recommends that claimants choose their payment method as soon as possible.

Claimants are strongly encouraged to enroll in direct deposit if they have a checking or savings account and their financial institution is able to receive direct deposits. If claimants do not have an account with a financial institution, but would like to select direct deposit as their payment method, they should consider opening a bank or credit union account now. There are many options in Maryland.

To learn more general information about bank and credit union accounts, read the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation’s Frequently Asked Questions. To learn about some of the many bank account options available for Marylanders, visit the CASH Campaign of Maryland’s Bank On Maryland program. Claimants may also contact a financial institution of their choice. Please note it is a consumer’s responsibility to thoroughly research and review any information provided by any of these entities before opening an account.

For more information about the transition to direct deposit, please read the Direct Deposit of Benefit Payments Frequently Asked Questions or visit MDunemployment.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Fallon Pearre