The Maine Department of Labor will end live phone service for unemployment benefits at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays beginning Monday, Nov. 16, in a 90-day pilot. Callers could previously reach a person until 3 p.m. every weekday.
The department said in a Nov. 5 news release that the change lets staff focus on processing claims, following up on tasks and resolving issues. Staff will still work 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with the afternoons from Wednesday through Friday set aside for claims processing and follow-up.
The new schedule
Live phone service at 1-800-593-7660 will run 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays and 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays through Fridays. That is 7.5 fewer hours of live phone service a week. TTY users can call Maine Relay at 711. The call center and CareerCenters are closed on state and federal holidays.
Online services and automated phone options remain available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Claimants use the ReEmployME portal to apply, complete weekly certifications and manage claims. After hours they can send questions or documents through the portal's Contact Us link.
In-person unemployment help is available Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Augusta, Bangor, Lewiston, Portland and Presque Isle CareerCenters.
What the department says
"This pilot aims to give claimants the support they need and receive their benefits as quickly as possible," Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman said in the release. Suzan McKechnie, director of the Bureau of Unemployment Compensation, said, "We want claimants to know where they can turn for help and how to complete the steps needed for their claim."
The department emailed claimants with addresses on file on Nov. 2 and will send a reminder on Nov. 12. Claimants without an email address on file were notified by letter. Notices went up at regional CareerCenters and on social media starting Nov. 2, and website updates begin Nov. 13.
After the 90 days, the department will review call volume, wait times, claims processing measures and claimant feedback and decide whether to keep the schedule or change it. The release does not give current call volumes or wait times, or a baseline for the review.
