With COVID-19 mitigation efforts causing numerous job cuts across the Keystone State, here’s how to apply for Unemployment Compensation (UC) benefits and what recent changes mean.
Pennsylvania’s regular unemployment benefit provides about half a person’s full-time weekly income up to $572 per week for 26 weeks. Under the recent federal CARES Package, unemployment benefits are being expanded to provide an additional $600 per week beginning the week ending April 4 through the week ending July 25.
Here’s how the state says residents are eligible for Unemployment Compensation:
- Your employer temporarily closes or goes out of business because of COVID-19
- Your employer reduces your hours because of COVID-19
- You have been told not to work because your employer feels you might get or spread COVID-19
- You have been told to quarantine or self-isolate, or live/work in a county under government-recommended mitigation efforts
The state offers applications for Unemployment Compensation online.
Those eligible for Unemployment Compensation will receive two letters and a four-digit PIN, which will arrive through the mail.
It could take as long as four weeks for the first benefit payments to arrive if a person is approved.
The state has already made the following changes to Unemployment Compensation:
- The Waiting Week is suspended. Previously, claimants were not eligible for benefits during their first week of unemployment (the “waiting week”). This has been suspended; eligible claimants may receive benefits for the first week that they are unemployed.
- Work Search and Work Registration requirements are temporarily waived for all UC claimants. Claimants are not required to prove they have applied or searched for a new job to maintain their UC benefits. Claimants are also not required to register with PACareerLink.gov.
As reported, the state is receiving “very large call volumes” and problems have ensued. The state said residents with questions about a claim can email them at uchelp@pa.gov. The ask people to provide their full name (as it appears on a claim, including any suffix used) and the last four digits of the filers Social Security Number. They added that duplicative emails and/or requests may cause delays.
Here are some additional details on Unemployment Compensation:
Additional $600 Per Week
As part of the CARES Act, unemployment benefits are being expanded to provide an additional $600 per week beginning the week ending April 4, 2020, through the week ending July 25, 2020. This temporary emergency increase in benefits is referred to as the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program.
Today, L&I issued the first $600 payments. All eligible claimants that filed biweekly claims for the week ending April 4 and who received their regular UC payment should expect to see the additional money either Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. For other eligible claimants who have not yet received a regular UC payment, they will receive the extra $600 the week after receiving their first UC payment.
It is very important to note that anyone who currently has federal withholding tax taken out of their benefits will see the same 10% reduction in the FPUC payment, resulting in a $540 payment. For information about changing your withholding election, visit L&I’s Taxes on Benefits page.
The $600 is paid separately from the biweekly UC benefit, and residents do not need to apply.
Visit the department’s FPUC frequently asked questions for more information.
Self-employed, Contractors or Gig Economy Workers
The CARES Act also temporarily makes unemployment compensation available to self-employed, independent contractors, gig economy workers, and others not normally eligible for the benefit. The program is referred to as Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). These workers cannot apply through the department’s UC online system at this time. The U.S. Department of Labor requires that PUA be tracked separately from regular UC. For this reason, Pennsylvania must build a new online platform to process PUA benefits.
Eligible individuals should be able to start applying for PUA benefits within the next two weeks. Eligible claimants will receive backdated payments to January 27, 2020, or the first week they were unable to work due to COVID-19, whichever of the two dates is later. The PUA benefit will end December 31, 2020. The department will announce when the PUA benefit application is available.
Visit L&I’s PUA frequently asked questions for more information.
13-Week Benefit Extension
The CARES Act provides an additional 13 weeks of unemployment compensation, including for workers who exhaust their regular unemployment benefits. Claimants will be eligible for Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) from the week beginning March 29, 2020, through the end of the year. The department is awaiting additional federal guidance about the program and will provide an update when information is available.
Additional Information for workers impacted by COVID-19:
- Employment benefits webpage
- Employment benefits guide
- Frequently asked questions
- Tips for filing an initial UC claim
- Start a new claim video
