Can I voluntarily close my PA UC claim? Returning to work but confused about proper procedure

Congrats on the new job! You don't actually need to "close" your claim - you just stop filing your weekly certifications once you start working. Your claim stays open until your benefit year ends, but you won't receive any payments if you're not certifying. Just make sure you report any earnings if you work partial weeks while still filing!

i thought u had to call them and formally close it?? thats what my supervisor at work told me when i got hired last yr

THIS HAPPENED TO ME TOO!!!! I was so nervous about doing something wrong that I kept filing for like 2 weeks after I started my job and then had to pay everything back!! Make sure you STOP filing as soon as you start working!!

Let me clarify the proper procedure: 1. If you start working full-time, simply stop filing weekly certifications 2. If you start working part-time, continue filing but report ALL earnings accurately 3. Your claim remains technically "open" until your benefit year ends 4. If you need benefits again within that benefit year, you can resume filing 5. There's no formal "closure" process - the system automatically handles it Make sure to report your employment and earnings for any partial weeks. For example, if you start on Wednesday, you would report 3 days of work when you file for that week.

I went through this back in January. Just stop filing when you start working. BUT keep your pin and login info somewhere safe in case you need to reopen your claim later (hopefully you won't need to). Also if you have partial weeks make sure you report exactly what you earned or they'll come after you later.

You know what's frustrating? Trying to actually REACH someone at PA UC when you have questions like this! When I needed to ask about transitioning off benefits, I kept getting busy signals for 3 days straight. Eventually used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. Was way easier than spending days trying to get through. The agent confirmed exactly what others are saying - just stop filing when you start working full-time.

congrats on the new job!!! what field r u in if u dont mind me asking? im still looking

One important point I haven't seen mentioned yet: If you filed for this week but then start your job during the same week, you need to report ANY earnings for that week when you file. Even if it's just one day of work. Failure to report earnings is considered fraud and can result in penalties, including having to pay back benefits with interest and potentially being disqualified from future benefits.

Just wanted to add one more thing that might be helpful - make sure you keep records of your last filing date and when you started work, just in case there are any questions later. I screenshot my last certification and kept my job offer letter with the start date. PA UC can sometimes ask for documentation if there are ever any discrepancies. Better to have it and not need it than the other way around! Good luck with the new job!

Congrats on landing the job! I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago. Everyone's advice here is spot on - just stop filing once you start working full-time. One thing I'd add is that if your new job doesn't work out for whatever reason (hopefully it will!), you can always resume filing certifications since your claim stays open for the full benefit year. I had a friend who had to do this when her "permanent" job ended up being temporary. Just make sure you're honest about any work you do and report all earnings accurately. The PA UC system is pretty automated, so as long as you follow the rules, you shouldn't have any issues. Best of luck with the new position!

Just want to echo what everyone else is saying - congratulations on the new job! I was in a similar situation last fall and was also worried about messing something up. The good news is it's actually pretty straightforward. You just stop filing your weekly certifications once you start working full-time. Your claim doesn't get "closed" per se, it just goes inactive until your benefit year expires. Keep all your login info though, just in case you ever need to reactivate it (knock on wood you won't!). The most important thing is to be accurate with any partial week reporting if you start mid-week. PA UC takes that stuff seriously, but as long as you're honest about your earnings, you'll be fine. Wishing you all the best with your new position!

Congratulations on the job offer! This is exactly the kind of confusion I had when I transitioned off UC benefits last year. The key thing to remember is that PA doesn't require you to formally "close" your claim - it's not like canceling a subscription or anything. You simply stop filing your weekly certifications once you're working full-time. Your benefit year stays open (it's good for 52 weeks from when you first applied), but you won't receive any payments if you're not certifying for benefits. Just make sure if you have any partial weeks where you work some days but not others, you report those earnings accurately. The system is actually pretty forgiving as long as you're honest about what you earn. Save yourself the headache of trying to call them - the process is simpler than it seems!

Hey, congrats on the new job! I just went through this same situation a few weeks ago and had the exact same concerns. Everyone here has given you great advice - you really do just stop filing once you start working full-time. I was so paranoid about doing something wrong that I actually called PA UC (after waiting on hold for over an hour!) and they confirmed what everyone is saying here. No formal closure needed, just stop certifying. The agent told me to keep my login info safe in case I ever need to reactivate, which made me feel better knowing it's there as a backup. One tip - I took a screenshot of my final certification confirmation just to have a record of my last filing date. Probably overkill but gave me peace of mind! Best of luck with your new position - it feels so good to be done with the weekly filing routine!

Congrats on the new job! I went through this exact same situation about a year ago and was just as confused. Everyone's advice here is spot on - you don't need to formally "close" anything. Just stop filing your weekly certifications once you start working full-time. Your claim stays open for the full benefit year (52 weeks) in case you need it again, but you won't get payments if you're not certifying. The key is to be completely accurate about any partial weeks. If you start mid-week, report exactly what you earned for those days. PA UC is pretty straightforward as long as you're honest about your earnings. I also recommend keeping a record of your last filing date and your job start date, just in case there are ever any questions down the line. Good luck with your new position!

Congrats on the new job! I was in this exact same situation a few months ago and had the same worries. Everyone here is giving you solid advice - you really don't need to formally "close" your claim. Just stop filing your weekly certifications once you start working full-time. Your claim will remain open for the full benefit year in case you ever need it again (hopefully you won't!). One thing I learned the hard way - make absolutely sure you don't file for any week where you're working full-time, even if you haven't gotten your first paycheck yet. The system goes by when you actually worked, not when you got paid. Since you're starting Monday, you'll want to file for this current week (since you haven't worked yet) and then stop. Keep your login credentials somewhere safe just in case, and maybe screenshot your final certification like some others suggested. The peace of mind is worth it!

Congratulations on landing the job! I just went through this process myself about 3 weeks ago and had the exact same concerns. The good news is that everyone here is giving you accurate information - there's no formal "closing" process required. You simply stop filing your weekly certifications once you begin working full-time. Since you mentioned starting Monday, you should file one last time for this current week (since you haven't earned anything yet), then stop filing after that. Your claim will automatically go inactive but remains open for the full benefit year in case you ever need to reactivate it. Just wanted to add one practical tip: I kept a simple document with my last filing date and job start date, plus I saved confirmation screenshots. Probably not necessary, but it gave me peace of mind knowing I had documentation if any questions came up later. The transition is much smoother than it seems when you're overthinking it! Best of luck with your new position!

Congrats on the new job! I went through this same situation about 8 months ago and was just as confused. Everyone here has given you excellent advice - you definitely don't need to formally close your claim. Just stop filing your weekly certifications once you start working full-time. Since you're starting Monday, file for this current week (since you haven't worked yet) and then you're done with the weekly routine! Your claim stays open for the full benefit year just in case, but goes inactive once you stop certifying. One thing that really helped me was setting a reminder in my phone to NOT file the following week - sounds silly but after months of routine weekly filing, it's easy to forget and accidentally file out of habit. Keep your login info somewhere safe and enjoy your new job!

Just wanted to add my experience to this helpful thread! I went through the exact same situation about 4 months ago and was equally stressed about the process. Everyone here is absolutely right - there's no formal closure needed, you just stop filing weekly certifications once you start working full-time. One thing that really helped ease my anxiety was calling it my "graduation" from unemployment rather than "closing" my claim. It made the transition feel more positive! Since your claim stays open for the full benefit year, think of it as having a safety net that's still there if you ever need it (hopefully you won't). Make sure to celebrate this milestone - going from unemployment back to work is a big deal and you should be proud! The weekly filing routine becomes such a habit that it actually felt weird the first week NOT having to do it. Best of luck with your new job and congratulations again!

Congratulations on the new job! I just want to reinforce what everyone else has said because I was in your exact shoes about 6 months ago and was equally worried about messing something up. You absolutely do NOT need to formally close your claim - just stop filing your weekly certifications once you start working full-time. Since you're starting Monday, go ahead and file for this current week (you haven't earned anything yet), then you're done! The thing that stressed me out most was thinking I had to "do" something to close it, but the system is actually designed to handle this automatically. Your claim just goes inactive when you stop certifying, but stays open for the full benefit year as a safety net. I kept my login info saved just in case, and honestly it was reassuring knowing it was there even though I never needed it again. One last tip - after months of weekly filing, it felt so strange NOT having to do it anymore! But what a great problem to have, right? Enjoy your new job and congratulations on getting back to work!

Congratulations on the new job! I just want to add another perspective since I went through this exact situation about 9 months ago. Everyone here is absolutely correct - you don't need to formally "close" your claim, just stop filing weekly certifications once you start working full-time. What really helped me was thinking of it this way: PA UC is designed around the concept that people cycle in and out of work, so the system is built to handle these transitions automatically. When you stop certifying, your claim goes dormant but stays available as a safety net for the full benefit year. Since you mentioned starting Monday, definitely file for this current week (you haven't worked yet), then you're all set! I'd also suggest taking a moment to appreciate this milestone - going from job searching back to steady employment is no small feat, especially in today's market. The relief of not having to do those weekly certifications anymore is going to feel amazing. Best of luck with your new position!