Can I get PA unemployment after quitting due to car issues making commute unaffordable?

sorry but u probably wont get approved. PA is super strict about voluntarily quiting jobs and they dont usually care about transportation issues. they'll say u should of figured something out like carpooling or somthing. but u can always try i guess, just be prepared to get denied and maybe have to appeal.

That's what I was worried about. Do you think it's worth even applying? Or will that just create problems for me later on if I get denied?

This situation might qualify as a

Thank you for the detailed response! I do have the Lyft receipts and texts with my boss about trying to find solutions. I didn't get a repair estimate in writing though - the mechanic just told me verbally it would be $3,800+ to replace the engine. Should I go back and get that in writing?

Yes, definitely get that repair estimate in writing. The more documentation you have, the better your case will be. Also, make a timeline of everything that happened - when your car broke down, communications with your employer about solutions, your attempts to find alternative transportation, etc. This will be important if you get denied initially and need to appeal.

Totally agree with this advice. I had a somewhat similar situation (my car was totaled and I lived in a rural area with no public transit). I got denied at first but WON on appeal because I had documentation showing I tried everything possible to keep the job. The key for me was proving I had looked into ALL possible transportation options and that they were all economically unfeasible compared to my wages.

DONT listen to these people saying youll get approved!!! PA UC DENIES EVERYONE WHO QUITS!!!! I quit my job after my apartment burned down and I had to move 45 miles away and they still denied me!!! The whole systems rigged against us regular people. They'll make u wait 6-8 weeks just to tell u NO anyway so dont waste ur time!!!

This isn't entirely accurate. While voluntary quits are heavily scrutinized, PA does approve claims with necessitous and compelling reasons. Transportation issues *can* qualify if properly documented. The key is whether you made reasonable efforts to preserve employment before quitting. Did you appeal your denial? Many initial denials get reversed on appeal when all evidence is presented correctly.

Yeah I appealed and STILL got denied!!! The referee just sided with my employer automatically. The whole system is corrupt!!!

I've been helping people with PA UC claims for years, and transportation issues are tricky but not impossible. Here's what I recommend:\n\n1. File your claim ASAP - don't wait\n2. Be 100% honest about why you quit\n3. Use specific numbers - tell them exactly how much you earned daily vs. transportation costs\n4. Gather ALL documentation of your efforts to solve the problem\n5. Be prepared for an initial denial and ready to appeal\n\nMost importantly - BE PERSISTENT. PA UC often denies claims initially, but appeals have a much higher success rate when you have documentation.\n\nOne more tip: when you file your claim, you'll likely get stuck in the limbo of trying to reach someone at UC to explain your situation. I was in that position for weeks until someone recommended Claimyr (claimyr.com). It helped me actually get through to an agent to explain my situation instead of getting busy signals for days. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 - definitely made the process less frustrating.

This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I'll start gathering all my documentation today and file my claim. I was afraid of the busy signals - I've heard horror stories about people calling hundreds of times. I'll check out that service if I can't get through.

I had a friend who quit because her childcare fell through and she couldn't afford the new daycare rates on her salary. Kinda similar financial math to your situation. She got approved because she documented everything - showed she tried to find affordable childcare, talked to her boss about schedule changes, etc. I think the key was showing she had no reasonable alternative but to quit. Good luck!

have you thought about just saying you got laid off instead of quitting? much easier to get benefits that way just saying...

This is terrible advice. PA UC verifies all claims with employers, and providing false information on your application is fraud. You could be required to pay back all benefits plus penalties and interest, and in serious cases, face criminal charges. Always be truthful on your application.

whatever man just trying to help. the system is already rigged against workers anyway

Update: I went ahead and filed my claim yesterday. I got a written estimate for the engine repair ($4,200!), printed all my Lyft receipts, and submitted screenshots of texts with my boss about trying to find solutions. The online system asked if I quit, and I selected yes and explained the whole situation. Now it says my claim is under review with an \

You did everything right! The \

Thank you! I'll definitely keep filing the weekly claims. I'm also going to keep applying for jobs closer to home in the meantime.

I just rememberd something - dont forget to show that u looked for other ways to get to work too. Like did u check if there was a bus route or if any coworkers lived near u for carpooling? UC will ask about that stuff to see if u really had no other choice but to quit.

That's a really good point. There's no public transit from my area to where I worked (rural PA problems...), but I did ask in our work group chat if anyone lived near me who I could carpool with. I should have a screenshot of that somewhere. I'll add that to my documentation!

Hang in there! Your situation sounds really tough but you're doing everything right by documenting everything thoroughly. I had a similar experience a few years back when my car transmission died and I couldn't afford the $2,800 repair on my retail salary. I was commuting 45 minutes each way and tried everything - asked neighbors about carpooling, looked into used car loans (couldn't qualify), even tried biking part of the way but it wasn't safe on those rural roads. I got denied initially but won on appeal because I had documentation showing the repair costs vs my income made it impossible to continue. The key thing that helped me was showing I had exhausted ALL possible alternatives before quitting. Make sure you keep copies of everything - those Lyft receipts, the repair estimate, your job search efforts, everything. The appeals process can take a while but don't give up if you get that initial denial. You clearly made reasonable efforts to keep your job before quitting, which is exactly what PA UC looks for in these cases.

I went through something very similar last year when my transmission failed and the repair would have cost more than my car was worth. I was commuting 40 miles each way to a $15/hr job, and rideshares were eating up almost my entire paycheck. What really helped my case was creating a detailed budget breakdown showing exactly how the transportation costs compared to my take-home pay - I made a simple spreadsheet that clearly showed it was financially impossible to continue working there. I also documented every single alternative I tried: checking bus routes (none existed), posting on local Facebook groups for carpools, even looking into bike+bus combinations. PA UC initially denied me too, but I won on appeal because I could prove I had genuinely exhausted all reasonable options before quitting. The whole process took about 3 months from filing to getting my first payment, but it was worth fighting for. Keep your chin up and stay organized with your documentation - your situation sounds like it has all the elements of a valid "necessitous and compelling" reason!

Logan, I'm really glad to see you followed through and filed your claim! Your situation definitely sounds like it could qualify as necessitous and compelling - the math alone ($130-140 daily transportation costs vs $120 take-home pay) shows you were essentially paying to work, which is completely unsustainable. The fact that you tried multiple solutions with your employer before quitting (remote work, transfer requests) and documented everything is exactly what PA UC looks for. Even though the initial review can be nerve-wracking, you've built a strong case. I've seen similar transportation-related claims get approved, especially when the person can show they made genuine efforts to preserve employment first. The key is that you didn't just quit impulsively - you tried every reasonable alternative and only quit when continuing would have put you in financial hardship. Stay positive and keep applying for those closer jobs while you wait!

Hey Logan, I just wanted to add that if you do get initially denied (which honestly happens to most people who quit voluntarily), don't let that discourage you from appealing. I work as a paralegal and have helped several clients with PA UC appeals for transportation-related quits, and the success rate is actually pretty decent when you have solid documentation like you do. One thing I'd suggest is to also document your job search efforts for positions closer to home - PA UC likes to see that you're actively trying to resolve the underlying issue. Also, if you haven't already, consider reaching out to local workforce development offices or career centers - they sometimes have resources for transportation assistance or know about employers who offer remote work options. Your case sounds very reasonable given the financial impossibility of continuing, and the fact that you exhausted other options first really strengthens your position. Keep us posted on how it goes!

I'm going through something very similar right now! My car broke down two weeks ago and I'm facing the same impossible math - repair costs vs daily earnings just don't add up. Reading through all these responses is giving me hope that there might actually be a path forward with PA UC. Logan, it sounds like you did everything right by documenting all your efforts to find alternatives before quitting. I'm curious - when you talked to your boss about remote work and transfers, did you get those conversations in writing too? I had similar discussions with my manager but they were all verbal, and now I'm wishing I had followed up with emails to create a paper trail. Also, for anyone else who's been through this - how detailed should the timeline be when explaining the situation to UC? Should I include every single day I tried different transportation options, or just the major attempts? Thanks for sharing your experience Logan, and good luck with your claim review!

I'm really impressed with how thoroughly you documented everything and followed through with filing your claim! Reading through all the advice here, it sounds like you have a really strong case - the financial impossibility of your situation ($130-140 daily transportation costs vs $120 take-home pay) combined with all your efforts to find alternatives should definitely qualify as necessitous and compelling. I've been following PA UC cases for a while, and transportation issues are one of the more successful categories on appeal when properly documented. The fact that you got the repair estimate in writing, saved all your Lyft receipts, and have proof of trying to work with your employer on solutions puts you in a much better position than most people who quit voluntarily. Even if you get initially denied, don't give up - appeals really do have higher success rates, especially with documentation like yours. Keep applying for those closer jobs while you wait, and definitely keep filing your weekly claims to preserve your benefit weeks. Wishing you the best of luck, and please update us when you hear back from UC!