Pennsylvania Unemployment
Compensation Handbook
A guide to unemployment benefits
Phone:
888-313-7284
Website:
www.uc.pa.gov
Email:
uchelp@pa.gov
Statements in this handbook are intended for informational purposes only. If there is a conflict between information in
this booklet and the provisions of the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation (UC) Law, the Law prevails.
Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilies.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Program.
UCP-1 REV 2-23
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT THIS HANDBOOK ........................................................................... 2
PURPOSE OF THE CLAIMANT HANDBOOK ..........................................................................2
CONTACT INFORMATION .......................................................................................2
LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE....................................................................................... 2
OVERVIEW OF UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION (UC) ................................................ 3
ABOUT THE UC PROGRAM...................................................................................... 3
WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU..................................................................................... 3
ELIGIBILITY FOR UC BENEFITS ......................................................................4
QUALIFYING FOR UC BENEFITS .................................................................................. 4
OPTIONS FOR RECEIVING PAYMENT .............................................................................. 5
AMOUNT OF UC BENEFITS.......................................................................... 5
WAITING WEEK .............................................................................................. 5
DEDUCTIONS ................................................................................................ 6
MAINTAINING YOUR UC ELIGIBILITY ................................................................. 8
SEARCHING FOR WORK ........................................................................................8
COMPLETING A WEEKLY CLAIM CERTIFICATION ..................................................................... 8
REPORTING EARNINGS ....................................................................................... 10
GETTING YOU BACK TO WORK ......................................................................11
MANDATORY JOB REGISTRATION................................................................................ 11
REEMPLOYMENT SERVICES .................................................................................... 11
WHEN YOU FIND A NEW JOB................................................................................... 12
UC FRAUD ....................................................................................... 12
EXAMPLES OF UC FRAUD...................................................................................... 12
PENALTIES FOR UC FRAUD..................................................................................... 12
WHAT WE DO TO STOP UC FRAUD...............................................................................13
REPORT SUSPECTED FRAUD.................................................................................... 13
APPEAL RIGHTS .................................................................................. 13
HOW TO SUBMIT AN APPEAL .................................................................................. 13
THE APPEAL PROCESS ........................................................................................ 13
REMAINING ELIGIBLE DURING YOUR APPEAL ...................................................................... 14
APPENDICES..................................................................................... 14
APPENDIX A – LOGGING INTO UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION (UC) BENEFIT SYSTEM ....................................14
PASSWORD RESET.........................................................................................14
USERNAME RETRIEVAL .....................................................................................18
FORGOT USERNAME AND PASSWORD .........................................................................20
APPENDIX B – GLOSSARY ...................................................................................... 21
APPENDIX C – SAMPLE WORK SEARCH LOG .......................................................................22
APPENDIX D - LEGAL DISCLOSURES .............................................................................. 23
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 1
ABOUT THIS HANDBOOK
PURPOSE OF THE CLAIMANT HANDBOOK
This handbook will answer many of your quesons and provide important informaon about Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensaon (UC)
benets. (See the Glossary in Appendix B for denions of all underlined terms.) To speed processing of your UC claim, please carefully read the
informaon in this document. If you do not understand or have quesons, please contact the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry’s (L&I)
Oce of Unemployment Compensaon for help
CONTACT INFORMATION
There are many ways to contact us:
Go to our Website
Visit: www.uc.pa.gov for addional informaon including answers to Frequently Asked Quesons (FAQs).
Call Us
888-313-7284
Monday - Friday from 8 AM – 4 PM EST
Videophone Service for ASL Users
717-704-8474
Sign language is the ONLY means of communicaon provided at this number.
Wednesdays 8 AM – noon EST and Fridays noon – 4 PM EST
NOTE: You may see Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or COPA, as the caller ID when we call you.
Text Telephone Service (TTY)
888-334-4046 - This line is only available to individuals with hearing or speech dicules calling from a TTY device.
Email Us
UC Live Chat
Visit: www.uc.pa.gov/Chat and select the chat icon on the right-side of your screen to register for live chat services.
Monday - Friday from 8 am - 4 pm EST.
LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE
Free services are available to assist you if you do not speak English. For assistance in a language other than English, please call 888-313-7284.
Hay servicios gratuitos disponibles para ayudarlo si no habla inglés. Para obtener asistencia en un idioma que no sea inglés, llame al 888-313-7284.
Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities
We will make accommodaons to facilitate your parcipaon in all UC programs, acvies, and services. To request an accommodaon for a disability,
please contact us at 888-313-7284.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 2
OVERVIEW OF UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION (UC)
ABOUT THE UC PROGRAM
UC is a program designed to provide temporary income between jobs to workers who lost their job through no fault of their own – for
example, due to a layoff, plant closure, or lack of available work. Benefits are not available to all workers. For example, workers who were
terminated from their job for misconduct cannot receive UC benefits. Other common examples of workers who cannot receive benefits are
those who are not planning to become reemployed, or those who are either physically unable to work or are not available to work because
they have other responsibilities or are away from home.
Funding for the UC Program
Pennsylvania’s UC program is funded through taxes paid by employers.
WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU
L&I is here to assist you through your time of unemployment. To make sure you are paid benefits in a timely manner, please help us by:
• Providing accurate and complete information
• Responding to requests for information right away
• Completing all requirements to maintain UC eligibility, as outlined in this handbook
• Keeping your contact information up to date
UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION
If you move or change your phone number or email address, let us know as soon as possible, even if you are not filing for benefits at
that time. Failure to notify our agency of your current contact information may result in delays or being denied UC benefits. The only way to
update your address or phone number in the UC system is by calling us at 888-313-7284. If you have a PA CareerLink® account or
Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessments (RESEA), update your contact information at www.pacareerlink.pa.gov. Please be sure
to update contact information in both the UC and PA CareerLink® systems.
For Fastest Service, Go Online
You can check the status of your claim, review information, and more through our safe and secure website. Visit www.benefits.uc.pa.gov
24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Please visit Appendix A for detailed instrucons on how to set up an online account. Visit this step-by-step video detailing How to File for UC Benets
Online and save me.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 3
ELIGIBILITY FOR UC BENEFITS
QUALIFYING FOR UC BENEFITS
Our agency will review your claim to determine if you qualify for benets. We will not be able to tell anyone in advance if they will be eligible for a
claim. We look at these three criteria aer you open your claim:
1. How much did you work in the 18 months before ling a claim?
You must be nancially eligible and have earned enough wages and have enough weeks of work in your employment history
prior to ling a claim. If you did not earn enough wages and work enough weeks, you will not be eligible for benets.
2. Why are you no longer working for your past employer?
The reason you are no longer employed or working reduced hours helps determine whether you can receive UC benets. Below
are some examples of separaon reasons that may qualify or disqualify you from receiving benets.
You may receive benefits if you: You may not receive benefits if you:
ü
Were laid o or your hours were reduced because your X Le your job for personal reasons unrelated to work
employer did not have enough work for you X Were terminated for misconduct
ü Le your last job and can show it was for good cause X Are not legally authorized to work in the United States
related to the job (such as unsafe working condions) X Are self-employed
ü You were discharged from your job for reasons that are
not considered willful misconduct
ü Register for reemployment services with PA CareerLink®
online at www.pacareerlink.pa.gov within 30 days of
ling your claim for UC benets
A department representave may contact you and/or your employer to discuss the reason for your separaon from work.
If you or your employer disagree on the reason for your unemployment you will be given a chance to explain your side of the
story via a phone call. If benets are denied, you will receive a wrien determinaon, which you can appeal.
3. Are you able and available to work?
To qualify for UC benets you must be:
• Acvely looking for work
• Mentally and physically able to work
• Legally authorized to work in the United States
• Available to accept work (for example, you do not have personal responsibilies that would prevent you from working)
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 4
OPTIONS FOR RECEIVING PAYMENT
If you are eligible for UC benets, you may receive your payment:
• Through direct deposit – This opon puts money directly into your checking account.
o If you received UC benets by direct deposit within 12 months of ling your current claim/applicaon, and your bank account is sll acve,
direct deposit will carry over to your current UC claim.
o If the bank account you previously used was closed or you need to make changes, you should request to stop direct deposit. If you stop
direct deposit, you will be switched to a debit card, unless you provide new bank informaon.
• On a debit card – This opon provides you with a debit card from the commonwealth’s chosen debit card provider. You can make purchases,
get cash, and pay bills everywhere debit is accepted.
o If you do not have a direct deposit account on le, you will automacally be issued a debit card. You may switch to direct deposit if that
is your preferred payment method.
Debit cards are inially mailed to you so that you are ready when benets are paid. There will be no money on the debit card unl you have been
determined eligible for benets, le your weekly claims, and the benets are paid to you.
Please visit Direct Deposit of UC Benets at www.uc.pa.gov/DirectDeposit or Payment Opons at www.uc.pa.gov/DebitCard to access online forms,
nd instrucons and learn more. If you have any quesons about your payment method, please call the Pennsylvania Treasury, at 877-869-1956.
AMOUNT OF UC BENEFITS
Aer you le a claim for UC benets, you will receive a Monetary Determinaon, or Noce of Financial Determinaon (Form UC-44F), in the mail.
The Noce of Financial Determinaon explains:
• The amount of benets you are eligible to receive, if you become approved, and how that amount was calculated
• The number of full weeks you will be eligible for benets. If you report earnings and collect paral benets, the number of weeks will be
extended -- not to exceed 52 weeks.
• Informaon about how to le an appeal or request a monetary reconsideraon if you disagree with the determinaon
Please review the UC Benets Financial Charts (www.uc.pa.gov/FinancialCharts) for the maximum amount of benets you can receive per week in Pennsylvania.
WAITING WEEK
The rst week of your claim is considered a waing week. You must le a payment
request, or weekly cercaon and meet all eligibility requirements during this week,
but you will not be paid. Your payments will start the following week, assuming you
are sll eligible for benets and fulll all requirements.
For example, consider a situaon where John lost his job on the rst Monday of the
month and led an inial claim for UC benets on the same day. Even though John
submits a cercaon for the rst week of benets, he will not be paid for this
waing week.
The next week, if John fullls all eligibility requirements, he will be eligible to receive
payment. See the Maintaining Your UC Eligibility secon for more details on the
connuing eligibility requirements.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 5
DEDUCTIONS
Your benets may be reduced under the following circumstances:
Benet Reducon
UC Law requires a benet reducon when the balance in the Pennsylvania UC Trust fund is low. This money is taken from the weekly benets of all claimants
to repay the trust fund. This amount is a percentage of your total benets which changes year to year. Your Noce of Financial Determinaon will show
you the percentage.
Earnings
UC Law requires you report all work and earnings, including ps and commissions each week, Sunday through Saturday. You must report all gross earnings,
even if you have not yet received payment from your employer. If you are working part-me, you may sll be eligible for paral UC benets. Be sure to report
any earnings from part-me work. See the Reporng Earnings secon below for more informaon.
Overpayments
An unemployment benet that you previously received, but it was later discovered you should not have received, is referred to as an “overpayment.”
Overpayments remain on your record for a period of several years, depending on the situaon. If you did not fully repay the department and you collect
unemployment benets in the future, your weekly payments will be reduced to help repay this debt.
Potenal Earnings
Each week, you must report if you were absent from work when work was available. You must indicate the amount of potenal earnings, the wages you
could have earned had you not been absent from work when work was available. For example, if you were scheduled to work but called o or did not show
up, you must report those wages to us as earned. It does not maer that you did not earn any money for those hours and will not be paid by your employer.
Child Support
Some or all your unemployment benets may be reduced if you:
• Owe court-ordered child support
o Quesons about the amount being deducted from your benets should be directed to the Domesc Relaons Secon of the Court of
Common Pleas that issued the order.
o Addional informaon on withholding support from UC benets is provided in Support Withholding from Unemployment Compensaon (UCP-24),
or at www.uc.pa.gov/UCP-24.
Holiday Pay and Vacaon Pay
UC Law requires you report all holiday and vacaon pay earnings each week. Holiday pay and vacaon pay amounts that equal more than your paral
benet credit will be deducted from your benets for the week in which the holiday or vacaon occurs. However, vacaon pay is not deducted
if you do not have a recall date from your employer.
Rerement Income
Rerement income, such as pension payments or survivor benets, may aect your weekly benet amount (WBA).
When you apply for UC, you must tell us if you receive or applied to receive payment from your rerement plan.
Receiving a pension can aect the amount of UC benets for which you are eligible. A pension may reduce your benets if an employer in your
base year contributed to or maintained the pension plan, and your work during the base year increased the amount or aected your eligibility for
the pension.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 6
If your employer was the only one who contributed to the pension, 100% of the prorated, weekly pension amount is deducble. If you contributed in
any amount to the pension, 50% of the prorated, weekly pension amount is deducble. The following payments are NOT deducble, however:
• Social Security and Railroad Rerement pensions.
• A lump-sum pension payment, if you did not have the opon of receiving monthly or periodic payments.
• A lump-sum pension payment that is deposited or rolled over into an approved rerement plan, such as an IRA, within 60 days aer
you received the payment.
Separaon Pay
A severance package, pay in lieu of noce (which is payment made to you because the employer furloughed you without required noce by law),
or a connuaon of pay with full benets from an employer even aer you are no longer working for them may aect UC benets. Severance pay
that exceeds 40% of Pennsylvania’s average annual wage is deducted from your benets.
Be sure to report any separaon payments when you apply for UC benets. You may be contacted by the agency for addional details to help de-
termine if your separaon pay is deducble.
Self-Employment
You are not eligible for UC if you are self-employed. However, there is an excepon for “sideline” acvity. Earnings from self-employment that is
determined to meet the sideline business criteria can be automacally deducted from your weekly UC payments. A determinaon will be issued
accordingly. For more informaon on sideline employment, please visit www.uc.pa.gov/Self-Employment.
Taxes
Your UC benets are taxable by the federal government. You may choose if you want to have federal income tax withheld from your benets
(at the rate of 10%) or not. If you elect not to have taxes withheld, you will be responsible for the full taxable amount at the end of the year.
You can make the choice to have taxes withheld when you le your applicaon for benets. To change your withholding selecon, log on to
the Pennsylvania UC System (www.benets.uc.pa.gov) and access your dashboard. Taxes withheld can be refunded to you only by the IRS.
Quesons about taxes on UC payments should be directed to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) (www.irs.gov) or your tax professional.
By the end of January each year, L&I will provide you with a Statement for Recipients of Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensaon (Form UC-1099G).
This form shows the amount of benets you were paid during the previous year and the amount of income tax withheld if you selected that opon.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 7
MAINTAINING YOUR UC ELIGIBILITY
Every week that you claim benets, you need to complete three tasks to remain eligible:
1. Search for work (starting with the third calendar week from when you filed your initial claim)
2. Complete a weekly claim certification
3. Report earnings (any money you earned during the claim week)
Failure to complete any of these acons can disqualify you from benets for that week.
SEARCHING FOR WORK
You are required to acvely search for work every week you receive UC benets. If you are able to check one box in each column, you have sased your
UC work search requirements for the week.
1st Job Applicaon 2nd Job Applicaon Work Search Acvity
Applied for a job that ts my skills and
qualicaons
Applied for a job that ts my skills and
qualicaons
Parcipated in a work search acvity
Parcipated in a work search acvity
because I am liming my job applicaons.
Parcipated in a work search acvity
because I am liming my job applicaons.
Applied for a 3rd job
Interviewed for a job Interviewed for a job Interviewed for a job
Worked part-me during the week and earned more than my paral benet credit
(www.uc.pa.gov/ParalBenets). Note: A second job applicaon and a work search acvity
are not required.
All work search acvies must be documented. See Appendix C for a sample work search log.
Work Search Exempons
You are exempt from the weekly work search requirements if you sasfy one of the exempons below:
• You acvely parcipated in a department approved work search acvity or program.
• You receive work through a union hiring hall and are in good standing at the me you are ling for UC benets.
• You are parcipang in the Shared-Work program.
• You are in training approved by the department or under the Trade Adjustment Act.
• You are required to parcipate in the Pennsylvania Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) at a PA CareerLink®.
• You are laid o due to a lack of work and have a wrien recall date from your employer.
Note: This exempon expires if the recall date is rescinded or has passed. You are required to keep a copy of the recall noce and nofy the
UC Service Center of your return-to-work date.
For addional details on weekly work search exempons, visit www.uc.pa.gov/WorkSearch
COMPLETING A WEEKLY CLAIM CERTIFICATION
To connue receiving benet payments, you will need to le a weekly claim cercaon for each week you are totally or parally unemployed.
This tells Pennsylvania UC sta that you are sll jobless and are seeking payment for that week. Opening an unemployment claim does not result
in any payments; weekly claims must be led for you to receive payment.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 8
The claim cercaon includes a series of quesons that help determine if you are eligible to connue receiving UC benets. For example, for each
week you will be asked if you:
• Were able and available to accept work
• Looked for work
• Refused any jobs or oers of work
• Completed any work, and if so, how much money you earned for that work
• Were absent from work when work was available, and if so, how much you could have earned for days missed.
Under penalty of law, you are required to truthfully answer the quesons for each week you claim UC benets.
When to File Your Weekly Claim
Filing weekly claims is me sensive. If you are already approved for benets, are not yet sure if
you will be approved, or you have been denied but you appealed the denial, you must connue
ling a weekly claim for each week you are unemployed and seeking payment. If you are eligible
for benets, you will ulmately receive payments only for weekly claims you led.
Your weekly claim must be led during the week (Sunday through Saturday) immediately following
the week you were unemployed. Weekly claims must be completed by 11:59 PM on Saturday of
each week you are claiming benets. If you remain totally or parally unemployed, you will
connue to le weekly claims every week unl you exhaust your benets.
For example, if you lost your job on Monday, the 3rd of the month, you could le an inial claim for UC benets on the same day or on any other day that week.
Then you could submit a weekly claim for your rst week of benets starng on Sunday the 9th. Remember this rst week is an unpaid waing week.
Failure to submit the weekly claim before 11:59 PM, Saturday the 15th may result in delayed benet payment or a denial of benets for that week.
If You Forget to File
If you fail to le your weekly claim at the proper me, your UC claim will become “inacve.” The next me you go to le a weekly claim, you will be
prompted to reopen your claim. You can reopen your claim online at www.benets.uc.pa.gov, but the weeks you failed to le for will not be available.
Your reopened claim will be eecve Sunday during the week you complete the reopen. The following Sunday you can resume ling weekly claims.
You must call us at 888-313-7284 if you want the department to consider your eligibility for weeks you missed. The missed weeks will be led through
our sta and a determinaon regarding those weeks may be necessary. You may be denied for late ling if the reason does not fall within the allowable
provisions of UC law and regulaons.
How to File Your Weekly Claim
Online
For fastest service, visit: www.benets.uc.pa.gov.
By Phone
You may le by phone by using the PA Teleclaims (PAT) system: 888-255-4728 - Call Sunday through Saturday 24 hours a day.
Please be advised that ling online is the fastest and easiest way to le. Using PAT may cause your payments to be delayed.
You will need the following when calling PAT to le a biweekly claim for benets:
• Access to a touch-tone telephone, a push-buon telephone, or a cell phone with a tone-pulse switch;
• Your Social Security number;
• A pen and paper to note important informaon; and
• Your personal idencaon number (PIN), which you must obtain by calling the UC Service Center at 888-313-7284.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 9
By Mail
This is permied only in specic circumstances. This method is rarely used since postal mail and manual processing naturally delay
payments when compared to using PAT or the Internet. Please contact 888-313-7284, Monday - Friday from 8 AM – 4 PM EST.
TTY users only, contact 888-334-4046, for informaon on ling claims by mail. This phone line is only available to individuals with
hearing or speech dicules calling from a TTY device.
REPORTING EARNINGS
If you are working while claiming UC benets, you must report how much money you made. You must report your gross earnings, not your net earnings.
Earnings include vacaon pay, holiday pay, and potenal earnings. For addional details on how to properly report earnings, please visit www.uc.pa.gov/
ParalBenets.
Please enter the number of hours you worked for the week using the Gross Earnings Calculator shown below, which can be accessed when you le your
weekly cercaon online. If you were paid for vacaon or holiday pay, include those wages in their respecve secons. Do NOT use the Gross Earnings
Calculator to calculate potenal, vacaon, or holiday earnings.
Earnings Verification
Please indicate your gross earnings from this job during the week beginning Sunday. [Month 00, 20XX] and ending Saturday. [Month 00, 20XX]
Always report your Gross Earnings which are your total earnings before any deducons.
Regular Earnings: $ 96.00 Calulate Gross Earnings and Hours
*Potenal Earnings (If work $ 0.00
was available to you and
you did not go to work you
must report the money you
would have earned):
*Vacaon Pay: $ 0.00
*Holiday Pay: $ 0.00
*Gross Amount Earned: $ 96.00
Please enter your Hourly Rate.
$ 96.00
Please enter the number of hours you have worked for the Week Ending [date].
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
XX/XX/20XX XX/XX/20XX XX/XX/20XX XX/XX/20XX XX/XX/20XX XX/XX/20XX
0 0 8 0 0 0
Gross Earnings this week:
$ 96.00
Number of hours worked this week: 8
Calculate Gross Earnings and Hours
When to Report Earnings
Earnings, including ps and commissions, must be reported each week when cerfying for UC benets. You must report what
you earned for the previous Sunday through Saturday period, even if you have not yet been paid. This must always be based on
your earnings from Sunday through Saturday; do not use your employer’s pay period if it is not the same as Sunday through
Saturday.
What Earnings to Report
Any money earned for work done must be reported. Common income sources include full- or part-me employment,
temporary or odd jobs, and ps.
How to Calculate Gross Earnings
Number of Hours Worked during Week x Rate of Pay = Gross Earnings
For instance, if you worked 30 hours in a week (Sunday through Saturday) at $20 per hour, you would report $600 in gross
earnings for the week.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 10
GETTING YOU BACK TO WORK
The PA CareerLink® offices (www.pacareerlink.pa.gov) offer a variety of no-cost programs and services – including job leads and career resources – to
help you get back to work faster.
MANDATORY JOB REGISTRATION
To receive UC benets, you must register within 30 days of ling your claim for UC benets.
• If your labor market is outside of Pennsylvania, you must register with the state employment service that serves your local labor market.
• If your local labor market is within Pennsylvania (either you live in Pennsylvania, or you commute to Pennsylvania for work) you must register
for employment search services through PA CareerLink®.
For your registration to be complete, you are required to obtain a Keystone ID and upload/create a resume in the PA CareerLink® system. For additional
details on job registration, visit www.uc.pa.gov/WorkRegistration.
Job Registration Exemptions
You are exempt from the job registration requirements if you satisfy one of the exemptions below:
• You are parcipang in the Shared-Work program.
• You are in training approved by the department or under the Trade Adjustment Act.
• You are required to parcipate in the Pennsylvania Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) at a PA CareerLink®.
• You are laid o due to a lack of work and have a wrien recall date from your employer. Note: This exempon expires if the recall date is rescinded
or has passed. You are required to keep a copy of the recall noce and nofy the UC Service Center of your return-to-work date.
How to Register for Reemployment Services
You may register for reemployment services by vising your local PA CareerLink Oce® in person or online.
Follow the steps below to complete a new registraon for employment-search services.
• Go to PA CareerLink® (www.pacareerlink.pa.gov/jponline/Persona/PersonaPage/ReenteringWorkforce) and click “Register Now.”
• Under user type, select “Unemployment Compensaon (UC) Claimant” and complete the registraon.
• NOTE: It is very important that both your name and mailing address are the same in both the UC and PA CareerLink® systems.
• Once you have completed the registraon process, you will receive a “Registraon Conrmaon” page. The conrmaon page is for
your records and should not be sent to the UC Service Center or PA CareerLink® oce.
REEMPLOYMENT SERVICES
The Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) Program is designed to idenfy claimants that may need the most help nding a new job.
If you are selected for RESEA you must parcipate unless you are excused for good reason. Benets can be denied for weeks if you fail to parcipate.
In addion to mandatory RESEA services, anyone can visit a PA CareerLink® oce for free assistance with resume wring, interviewing skills, labor market
informaon, online job skills training for Pennsylvania residents, and more.
Addional Services to Assist You
• RESEA Program – If selected to parcipate in RESEA you MUST aend unless you have good reason not to parcipate. RESEA services are
designed to help those most in need nd reemployment. Benets can be denied for weeks if you fail to parcipate.
• Training Programs - You may be eligible for training or educaon programs to help you upgrade your skills or complete a degree program.
To learn more about whether you might qualify, visit: www.dhs.pa.gov/Services/Assistance/Pages/ET.aspx.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 11
WHEN YOU FIND A NEW JOB
Full-me Work
You do not need to nofy our oce when you start a full-me job with either your former employer or a new employer. Simply stop subming the weekly
claim cercaon to request UC benet payments when you start your new job (even if you will not receive your rst paycheck anyme soon).
Part-me Work
If you nd part-me work, you may sll be eligible for paral UC benet payments. Be sure to report any earnings from part-me work. See the
Reporng Earnings secon for more informaon.
Reopening an Exisng Claim
If you opened an unemployment compensaon (UC) claim within the
past year, stopped ling for those benets because you found a new job,
but now need to le for benets again, you will simply reopen your
exisng claim.
It doesn’t maer if you’re ling with the same employer
or a new one, if you’re ling for UC benets within the
12 months that you opened your inial claim, you will
reopen it to le for benets.
UC FRAUD
Fraud is a serious crime. Detecng and prevenng unemployment compensaon fraud is a priority for our agency. Claims are audited regularly to ensure
benets were paid according to state and federal law.
EXAMPLES OF UC FRAUD
Some examples of fraud include:
• Failing to report money earned while collecng benets.
• Being dishonest about why you are no longer working for a previous employer.
• Saying you are able and available when you are ill, traveling, or otherwise unable or unavailable to work.
• Reporng that you looked for work when you did not make valid work search eorts.
• Allowing another person to collect benets for you.
• Stealing someone’s identy to le for unemployment benets in their name.
To Avoid Comming Fraud
The most important thing is to be honest. If you intenonally make false statements or hide informaon to gain or maintain UC benets, you are
comming fraud. If you are confused about what you are supposed to do or report, call 888-313-7284 for claricaon. We are here to help!
PENALTIES FOR UC FRAUD
Penales for fraud can include:
• Repayment of all UC benets that you were not eligible to receive.
• A 15% penalty on top of the benets you should not have received.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 12
• Disqualicaon from receiving future benets for up to the number of weeks that fraud was commied.
• Repayment of UC benets that you fraudulently received from federal tax refunds.
• Being convicted of a crime in state and/or federal court.
WHAT WE DO TO STOP UC FRAUD
These are just some of the ways we idenfy
people who are comming fraud:
• Comparing earnings reported by workers and their employers
• Auding claims
• Checking state and naonal databases of recently hired
individuals to make sure people are not collecng
UC benets aer they start working again
• Verifying job search contacts
APPEAL RIGHTS
REPORT SUSPECTED FRAUD
You can report fraud:
• Online at www.uc.pa.gov/Fraud
• Through our toll-free Fraud Hotline at 1-800-692-7469
Tips about possible fraud are pursued by our team of invesgators.
If you or your former employer disagree with a decision regarding your UC claim, you each have the right to appeal. Appeals must be submied
within 21 days from the date the determinaon leer was mailed.
HOW TO SUBMIT AN APPEAL
A Peon for Appeal provides an opportunity for you to describe the reasons you disagree with the decision. You may appeal:
Online
Visit www.benets.uc.pa.gov and sign into your UC account
By Mail
Mail Processing Unit – Claimant Appeals
651 Boas St, 5th Fl
Harrisburg PA 17121
By Fax
Fax your appeal to 855-728-2329
THE APPEAL PROCESS
Aer your appeal is received, the UC Service Center will process it to a referee oce, and you will receive an Acknowledgement of UC Appeal
indicang the referee oce assigned to handle the appeal. You will also be sent a Noce of Hearing in the mail or through some other customary
method of contacng you. It will inform you of the date and me of your appeal hearing. It is recommended that you parcipate in your hearing
to protect your benet rights. An imparal hearing ocer is responsible for the appeal hearing.
The hearing ocer will issue a wrien decision that is mailed (or emailed if that is the customary method of contacng you) aer the hearing to
you and any other interested pares, such as your former employer. If you disagree with a hearing ocer’s decision, you may appeal that decision.
For more informaon about where and how to le appeals, visit UC Benet Appeals (www.uc.pa.gov/Appeals).
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 13
REMAINING ELIGIBLE DURING YOUR APPEAL
To maintain your UC eligibility, continue to search for work, complete weekly claim certifications, and report any money you earned during
the claim weeks while your appeal is pending. If the appeal is decided in your favor, you will only be paid for the weeks for which you met the
eligibility requirements.
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A – LOGGING INTO UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION (UC) BENEFIT SYSTEM
The username and password process are similar to the login process we recognize from most password-protected applicaons, such as online banking apps.
Before you log into your UC account, use this table to idenfy your situaon:
Active User Inactive User New User
If you are an acve user, you will see no
changes.
Use your login credenals like normal. If you
forget your username or password, please
use the “Forgot Username/Password?” link
to retrieve your credenals.
If you've previously logged in and get the
warning message below telling you to try
again, you will need to reset your
password.
If you login successfully, no further action
is necessary.
You are considered a new user if you have
recently applied for UC via phone, but have
never logged in. During the applicaon process
a username and password were created on
your behalf.
If you recall this informaon, simply login.
If you forget your login informaon, or it
was not provided to you, please use the
instrucons in this guide to retrieve your
username and/or reset your password.
PASSWORD RESET
The screens below illustrate the steps you should take if you forget your password or are inacve due to not logging in within the past month or longer.
Click on “Forgot Username/Password?”
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 14
OR from the login screen, click “Retrieve User Name or Password”:
If you have forgoen your user
name and/or password, please click
Retrieve User Name or Password
Select the opon that applies to your situaon.
• Opon 1 - Forgot Password
If you have forgoen your password, please click “retrieve password.” You will be prompted for informaon about your account. When matched,
you will establish a new password and then have access to your account.
• Opon 2 - Forgot User Name
If you have forgoen your User Name, please click “retrieve User Name.” You will be prompted for informaon about your account. When matched,
you will establish a new password and then have access to your account.
• Opon 3 - Forgot User Name and Password
If you have forgoen your User Name and password, please click “retrieve both.” You will be prompted for informaon about your account.
When matched, you will establish a new password and then have access to your account.
Opon 1 - Forgot Password
If you have forgoen your password, please click retrieve password. You will be prompted for informaon about your account, and when matched, you will establish a new password then have access to your
account.
Option 2 - Forgot User Name
If you have forgotten your user name, please click retrieve User Name. You will be prompted for information about your account and when matched, you will establish a new password then have
access to your account.
Option 3 - Forgot User Name and Password
If you have forgoen your user name and password, please click retrieve both. You will be prompted for informaon about your account, and when matched, you will establish a new password then have access
to your account.
If you selected, “Opon 1 – Forgot Password,” enter your username on the following screen. Choose “Individual” and click “
Complete the required fields and then click the next button to begin the retrieval process.
*Indicates required fields.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 15
Enter your Social Security number (SSN) and email address associated with your UC claim. The email address must match what we have on record.
To ensure the highest level of security, please enter the needed informaon into the form, so that we can verify this informaon against what is in our database.
If you can’t provide the needed informaon, you may contact sta by clicking the Contact Sta link
*Indicates required fields.
If the correct informaon is entered, you will receive this message.
The email will look like the example below. Click the reset link.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 16
You will be required to verify your identy using ID.me. Click the green “Verify with ID.me” buon within the email.
Sign in and verify.
OK
If the ID.me informaon does not match the informaon in the UC system, you will receive the following alert message.
Warning: The information you’ve
provided does not match what’s
been verified with ID.me Please
try again. If you believe you
entered information accurately
please call 888-313-7284 for
assistance.
OK
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 17
If the informaon matches you will be permied to change your password. Enter and conrm your new password and click “Submit.” Once successfully
updated you will receive an onscreen conrmaon message.
Reset Password From Email Link
*Indicates required elds For help click the informaon icon.
Reset Password
Your information has been verified. We recommend you reset your password to complete the retrieval process.
Enter you new password below and then click Save.
Username:
*Enter New
Password:
Enter Password (8 - 18 characters, and must include at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter,
one number and one special character. Allowable characters are # @ $ ^ . * _ +)
*Confirm New
Password:
Submit
Your Password has been reset.
Click here to return to the Home page
If an incorrect email or SSN is entered, you will be redirected to the Contact Us page. This means the informaon you entered is not what we have on le
and you will be required to call the UC Service Center to update your account informaon.
USERNAME RETRIEVAL
The screens below illustrate the steps you would take if you forgot your user name using “Opon 2 – Forgot User Name.”
Select an opon to retrieve your User Name and/or Password
Opon 1 - Forgot Password
If you have forgoen your password, please click retrieve password. You will be prompted for informaon about your account, and when matched, you will establish a new password then have access to your
account.
Option 2 - Forgot User Name
If you have forgotten your User Name, please click retrieve User Name. You will be prompted for information about your account and when matched, you will establish a new password then have
access to your account.
Option 3 - Forgot User Name and Password
If you have forgoen your user name and password, please click retrieve both. You will be prompted for informaon about your account, and when matched, you will establish a new password then have access
to your account.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 18
Select “Individual” and click “Next.”
Complete the required elds and then click the next buon to begin the retrieval process.
*
Indicates required elds
*Did you register as
Enter your SSN and email and click “Submit.”
*Indicates required elds
Your Informaon
*Social Security
Numbers:
*Email:
Submit
If you can’t provide the needed informaon, you may contact sta by clicking the Contact Us page. This means the informaon you entered is not what
we have on le and you will be required to call the UC Service Center to update your account informaon.
If the correct informaon is entered, an email will be sent to you. Your username will be provided in this email.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 19
If an incorrect email or SSN is entered, you will be redirected to the Contact Us page. This means the informaon you entered is not what we have on
le and you will be required to call the UC Service Center to update your account informaon.
FORGOT USERNAME AND PASSWORD
You may also choose “Opon 3 – Forgot User Name and Password” to reset your password and retrieve your username simultaneously. This process will
follow the same steps shown in Opons 1 and 2.
Select an opon to retrieve your User Name and/or Password
Opon 1 - Forgot Password
If you have forgoen your password, please click retrieve password. You will be prompted for informaon about your account, and when matched, you will establish a new password then have access to your
account.
Option 2 - Forgot User Name
If you have forgotten your User Name, please click retrieve User Name. You will be prompted for information about your account and when matched, you will establish a new password then have
access to your account.
Option 3 - Forgot User Name and Password
If you have forgoen your user name and password, please click retrieve both. You will be prompted for informaon about your account, and when matched, you will establish a new password then have
access to your account.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 20
APPENDIX B – GLOSSARY
This secon denes commonly used terms and acronyms.
Appeal – A process for requesng a formal review of a prior UC
decision.
Appeal Hearing – A meeng to consider an Unemployment
Compensaon benet appeal. Each party (you and the employer, in
most cases) can tell an imparal hearing ocer what they believe
the relevant facts are related to the issue on appeal. You may have
witnesses tesfy. You may ask quesons of the other party. All
tesmony is given under oath.
Base Period – The window of me used to determine UC benet
eligibility. At the me an inial claim for benets is led, wages from
the rst four of the last ve completed calendar quarters are reviewed
to determine UC benet eligibility. Your Weekly Benet Amount (WBA)
is also based on how much money you were paid for working during
this me.
Benet Week – A seven-day period during which you have an acve
claim. The benet week begins on Sunday at midnight and ends at
11:59 p.m. the following Saturday.
Benet Year – Also referred to as a Claim Year, this is the 52 weeks
from the Claim Eecve Date to the Claim End Date.
Benets – The money given to eligible individuals.
Claim – An applicaon for UC benets.
Claim Eecve Date – The Sunday of the week in which your inial
claim for benets is led.
Claim End Date – Also referred to as a Benet Year End (BYE), this is
the last Saturday of a Benet Year. This falls 52 weeks aer the Claim
Eecve Date.
Fraud – Knowingly claiming or accepng UC benets illegally. Fraud
may be considered a crime.
Financial Eligibility – Having enough wages and weeks of work in your
employment history to qualify for UC benets.
Full-me Work – Working the normal full-me hours for your usual
work week.
Gross Earnings – The amount of money you get for work before taxes
and deducons are taken out.
Net Earnings – Your take-home pay, aer taxes and deducons are
taken out.
Maximum Benet Amount (MBA) – The maximum amount of
benets you may receive during a benet year. This amount is based
on the wages earned in the Base Period of a claim mulplied by the
number of benet weeks you are eligible for within the Claim Year.
This amount is listed in your Monetary Determinaon noce.
Misconduct – Careless or deliberate behavior that results in being
red or suspended from your job. Examples include dishonesty
related to employment, unexcused absences, or violaon of a
company policy.
Monetary Determinaon – A form mailed to you aer you le an
inial claim for UC benets. It explains if you are eligible for UC
benets, how much your payment will be each week, the Maximum
Benet Amount (MBA), and other details for that Claim Year. This
form lists all employers you worked for during the Base Period and the
wages each employer reported each quarter. Be sure to check it for
accuracy and nofy UCSC of any errors at 1-888-313-7284.
Overpayment – UC benets you received, but were not entled to
receive, under state law.
Paral UC Benets – The amount of UC benets you may receive
while working reduced hours (less than your typical full me work
hours).
Potenal Earnings – The amount of wages you could have earned had
you not been absent from work when work was available.
Separaon – When you or your employer end the working
relaonship. This can be due to a quit, discharge, leave of absence,
suspension, or layo.
UC – Unemployment Compensaon, which is the benet program for
workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own.
Union Aached – An acve union member who gets work through
a union hiring hall. If you are on the out-of-work list, as veried by
your union, you may be eligible for UC benets by remaining
available for work through your union.
Waing Week – The rst week of the Benet Year that you are
unemployed and found eligible for benets. You will not be paid UC
benets for this week.
Weekly Benet Amount (WBA) – The maximum amount of money you
may be eligible to receive for one week. This amount is listed in your
Monetary Determinaon noce.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 21
APPENDIX C – SAMPLE WORK SEARCH LOG
Use a log such as the one shown below, which you can nd at www.uc.pa.gov/Documents/UC_Forms/uc-304.pdf, to keep track of the work search
acvies you complete each week. Be sure to document the details of each acon (what, when, where, and with whom). If possible, save a screenshot,
email conrmaon, or other evidence of your work search acon.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & INDUSTRY
OFFICE OF UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION BENEFITS
WORK SEARCH RECORD
WORK SEARCH RECORD FOR WEEK BEGINNING SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY
To be eligible for UC benefits, complete the work search record below. Refer to your Pennsylvania UC Handbook (Form UCP-1) or go to www.uc.pa.gov
for complete instructions or to print additional
copies of this form. If you are working part-time, and earning more than your Partial Benefit Credit, initial here .
JOB APPLICATIONS/INTERVIEWS WORK SEARCH ACTIVITY
#1
Date of Application or Date of Interview
Employer
Employer Contact Name
Employer Phone/Email
How did you apply for the job
Results
Date of Activity
Type of Activity
Location of Activity
Contact Name
Contact Phone/Email
#2
Date of Application or Date of Interview
Employer
Employer Contact Name
Employer Phone/Email
How did you apply for the job
Results
Date of Activity
Type of Activity
Location of Activity
Contact Name
Contact Phone/Email
#3
Date of Application or Date of Interview
Employer
Employer Contact Name
Employer Phone/Email
How did you apply for the job
Results
Date of Activity
Type of Activity
Location of Activity
Contact Name
Contact Phone/Email
EXEMPTION
Name of Employer, Union Hiring Hall or Training Program Contact Name and Phone Number
Wrien Date of Recall (aach copy)
Union Hiring Hall
Reemployment Services & Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) parcipants
Shared Work program parcipants
Trade Reducon Act parcipants
I certify that all information I have provided in this document is correct and complete. I acknowledge that false statements in this document are punishable pursuant to 18 Pa.C.S. §4904, relating to
unsworn falsification to authorities.
Social Security Number XXX-XX- __ __ __ __ (last 4 digits)
First Name M.I. Last Name
Signa
tur
e Da
te
A person who knowingly makes a false statement or knowingly withholds information to obtain UC benefits commits a criminal offense under Section 801 of the UC Law, 43 P.S. §871, and may be
subject to a fine, imprisonment, restitution and loss of future benefits.
RESET PRINT SAVE AS
UC-304 REV 09-22 (Page 1)
Tip for documenng work search acvies: Store your documentaon in a single locaon, such as one folder in your house or on your computer.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 22
APPENDIX D - LEGAL DISCLOSURES
Equal Opportunity Informaon
It is against the law for this agency to discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, naonal origin, age, disability, or polical
aliaon or belief, or against any beneciary of, applicant to, or parcipant in programs nancially assisted under Title I of the Workforce Innovaon and
Opportunity Act (WIOA), on the basis of the individual’s cizenship status or parcipaon in any WIOA Title I–nancially assisted program or acvity.
What to Do if You Believe You Have Experienced Discriminaon
If you think that you have been subjected to discriminaon under a WIOA Title I–nancially assisted program or acvity, you may le a complaint within
180 days from the date of the alleged violaon.
To File a Complaint Online
Visit: www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/crc/complaint.htm
To File a Complaint by Mail
Send informaon about your complaint to:
The Director - Civil Rights Center
U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constuon Avenue, NW, Room N-4123
Washington, DC 20210
Your Privacy Maers to Us
To File a Complaint by Mail or for Equal Opportunity Informaon
Send informaon about your complaint to:
Department of Labor & Industry Oce of Equal Opportunity
651 Boas Street, Room 1402
Harrisburg PA 17121
717-787-1182 or 800-622-5422
We follow all state and federal laws that protect your private informaon. To help connect you with programs designed to get you back to work, we share
some of your informaon with our partners, such as the PA CareerLink®, and they are not allowed to share it with anyone else. We give them your:
• Contact informaon
• Employment and job search history
• Demographics (such as age or gender)
Your previous employers and other state or local government agencies may release to our agency any informaon, including your Social Security number,
required for the proper administraon of your claim. We also use your Social Security number to report the amount of UC benets you receive to the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as taxable income.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook 23
