Can I collect PA UC benefits while traveling abroad for family emergency? Won appeal, working part-time
So I finally won my unemployment appeal on March 22, 2025 after my employer fired me without proper cause (took them 6 weeks to make a decision!). I've been collecting partial benefits while working part-time at a restaurant (20-25 hrs/week) for the past month. Here's my situation - my mother back in Mexico is having emergency surgery next week and I need to fly there to help her recover. I'll be gone for about 3 weeks and obviously won't be working my part-time job during this time. Can I still file my weekly PA UC claims while I'm out of the country? Will I get the full benefit amount since I won't be reporting any earnings? Or does PA UC have some rule against collecting while traveling internationally for family emergencies? I'm worried about losing my benefits completely if I report I'm out of the country, but also don't want to commit fraud. Anyone dealt with this situation before?
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Anastasia Sokolov
You CANNOT collect UC while outside the country. It's against PA law. You must be physically present in the US, able and available for work, and actively seeking employment each week you claim. International travel for ANY reason makes you ineligible for those weeks. You should NOT file claims for weeks you're abroad - that would be fraud and could result in an overpayment determination, possible penalties, and even prosecution in serious cases. The best approach is to simply not file for those weeks you're away. Your claim will remain open (it stays active for one year from when you first applied), and you can resume filing when you return to the US and are available for work again.
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Diego Ramirez
•Thank you for the straight answer. That's disappointing but makes sense. So just to be clear - when I return to the US, I can just pick up filing again like normal? I won't have to open a new claim or anything?
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Sean O'Connor
im pretty sure your supposed to keep filing even when your away otherwise your claim will close after 2 weeks of not filing... atleast thats what they told me
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Anastasia Sokolov
•This is incorrect information. Your claim remains OPEN for your entire benefit year (one year from when you first applied). What gets discontinued if you don't file for two consecutive weeks is your PAYMENT STATUS, not your entire claim. You can restart payments by simply filing again when you return. The system may require you to answer why you didn't file for those weeks, and you should honestly state you were out of the country and knew you weren't eligible during that time.
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Zara Ahmed
GUYS BE CAREFUL ABOUT THIS!!! I was visiting family in Canada last year (only for 10 days) and still filed my weekly claims because I didn't know about this rule. Six months later I got hit with a $1,840 overpayment notice plus a 15% penalty!!! Now I'm on a repayment plan and they take money from my tax refunds too. The unemployment office does NOT mess around with this rule.
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Diego Ramirez
•OMG that's scary! How did they even find out you were in Canada? Did you tell them or do they somehow track where you login from?
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Zara Ahmed
•I honestly don't know how they caught me. I think maybe they check passport records? Or maybe the IP address when I certified? Either way they definitely knew exact dates I was out of the country.
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Luca Conti
When you come back, you'll probably need to reach PA UC to restart your benefits. I had a similar situation last year and had to explain my absence. Tried calling for DAYS with no luck - busy signals and disconnects constantly. Someone told me about Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an actual UC agent in about 20 minutes instead of spending days trying. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 The agent was able to reactivate my payments after I explained my situation. Just make sure you have your dates of travel documented when you call.
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Nia Johnson
•does this claimyr thing actually work? seems fishy tbh
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CyberNinja
To clarify some misconceptions in this thread: 1. Your claim stays OPEN for your entire benefit year (52 weeks from initial application) 2. You do NOT need to contact anyone to restart benefits after travel - you simply resume filing your weekly certifications when you return and are available for work again 3. The system may prompt you to explain why you missed filing for those weeks - be honest and say you were traveling internationally and knew you couldn't claim during that time 4. If you've been receiving partial benefits while working part-time, your WBA (Weekly Benefit Amount) calculation will revert to your full amount when you return if you're not working, assuming you haven't exhausted your maximum benefit entitlement 5. Make sure to resume your work search activities when you return (applying to jobs, networking, using PA CareerLink, etc.) since you'll need to report these activities to remain eligible I hope your mother's surgery goes well and your family emergency resolves positively.
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Diego Ramirez
•Thank you for laying everything out so clearly! This makes me feel better about the situation. I'll make sure to document everything carefully when I return.
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Mateo Lopez
just wondering did u win ur appeal by urself or did u have a lawyer? im fighting my employer right now who says i was fired for cause but i wasnt
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Diego Ramirez
•I represented myself at the hearing. The key was having documentation - emails showing good performance reviews, the employee handbook showing they didn't follow their own disciplinary process, and texts from my supervisor that contradicted what they claimed in the firing. If you have good evidence I think you can win without a lawyer.
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Nia Johnson
my cousin said you can just login from your phone while your traveling and they'll never know where your filing from lol
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Anastasia Sokolov
•This is TERRIBLE advice that could result in fraud charges. PA UC can and does track IP addresses used for filing claims. They also have access to international travel records. The system is specifically designed to catch this type of fraud. Please do not encourage others to break the law.
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Zara Ahmed
Does anyone know if there's any EXCEPTION to this rule? Like what if it's a genuine family emergency? Seems harsh that they don't make allowances for situations like this where you're not just vacationing but dealing with a serious situation!
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CyberNinja
•Unfortunately, PA unemployment law doesn't provide exceptions for international travel regardless of the reason. The fundamental requirement is that you must be physically present in the US, able and available to accept work immediately, and actively seeking employment each week you claim benefits. While it may seem harsh, the program is specifically designed as temporary assistance while you seek new employment, not as paid leave for any circumstances, even legitimate emergencies. Other programs like FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) are designed for family emergencies, but they only apply if you have a current employer.
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