Pennsylvania Unemployment
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PA UC complications with tutoring as independent contractor - will my claim be denied?
I'm freaking out right now and hoping someone can help! I've been on PA unemployment since March 2025 and started a small part-time tutoring gig in May to supplement my benefits. I was careful to stay under the $106 weekly earnings allowance (reporting everything properly each week), but just discovered the tutoring company classified me as an independent contractor instead of an employee. When I reported this income, PA UC flagged my claim for review about 3 weeks ago, and everything's been on hold since. When I finally got through to someone at UC yesterday, they said working as an independent contractor while claiming benefits is technically not allowed, but since my earnings were so low (only about $95/week), the examiner might overlook it. But they also said it totally depends on the examiner and the specific laws. I'm so confused and scared - I would NEVER have taken this job if I knew it would jeopardize my benefits. I literally can't afford my rent without my UC payments. Has anyone else had their claim reviewed because of independent contractor work? Did they end up disqualifying you completely? I'm terrified they'll make me pay back everything since May, which would be over $5,800 that I absolutely don't have. Any advice would be so appreciated!
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PA UC claim says 'pay type partial check' for all weeks - what does this mean and when will I get paid?
So I've been waiting for what feels like FOREVER for my unemployment claim to get approved. I logged in today and finally saw that my claim status changed to approved (thank goodness!!). But when I looked at the payment details, I noticed it says "pay type partial check" for all the weeks I claimed. I've never seen this before and I'm confused about what it means. Does this mean I'm only getting part of my benefit amount? Also, any idea how long before the money hits my ReliaCard? I already activated my card weeks ago just to be prepared. Just really need this money to come through ASAP since rent is coming up next week.
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did u check if ur payment has a pay date yet? theres always a pay date listed before the money actually hits ur card
Just checked - yes! The pay date shows as tomorrow! So hopefully that means the money will be on my card by Friday? This is my first time dealing with unemployment so still learning how it all works.
If your pay date is listed as tomorrow, you should see funds on your ReliaCard within 1-2 business days after that date. ReliaCard deposits usually happen very early in the morning, so check first thing. One last tip - make sure you've downloaded the ReliaCard mobile app if you haven't already. It will give you instant notifications when deposits hit your card, which is much more reliable than just checking your balance periodically. The app also lets you transfer funds to your regular bank account if needed.
That's super helpful! I didn't know there was an app - going to download it right now. Appreciate everyone's help explaining all this!
PA UC benefit year ending but still have 7 weeks of benefits left - what happens now?
Hey everyone, I'm in a confusing situation with my unemployment. My claim shows I still have 7 weeks of benefits remaining, but I just noticed my benefit year end date is coming up in February 2025. This is my first time ever collecting unemployment, so I have no idea what happens when your benefit year ends but you still have benefits left. Do I automatically get extended? Do I need to file a new claim? Will I lose those remaining weeks? I'm really stressing about this because my job search isn't going well in my field (manufacturing) and I was counting on those remaining weeks.
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You can file your new claim up to two weeks before your benefit year end date. The system will process it to begin right after your current benefit year ends. This is actually the recommended approach to minimize gaps in payment. Regarding your base period for the new claim: Pennsylvania looks at the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. So depending on when exactly you worked those 6 weeks, they may or may not fall within the base period of your new claim. If you're concerned, you might want to speak with a UC representative to determine if your temp work will qualify for a new claim or if you might need to wait until those wages fall within a qualifying base period.
That's really helpful, thank you! I'll file 2 weeks before my end date then. My temp job was from October-November 2024 so hopefully that falls within the right base period. This system is so complicated!
One more thing to keep in mind: When you file your new claim, make sure to report all employment since the beginning of your current claim. The system will prompt you for this information. Accuracy is important as they will cross-check with employer tax records. Also, be prepared that your new claim may have an "open issue" period while they verify your employment history. This is standard procedure for new claims where there was partial employment during the previous benefit year. Keep filing your weekly certifications even if payments are temporarily delayed during this verification process.
Thank you! I'll make sure to have all my employment info ready. I appreciate everyone's help with this. The PA UC system is way more complicated than I realized when I first applied.
PA UC green progress bar disappeared - tried clearing cache but still missing
Has anyone else had their green progress bar vanish on the PA UC dashboard? Mine disappeared completely last Wednesday and I'm freaking out because I can't see my claim status anymore. Called unemployment on Friday and waited almost 2 hours just to have some rep tell me to 'clear my cache' which did absolutely nothing. I've tried using different browsers (Chrome, Firefox, even Edge) and still no green bar. I need to check if my payment processed and can't see anything! Is the system glitching or is it just me? Anyone know how to fix this without the useless 'clear your cache' advice?
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My cousin works in IT and she says clearing cache only works like 10% of the time when websites have problems. It's just what they tell people to get them off the phone. I had something similar happen last year but it was the blue payment history section that disappeared. They fixed it eventually but took like 2 weeks.
EXACTLY!! It's the standard "turn it off and on again" answer when they don't know how to fix something or don't want to deal with it. Classic PA UC - make us wait weeks for something that should work properly in the first place!
Update: PA UC just posted on their official Twitter that they're aware of the dashboard display issues affecting the progress bars. They expect it to be resolved by next Tuesday's maintenance. In the meantime, all claim information can be accessed through the individual menu options rather than the dashboard.
Thanks for the update! At least they acknowledged the problem. Good to know it should be fixed by next week.
PA UC payment shows as issued today but not on Money Network card - anyone else?
Seriously frustrated right now! My bi-weekly claim was processed and my payment history on the PA UC portal shows today as the issue date, but there's absolutely nothing on my Money Network card. Usually it's there by 6 AM but it's now almost 4 PM and still nothing. Called the Money Network number and they don't show any pending deposits. My rent is due tomorrow and I'm starting to panic. Has this happened to anyone else recently? Is there a delay in the system or did something go wrong with my claim? This is week 6 of my claim so I haven't had any issues until now.
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just had this happen!!! mine said issued tuesday and didnt hit my card til thursday afternoon. system is so broken anymore its ridiculous
UPDATE: My payment finally hit my card this morning! Looks like it was just a delay in the system. Thanks everyone for your help and reassurance - saved me from a total meltdown yesterday!
Great news! Glad it worked out. For future reference, if you ever do need to speak with a representative, try calling right when they open at 8:00 AM. The wait times are usually shortest first thing in the morning.
Javier Garcia
just wondering... did the tutoring place give you a 1099 form or were they paying you cash? if they didn't give you tax forms maybe UC won't be able to prove anything? just thinking out loud here...
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Paolo Rizzo
AuthorThey've been paying me through direct deposit and said they'll issue a 1099 at the end of the year. So there's definitely a paper trail. I don't want to hide anything anyway - I'd rather resolve this properly than risk bigger problems later.
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Natasha Ivanova
One more important point: PA unemployment law provides some protection under Section 402(h) for individuals who are forced to take self-employment out of economic necessity while searching for regular employment. If you can demonstrate that you were actively applying for full-time traditional employment during this period, and only took the tutoring gig to temporarily supplement your benefits, this can strengthen your case. Also, if the amount you earned was truly minimal (which $95/week certainly is), examiners do have some discretion. Document every job you applied for during this time and have that information ready for your examiner. Maintaining an active job search is crucial in these cases.
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Paolo Rizzo
AuthorThis is incredibly helpful! I've applied to at least 5-6 jobs every week since March and kept detailed records of all applications as required for PA UC. I'll definitely include that information in my letter to show I was actively seeking full-time employment and only took the tutoring job temporarily. Thank you so much for this advice - feeling a bit more hopeful now.
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