For general questions, call 888-313-7284 anytime between Monday and Friday, during the hours of 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Call times will be busiest in the middle of the day, so trying to call right when they open can get you speaking to someone faster.
If sign language is your primary way of communicating, you can video call 717-704-8474 only on Wednesdays from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and Fridays from 12:00 to 4:00 PM.
Ready to file a claim over the phone? Call 888-255-4728 Monday through Friday, any time between 6:00 AM and 9:00 PM, and Sundays from 6:00 AM until 11:00 PM.
If you need to change your direct deposit information or track down a missing benefits payment, contact the PA Treasury Department at 877-869-1956.
If you are having issues with your ReliaCard, you will need to call US Bancorp at 888-233-5916. If you are having trouble using the online PAULA system to file your application or your weekly certification, call 1-833-755-0882.
To report fraud or identity theft, call 800-692-7469.
If Spanish is your primary language, you call 877-888-8104.
As you can see, there are lots of different phone numbers for different issues. Have a pen and paper handy when you call in case the person you are speaking with suggests contacting a different number. Even if they transfer you, having this number handy for future reference can save you a lot of frustration if you get disconnected.
When Calling a PA Unemployment Phone Number
As of 2022, the unemployment rate in PA was down below 4%…but with almost 13 million residents, that means over 500,000 other people are collecting unemployment this week. And some of those people are also going to be calling the PA Office of Unemployment Compensation.
Although the staff are trained to be helpful, you may find them more helpful and more amenable if you have certain types of information on hand when you call. If you don’t have this information and it ends up being needed after the phone call, you could see mistakes that result in delays or even denials of your benefit payments.
Helpful information to have on hand:
Social Security number: Of course, you need your SSN at the time of your initial application, although not when you make your weekly claim. Filing for your weekly benefit without it may mean you forget it, unless of course you’ve already committed it to memory. When speaking to UC staff, have the number handy, perhaps right from your Social Security Card.
Home address: Be prepared, when calling customer service about your unemployment benefits, to have your home address handy, plus your mailing address if it is different.
Email address: Many people these days have several email addresses. To avoid confusion, make sure that in regards to filing your unemployment claim or calling in with a question about your unemployment insurance benefits, that consistently use the same email address.
Dates of employment: Have your employment dates handy, including the day you began work at your most recent job, and the day you were terminated or quit with good reason.
Gross earnings: Pennsylvania law requires you to report this information on your initial claim for unemployment insurance. However, if you feel that the financial determination made by the Pennsylvania department administering unemployment benefits is inaccurate, have something like a W2, 1099, or tax return to discuss it over the phone.
Driver’s license number: Most people will not have this number memorized. Keep your wallet handy when you call customer service in case this number will need to be a piece of personal information that is needed to get you verified to discuss your benefits.
Direct deposit info: This includes things like your bank name, routing number, and account number. If you do not want your UI benefits (UC benefits, as they are called in PA) directly deposited to your account, you will be given a debit card managed by US Bancorp, which incidentally manages most unemployment cards around the United States. That said, if this banking info is not handy on the call, you may need to opt in for a debit card, although you can use online self-service to or call back to change that later.
UC System username if already registered: If you have already registered for the UC system, and especially if you are calling in about technical help navigating the portal, you will need this information handy.
Additional info may be required
If you are calling to file an initial claim or discuss how to contest a benefit amount, you may need some additional information like the names and addresses of your previous employers and the reasons for leaving. For instance, if you voluntarily quit, you will have to show that it was not because of gross negligence or willful misconduct.
As you can see, there are a lot of things you need to have handy. It often helps during the course of your working life to save employment information like this for several years in a folder or file cabinet.
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