Can I apply for PA UC benefits before my June 30th layoff date?

You can't file until after your last day worked. The PA UC system is designed to only accept claims from people who are already unemployed. After June 30th, you can file your initial claim and you'll then enter your last day worked as June 30th. Make sure to have your employment information ready including your employer's name, address, phone number, and your earnings information. The system will ask for 18 months of employment history.

same thing happened when my wife got laid off last yr she couldnt file til her actual last day dont stress it takes like 20 min to do the application part

I got laid off in January, and yes, you have to wait until after your last day. But what you CAN do is gather all your information ahead of time - last 18 months of employment, employer contact info, final paystub, etc. so you're ready to file right away on July 1st.

You absolutely cannot file until after your last day worked. The PA UC system specifically prohibits filing in advance of actual unemployment. However, here's what you CAN do now: 1. Gather all your employment information for the past 18 months (employer names, addresses, phone numbers) 2. Calculate your anticipated base-year wages 3. Make sure you have your Social Security number, driver's license, and bank account info ready for direct deposit 4. Create your PA Keystone ID account if you don't already have one 5. Research the work search requirements so you're ready to begin those activities immediately On July 1st (the day after your last day), file your initial claim first thing in the morning. The system is usually less busy early in the day. Then you'll need to file your first biweekly claim after the waiting week period.

Initial payments typically take 2-3 weeks if there are no issues with your claim. Remember that there's a one-week waiting period in PA that isn't paid (your first eligible week). So the earliest you'd see payment would be for the second week after filing, which you'd claim during your first biweekly filing. Also, make sure you're ready to complete your work search activities right away. You need to apply for 2 jobs and complete 1 work search activity each week. Keep detailed records of these, as UC can audit you at any time.

DONT BOTHER WITH THE WEBSITE!!! when i got laid off i spent 3 WEEKS trying to get thru online and kept getting errors!!! finally i just called them and surprise surprise NOBODY ANSWERS!!!! busy signals all day every day!!! wasted so much time with this garbage system!!!

yep your gonna need to wait til after your last day. its kinda dumb since you know for sure your being laid off but thats how PA does it. make sure you answer all the questions super carefully cuz one wrong answer can mess up your whole claim. also dont forget youll need to do the work search requirements every week - apply to 2 jobs and do 1 other work search activity

One thing to remember - if you're getting severance pay, you need to report that when you file. Depending on how they're paying it out, it might affect when your benefits actually start. My company paid out my PTO after layoff and it delayed my benefits by two weeks.

Regarding severance pay: PA UC considers how the severance is allocated. If your employer allocates it to specific weeks (like paying you normally for 4 more weeks), then yes, those weeks would be considered deductible income and would likely make you ineligible for benefits during that period. However, if your severance is paid as a lump sum, PA may treat it differently. You should still file your initial claim right after your last day worked, report the severance honestly, and let the UC office determine how it affects your benefits. Don't wait until after your severance period to file - that could cost you eligible weeks.

my cousin got a severence an had to wait 6 weeks b4 benefits started so just be redy for that maybe

If you do have issues with your claim after filing, don't waste time with the chat feature on the website. It's almost impossible to get actual help that way. I spent two weeks trying before I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a real agent on the phone. Their video shows exactly how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. The agent was able to clear up my issue in minutes once I actually got through.

Just want to add one more important tip: the week in PA UC runs Sunday-Saturday. So if your last day is Friday, June 30th, you can file on Saturday, July 1st. Your first eligible week would be July 2-8, which is the waiting week (unpaid). Then your first payable week would be July 9-15, which you'd claim during your biweekly filing around July 23rd, with payment typically arriving 2-3 business days after that successful biweekly claim.