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Unemployment Compensation
Unemployment compensation (UC) provides temporary income support for eligible individuals that have lost their job through no fault of their own. An application process is necessary to be determined eligible for UC. The application and continual claims filing processes may be completed online or over the telephone in the state of Pennsylvania.
UC Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility requirements for UC include the following:
- You are unemployed through no fault of your own or due to a work stoppage that is the result of a lockout
- You have filed an initial application for UC benefits
- You are unemployed for a waiting period of one week after filing the initial application for benefits
- You must file ongoing biweekly claims and respond to questions concerning your continued eligibility
- You must report any earnings from work and any job offers or refusal of work during any claim period
- You are registered for work with the Pennsylvania CareerLink
- You are able to work and available for suitable work
- You performed services covered by the UC Law for an employer that is required by the UC Law or lets to pay into the UC Fund
- You earned enough wages to qualify and have sufficient credit weeks (a credit week is any calendar week in the base year for which you earned $50 or more)
The information provided is only a brief explanation of basic eligibility requirements for UC. It does not include all eligibility requirements or cover all situations. Refer to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry website for more detailed information on UC eligibility. You may also contact the UC Service Center Statewide toll-free number at 1-888-313-7284. This hotline is open Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4 PM.
Filing UC Claims
In Pennsylvania you are able to file UC claims online or over the telephone.
To file a claim online, refer to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry website. You will see options to "File an Initial Claim", "Reopen a Claim", "File a Biweekly Claim", and to "Check a Claim Status". Online claims may be submitted Sunday - Friday from 6 AM - 9 PM.
You may also file claims online via the Pennsylvania Teleclaims (PAT) toll-free hotline at 1-888-255-4728. The PAT hotline is an automated self-service system which can be used by anyone with access to a touch-tone telephone to file biweekly UC claims, access specific benefit payment information, or learn more about the Pennsylvania UC program. Automated services are available Sunday, 6 AM - 11 PM, and Monday - Friday, 6 AM - 9 PM.
Please note that due to extremely high call volume, it is recommended that you use the internet whenever possible to apply for benefits or check claims and payment status.
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