Has anyone actually received their backpay in full recently? I've heard rumors they're deliberately slowing down payments because the state fund is running low again. Wouldn't surprise me one bit!

UPDATE: So I finally got through to someone at UC this morning! They told me my backpay should start processing tomorrow and will take about 5-7 business days to fully complete. Apparently there was nothing wrong with my claim - it's just the normal timeframe. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

To clarify what was mentioned above: when your benefit year ends in June 2025, you could potentially qualify for a new UC claim if you've worked enough during your current benefit year to meet the financial eligibility requirements. But there's no automatic extension of your current 26 weeks. You would need enough qualifying wages in the base year for a new claim. Sounds like you'll exhaust your 26 weeks in February, and then would need to find work until you potentially qualify for a new claim after June. The key is whether you've worked enough during this current benefit year to establish financial eligibility for a new claim.

My brother just went thru this too! Ended up taking a job at half his previous salary just to keep the lights on. PA used to have State Extended Benefits but they haven't been triggered in years. It really is just the 26 weeks now.

THE WHOLE PA UC SYSTEM IS A JOKE!!!! I had a similar situation last year - claim from December but payments in January and they STILL haven't corrected my tax forms even after THREE CALLS!!! Now the IRS is after me saying I underreported income but it's PA UC's fault! They issued the 1099-G for the wrong year. GOOD LUCK getting anyone to fix anything in this broken system!!!!

My sister works in accounting and she says that for income tax purposes it's always about when you receive the money, not when you earned it. That's why your W2 shows what was paid to you during the calendar year. So for UC benefits, it would be when you actually received the payments. But for reporting work to UC while collecting benefits, that's different - you report when you work even if not paid yet. It's confusing because they're different systems with different rules!

I had a completely different issue with my biweekly claims but it turned out to be related to this same education verification thing! My regular job is bus driving but I also did some tutoring this year. The system was getting confused because I had two different types of educational employment and couldn't process it correctly. Had to have someone manually fix my claim type. The whole new verification system is a mess.

did anyone get a letter about this??? i swear they never tell us anything important! just random stuff about job search requirements but nothing about major changes that affect our claims!

Yes! A doctor's statement would be extremely valuable evidence. Ideally, it should confirm: 1. The medical necessity of the surgery 2. Why it couldn't be postponed 3. The required recovery time 4. Any work restrictions during recovery This documentation directly supports your claim that you had a necessitous and compelling reason to leave employment. Have your doctor address it "To Whom It May Concern" and make it as specific as possible about your particular situation. General notes are less helpful than statements that directly address the circumstances of your unemployment claim.

wait i'm confused abt something... if you had a surgery and your employer denied time off, couldn't you have filed for FMLA instead of quitting? doesn't that protect your job? not criticizing just wondering if that was an option