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Home > Unemployment > Benefits > Direct Deposit

Direct Deposit of Your Unemployment Benefits


The Department of Labor is pleased to offer direct deposit free of charge to claimants who live and bank in the United States. We believe that you will find increased convenience and security with this payment method!

Signing Up

To have your benefit payments deposited to your account, call the Claims Center at 1-800-593-7660, or complete the Application for Direct Deposit of Unemployment Compensation Benefits (Form Me. B-170). You will need to provide the financial institution name and Routing Transit Number (RTN), and the account type and number into which your benefit payments will be deposited. Return the form using the address or fax number listed on the form. Please note that your deposits cannot be split between accounts or deposited into a third party account.

Your direct deposit becomes active as soon as it is processed in our office. Any benefit payments made after we process this application will be deposited to your bank account. If mailing or faxing the form, please allow five (5) business days for processing. During that time period, any benefit payments will be made to your Maine Automated Payment (MAP) card. MAP cards are mailed soon after you file your initial application for unemployment benefits. With either the MAP card or direct deposit, please use the financial institution's account lookup features to verify that your deposit has been made. This agency cannot be responsible for any bank charges or other overdraft charges.

Verifying Payments

Deposits are typically in your bank account 2 business days from the date your payment was processed. The quickest way to verify a deposit is through your bank's automated systems, or by calling them directly.

You can also call our interactive voice response system at 1-800-593-7660 to hear your current unemployment benefit balance and the last 4 weeks that were paid. When calling, press 2-2-2, then enter your Social Security Number and PIN.

Changing Your Direct Deposit

If you change banks or want your benefits deposited into a new account, please follow the same steps outlined above. To prevent benefit payment delays, you may contact our office by phone at 1-800-593-7660. You may also download the direct deposit form, and mail or fax it back with the updated information.

Please note, any time you change your bank or your account you must either update your enrollment details by contacting us by phone, or complete a new application and mail or fax it to us. If your deposit is returned by the financial institution for any reason, your benefit payment will automatically be made to your MAP card.