Confused about PA UC waiting week - filed 1/2 but told 1/7 is my waiting week?

The waiting week is actually your first FULL week of unemployment. Since you filed on 1/2/2025, that week wasn't a complete week (it was only Thursday and Friday if those were regular workdays for you). So the system correctly assigned your first full week (starting 1/5) as your waiting week. Remember that PA UC weeks run Sunday through Saturday, so 1/2 was part of the week from 12/29/24-1/4/25, which wasn't a full week of unemployment for you.

same thing happned to me last yr... they always make u wait longer than u think. system is rigged tbh

I got so confused by this too when I filed back in November! The UC calendar is weird - weeks start on Sunday and end Saturday. So if u file on any day except Sunday, your first week isn't a "full" week by their definition.

I spent HOURS trying to get this same question answered when I filed in early 2025. The PA UC phone lines are impossible - constant busy signals or getting disconnected after waiting forever. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a rep who explained exactly how the waiting week works. They have a video demo showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. Basically, they connect you to UC agents by holding your place in line. Much better than wasting hours redialing.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CHEAT YOU OUT OF MONEY!!! I lost TWO WEEKS of benefits because nobody explained this waiting week garbage to me. They WANT you to be confused so they don't have to pay!!! And good luck getting anyone on the phone to explain anything!!!!

To clarify for everyone: 1. Yes, you must file a weekly certification even for your waiting week 2. The waiting week is never paid (by PA law) 3. UC weeks always run Sunday-Saturday 4. You need to file claims for all weeks, including the waiting week 5. Benefits are payable starting with your second full week of unemployment Make sure you continue filing weekly claims without interruption, even during the waiting week!

My cousin had same issue last month. He said he checked his payment history and it showed which week was waiting week. Maybe check there?

anyone else notice that they also hold ur $ for like 3 days after it shows as paid in the system? they really make us wait for EVERYTHING 🙄

To answer your follow-up question about seeing your waiting week in the portal: Log into your PA UC dashboard, go to "Claim Status" and then "Payment History." Your waiting week should be listed with a status of "Waiting Week" or "W/W" instead of showing a payment amount. And yes, you MUST file a weekly certification for your waiting week even though you won't receive payment for it. If you don't certify for the waiting week, it can delay your future payments.

Just an additional tip - make sure you're fulfilling the work search requirements during your waiting week too! You need to complete and document at least two work search activities each week, including the waiting week. A lot of people miss this and it can cause problems later.

I went through this exact same confusion when I filed in December! What really helped me was understanding that PA counts unemployment weeks from Sunday to Saturday, so if you file mid-week like you did on 1/2 (which was a Thursday), that partial week doesn't qualify as your "waiting week." Your first complete Sunday-Saturday week of unemployment becomes the waiting week instead. It's frustrating because it feels like you're losing benefits, but you're not actually losing anything - you just have to wait one full week before payments start. The system is definitely not intuitive about explaining this upfront. Make sure you keep filing your weekly certifications even during the waiting week, and you should see payments start after that. Hang in there!

I had the exact same confusion when I first filed! What helped me understand it was thinking of it this way: PA unemployment weeks are like a calendar that starts fresh every Sunday. So when you file on any day that's not Sunday, you're essentially jumping into the middle of their "week." The system can't count a partial week as your waiting week - it has to be a complete Sunday-to-Saturday period. I know it feels like you're getting shortchanged, but you'll still get the same total number of benefit weeks once payments start. The key thing is to keep filing those weekly certifications religiously, even for the waiting week, because missing even one can mess up your whole claim timeline. Also, make sure you're doing your work search activities during the waiting week too - I almost forgot about that requirement and it could have caused issues later!

I went through this same exact situation when I filed my claim in late December! Filed on a Wednesday and was so confused when they told me my waiting week was the following Sunday-Saturday period. What really helped me was calling the PA UC customer service line (though it took forever to get through) and having them walk me through exactly which weeks would be paid vs unpaid. The rep explained that since PA unemployment weeks always run Sunday through Saturday, any partial week can't count as your official waiting week. It has to be a complete 7-day period. So even though you filed on 1/2, your first full week of unemployment didn't technically start until 1/5 (Sunday). I know it's frustrating because it feels like you're losing money, but you'll still get all the weeks you're entitled to once payments begin. Just make sure you keep filing every single weekly certification, including during the waiting week, and document your job search activities. Missing even one certification can really mess up your timeline. The system definitely could do a better job explaining this upfront!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Filed my claim on January 8th (a Wednesday) and got so confused when they told me my waiting week wouldn't be until the following Sunday. It's really frustrating how the PA UC system doesn't explain this Sunday-Saturday rule clearly upfront. Reading through everyone's explanations here has been super helpful though - I finally understand that partial weeks just don't count as the official waiting week. It's such a relief to know I'm not actually losing benefits, just that the timing works differently than expected. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's made me feel way less stressed about the whole process! Now I just need to make sure I stay on top of those weekly certifications and work search requirements.

I just went through this exact same confusion last month! Filed on January 9th (a Thursday) and was so frustrated when I found out my waiting week wouldn't start until the following Sunday. The PA UC rep I finally got through to explained it really well though - she said to think of it like this: unemployment weeks are like a train schedule that runs Sunday to Saturday, and if you hop on mid-route, you have to wait for the next complete trip to count as your official waiting week. It's definitely not intuitive at all, and I wish they'd put a big warning about this on the filing page. But the good news is you're not losing any money - you'll still get all your eligible weeks once payments start. Just keep filing those weekly certifications religiously, even for the waiting week, and make sure you're doing your work search activities too. The system may be confusing but it does work once you understand the timing!

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who shared their experiences here! I was getting so worked up thinking the system was somehow broken or that I had filed incorrectly. Reading through all these similar stories has been incredibly reassuring. It's clear that PA UC really needs to do a better job explaining the Sunday-Saturday rule upfront - so many of us have gone through this exact same confusion! I've now checked my payment history like someone suggested and can see the "W/W" status for my waiting week. I'll make sure to keep filing my weekly certifications and stay on top of the work search requirements. This community has been a lifesaver for understanding how everything actually works!

I just filed my claim on January 28th and was wondering about this exact same thing! Thank you all for explaining the Sunday-Saturday rule so clearly. I had no idea that partial weeks couldn't count as the waiting week. It's such a relief to know that I'm not actually losing benefits, just that the timing works differently than I expected. The train schedule analogy really helped it click for me! I'm going to make sure I file my weekly certifications consistently and keep up with the work search requirements. This thread has been incredibly helpful - PA UC really should link to discussions like this on their website to help new filers understand the process better!

I just went through this same exact situation a few weeks ago! Filed my claim on January 15th (a Wednesday) and was completely baffled when they told me my waiting week would be the following Sunday-Saturday period. Like everyone else here, I thought my first week of filing would automatically be the waiting week. The Sunday-Saturday rule is so confusing and honestly feels counterintuitive - why wouldn't they just count from the day you actually file? But after reading through all these experiences, I finally get it now. The system treats unemployment weeks like fixed calendar blocks that always start on Sunday, so if you jump in mid-week, you have to wait for the next complete cycle. I wish PA would put a big notice about this on the filing page because it would save so much confusion! For anyone still worried about this - you're not losing money, just dealing with weird timing. Keep filing those weekly certs even during the waiting week and stay on top of work search requirements. The system eventually works once you understand their calendar logic!

I just filed my claim on February 3rd and was panicking about this exact same issue! Thank you so much to everyone who explained the Sunday-Saturday rule - it finally makes sense now. I was literally up all night worrying that I had somehow messed up my filing by not starting on a Sunday. The train schedule analogy really clicked for me too. It's honestly mind-boggling that PA doesn't explain this clearly during the filing process - they could save so many people from this stress with just a simple explanation about how their weekly calendar works. I'm bookmarking this thread because there's so much helpful information here. Now I feel confident about filing my weekly certifications consistently and keeping up with work search activities. This community has been amazing for helping newcomers like me understand the system!

I'm going through this exact same confusion right now! Just filed my claim on February 5th (a Wednesday) and was completely lost when the automated system mentioned my waiting week wouldn't start until this Sunday. I was convinced I had messed something up during the filing process. Reading through everyone's explanations here has been such a huge relief - the Sunday-Saturday rule finally makes sense now, even though it's definitely not intuitive at first glance. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to share their experiences because it's clear this is a super common source of confusion that PA could easily prevent with better upfront communication. Now I understand I'm not actually losing any benefits, just dealing with their specific calendar system. Going to make sure I stay on top of my weekly certifications and work search activities from day one. Thanks to this community for being so helpful to newcomers like me who are trying to navigate this system for the first time!

I just filed my claim yesterday (February 10th) and was having the exact same panic attack about this! I spent hours on Google trying to figure out if I had somehow filed incorrectly when I saw that my waiting week wouldn't be until this coming Sunday. Finding this thread has been such a lifesaver - I can't believe how many of us have gone through this identical confusion! The Sunday-Saturday rule makes total sense now that everyone has explained it so clearly, but you're absolutely right that PA should put this information front and center during the filing process. I was literally losing sleep thinking I had messed up my claim somehow. Now I understand it's just their weird calendar system and I'm not actually losing any benefits. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is amazing for helping newcomers like me understand how this whole system actually works! Going to make sure I stay consistent with my weekly certifications and keep detailed records of my job search activities from day one.