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Pennsylvania Unemployment Benefit Questions

Pennsylvania Unemployment Benefit Questions

I am a resident of Pennsylvania, but I got laid off from a job in a different state, where should I file my claim?

If you worked in only one state during your base period, that is where you should file for UC from. However, if you worked in multiple states during your base period, you should be filing a Combined Wage Claim (CWC). CWC can be filed from any one of the states in which you worked and earned wages during your base period.

If you are unsure about where you should file your claim from, contact UC service center and place a query either through the Internet or through phone call at 1-888-313-7284.

I was laid off last month and didn’t file an Application for Benefits right away. Can I get paid for those weeks?

Your PA unemployment benefits typically begin the week after you apply for benefits. However, once you’ve submitted your claim, you can reach out to the UC service center to request that your claim be backdated to the week during which you were laid off. You also may email [email protected] to request that your claim be backdated. Service center representatives will determine whether to backdate your application so that you can receive benefits for those missed weeks. Please know that backdating of claims is rare – and generally is approved only in cases where the person did not file timely claims through no fault of their own.

I received a new full-time job. Do I need to report this to the UC service center?

To end your unemployment claim, you can simply stop filing a weekly claim. If you wish to deregister from CareerLink, you can notify the UC service center that you have found new employment. Beginning a new full-time job means that you are no longer eligible to receive unemployment compensation.

How can I check the status of my initial claim?

If you’re interested in checking the status of your initial claim as it goes through the review process, you should submit your initial claim online. Once you’ve done so, you’ll receive a confirmation email, so you’ll know your initial claim was received. Within the next few days, you should then receive three important documents, delivered through the communications method you set up in your account.

Those three documents are your Notice of Financial Determination, your UC Claim Confirmation Letter, and your PA UC Handbook. As long as you’re receiving these communications, you can rest assured that your claim is moving appropriately through the process. But if you don’t receive these documents or you have other questions about the status of your claim, you can check its progress by logging into the account you created when you filed your initial claim.

How do I file an appeal?

If you’re in disagreement with the Pennsylvania UC Service Center’s decision regarding your claim for unemployment benefits, you absolutely may file an unemployment appeal. To do so, simply submit either an appeal letter or an original letter to the address you’ll find on your Service Center determination. On your decision notification, you’ll also find a fax number if you’d prefer to submit your request for appeal that way. Or, you also may submit your appeal request via email to [email protected]. Be advised that email correspondence is not secure.

How do you speak to someone at PA unemployment?

Pennsylvania provides support for those applying for and receiving unemployment compensation through a series of call centers. You can find all the contact information for each service center on the state map of services near you. Simply select your county from the list and scroll down to UC Benefit Services – each service center can be contacted via a Pennsylvania phone number or office location.

You also can contact the main UC service center at 888-313-7284. Each service center is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays typically are the highest call volume days, so you should expect longer wait times on that day.

How long is the wait for unemployment in PA?

In most cases, applicants will receive their first unemployment compensation payment within three weeks of filing their initial claim. This assumes that the applicant is eligible and that they have filed their weekly claims in a timely manner.

If you have elected to receive your unemployment compensation via direct deposit, you can expect to see it in your account roughly two days after submitting your weekly claim. Make sure to use the PA unemployment calculator so you can verify that your compensation amount is correct. And keep in mind that Pennsylvania requires a waiting week, which means that your very first weekly claim will not directly result in a paycheck.

It’s also important to note that, depending on the level of effort required to verify your employment history and reason for separation, some claims may take up to several weeks before the applicant begins to see benefit payments.

My layoffs are intermittent or sporadic, if so, how do I apply for Unemployment Compensation?

File an initial claim by either visit a One-Stop Career Center or by visiting the website UC service center or by calling them at 1-888-313-7284. Filing online would be the fastest way. Once your initial claim is processed, you may be expected to file bi-weekly claims to get weekly benefit checks. Should you fail to file the claim, the claim will become inactive. If you get a job for a week in between, don’t file for that week. And when you face unemployment again, simply re-open your existing claim and continue with weekly filing to claim your remaining benefits.

Does severance, salary continuation or separation pay affect UC benefits?

Any severance pay, that exceed 40% of the annual wage of Pennsylvania, is deducted from the claimant’s UC. The amount that is deducted from a claimant’s benefits is allocated the weeks that immediately follow the claimant’s job separation.

 


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