Applicants who wish to open a new claim for Pennsylvania unemployment insurance can do so by either calling the Unemployment Insurance Agency or through the Internet. However, the option to file your claim through the internet is available 24X7.
Apply for Unemployment Benefits – Pennsylvania
CALL: Please contact 888-313-7284.
Each UC service center is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Mondays are traditionally a heavy call day. Please note – If your SSN ends in an odd number — 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 — please call the service center for assistance on Monday. If your SSN ends in an even number — 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 — please call on Tuesday. The UC service centers will continue to accept calls from claimants with any SSN on Thursdays and Fridays.
Visit a PA Job Center
Prepare your documents:
Keep the following information ready before filing an initial claim
- The Social Security number and your PIN (received in the mail)
- The PA Driver’s license number, if you have one
- The Employer Information Form, if you have one. Or else, just the name and address of your employer(s)
- The most recent pay stub which helps in determining your benefits
- The gross amount earned for the work performed during a week. Also, if you were absent from work for a week, then the gross amount you would have earned for the week
- The gross amount of vacation pay, if any, for the away week
How To File
You can file your applications or reopen your existing UI claim for UC benefits by the following methods
- Online: You can fill an online application, which is accessible 24X7
- Telephone: You can call the statewide unemployment compensation toll-free number at 1-888-313-7284 (TTY services for the deaf and hard of hearing at 1-888-334-4046).
- Paper Form: You can file a paper application which is to be downloaded and mailed or faxed to a UC service center receiving applications from your County
- Videophone service: Videophone service is available every Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m. at 717-704-8474. (*Sign language is the ONLY means of communication provided in this service)
Apply for UI Benefits to the corresponding offices
Based on the County in which you live, you can send your application to the following office addresses to:
| If you reside in these Counties: | Then Application should be mailed to: |
| Berks, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton | Allentown UC Service Center 160 W. Hamilton St., Ste 500 Allentown, PA 18101-1994 |
| Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon | Lancaster UC Service Center 36 East Grant Ave. Lancaster, PA 17602 |
| Bucks, Crawford, Erie, Forest, McKean, Philadelphia, Venango, Warren | Erie UC Service Center 1316 State St. Erie, PA 16501-1978 |
| Adams, Blair, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Cumberland, Dauphin, Elk, Huntingdon, Jefferson, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, Potter, York | Altoona UC Service Center 1101 Green Ave. Altoona, PA 16601-3483 |
| Bradford, Carbon, Clinton, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Pike, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Wayne, Wyoming | Scranton UC Service Center 30 Stauffer Industrial Park Taylor, PA 18517-9625 |
| Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Butler, Franklin, Fulton, Indiana, Lawrence, Mercer, Somerset, Westmoreland | Indiana UC Service Center 630 Kolter Dr. Indiana, PA 15701-3570 |
| Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, Washington | Duquesne UC Service Center 14 N. Linden St. Duquesne, PA 15110-1067 |
If you have any doubts regarding the filing process or related matters, you can call the statewide unemployment compensation toll-free number at 1-888-313-7284. For Bi-weekly claims, the toll-free numbers are 888-255-4728 and 877-888-8104 (Spanish).
Helpful additional information to have ready:
- Full name, mailing address, phone number
- Wages earned during base period
- Employment history during base period, which includes
- Names of all employers you worked for
- Address, contact details of base period employers
- Start and end dates of jobs held during base period
- Veteran/Military separation date
- Alien registration number, if you are not a citizen of U.S.
How to log in to the UC System
The UC system is your one-stop portal for items related to your unemployment claim and subsequent benefits. Once you’ve set up your initial account, you can log in anytime by inputting your username and password. If you forget them at any point, you can select Forgot Username/Password. Please note that if you fail to log into the system for more than one month, you automatically will be prompted to reset your password when you try to log in.
If you forget your password, before a reset link can be sent to you, you’ll be prompted to answer questions about your account, which helps verify your identity. The answers to your questions must correspond with the information the UC system has on file in connection with your unemployment compensation claim. Much the same is true if you forget your username – you’ll answer a series of questions, reset your password and gain access to your account. Once you select Forgot Username/Password, you’ll have the option to indicate whether you’ve forgotten your username, your password, or both. Simply follow the prompts as presented to regain access to your account.
What is ID.me?
ID.me is a federally certified and widely trusted security platform that allows you to log securely into the UC online system. With ID.me’s digital identity verification, the state of Pennsylvania can feel confident that when you log into your account, it’s actually you and not someone pretending to be you.
The first step in using ID.me to log into the UC system is setting up your initial identity verification. You can undertake this process at any time, 24 hours a day, seven days per week. Simply go to the UC system dashboard and log in as directed or set up a new account if you don’t have an existing one. Then, confirm both your information and that you’d like to submit a new claim. When prompted, select Verify with ID.me, which will allow you to set up an ID.me account. Please note that if you’ve previously set up an ID.me account for another purpose, you can use it here as well. You do not have to create a new account specifically for the UC system.
If you’re setting up a new account, follow the self-guided process to set up your ID.me account and verify your identity. Most users can set up and verify their accounts fairly easily within just a few minutes. If you run into any trouble with setting up your account, you can have your identity verified through a live video chat with an ID.me customer representative. You may have to wait up to 30 minutes to connect with a representative. In the meantime, you also can visit the ID.me help site at help.id.me/ to see if you can find an answer to your questions.
Once your ID.me account is set up and verified, you can use it not only for logging into the UC system, but also for any other site that partners with ID.me for identity verification.
Furthermore, adding to the resources, know in detail what to do when you’re unemployed in Pennsylvania and Calculate your benefits for knowing how much projected amount you’re eligible to receive.
Unemployed? Check your eligibility for unemployment benefits
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