Confused about PA UC waiting week - filed 1/2 but told 1/7 is my waiting week?
I'm so frustrated and confused with the PA unemployment system right now. I filed my initial UC claim on January 2, 2025, but when I called to check on my payment status, the rep told me that the week of January 7th is still considered my 'waiting week.' I thought the first week I filed (1/2) was supposed to be the waiting week? Now I'm worried about losing a whole week of benefits. Has anyone else dealt with this? Am I misunderstanding something about how the waiting week works in PA? Any help would be appreciated because I'm already stretching my savings thin.
23 comments
Join the conversation
StarSailor}
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.
0 coins
Ava Garcia
AuthorOh wow, I didn't realize the weeks were counted Sunday-Saturday! That makes more sense now. So basically I can't count partial weeks as my waiting week? Does that mean I should always try to file right at the beginning of a UC week to maximize benefits?
0 coins
Miguel Silva
same thing happned to me last yr... they always make u wait longer than u think. system is rigged tbh
0 coins
Zainab Ismail
It's not rigged - it's just that UC weeks run Sunday-Saturday. If someone files mid-week, that partial week doesn't count as their waiting week. The first full week (Sunday-Saturday) of unemployment becomes the waiting week. It's in the PA UC handbook.
0 coins
Connor O'Neill
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.
0 coins
Ava Garcia
AuthorThanks for sharing your experience. I've been going back and forth checking my dashboard trying to figure this out. Does this mean I'll get paid for week 3 then? Or do I need to keep filing weekly claims during the waiting week too?
0 coins
Yara Nassar
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.
0 coins
Keisha Robinson
does this actually work? ive been trying to call for 2 days straight and cant get anyone
0 coins
Yara Nassar
Yes! It saved me so much frustration. I had tried calling for 3 days straight before using it. Got through to a UC rep in about 25 minutes after Claimyr connected me.
0 coins
GalaxyGuardian
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!!!!
0 coins
Zainab Ismail
While the system can definitely be confusing, the waiting week policy is actually clearly explained in the claimant handbook. PA law requires a waiting week before benefits are payable - it's not designed to cheat people, but it is poorly communicated sometimes. You should still get all eligible weeks paid after the waiting week if you file properly.
0 coins
StarSailor}
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!
0 coins
Ava Garcia
AuthorThank you so much for this clear explanation! I'll make sure to file for every week including the waiting week. Do you know if there's any way to see the exact dates of my waiting week in my UC portal? I want to double-check everything is set up correctly.
0 coins
Connor O'Neill
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?
0 coins
Miguel Silva
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 🙄
0 coins
GalaxyGuardian
YES!! I noticed this too! My dashboard shows "paid" but nothing on my ReliaCard for 2-3 days EVERY TIME. It's completely ridiculous. Can't they process anything efficiently???
0 coins
Zainab Ismail
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.
0 coins
Ava Garcia
AuthorThank you! I just checked and you're right - it shows W/W for the week ending 1/11/25. I guess I was confused because when I filed on 1/2, the system told me I'd completed my first weekly certification, but that wasn't technically my waiting week. PA UC terminology is so confusing sometimes.
0 coins
StarSailor}
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.
0 coins
Ava Garcia
AuthorOh! I didn't even think about that. I'm going to go back and make sure I documented my job applications for that week. Thanks for the heads up - there are so many little requirements to keep track of.
0 coins
Aisha Khan
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!
0 coins
Vince Eh
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!
0 coins
Chloe Robinson
I'm so glad this thread has been helpful for you too! It's amazing how many of us have gone through this exact same confusion. I just wanted to add that if you run into any issues getting through to PA UC on the phone (which seems to be a common problem), some people mentioned using services like Claimyr to help get connected to a rep. Also, don't forget to keep detailed records of your work search activities from day one - I learned that the hard way when I almost missed documenting some of my early job applications. The whole system definitely has a learning curve, but once you get the hang of the Sunday-Saturday timing and stay consistent with your weekly filings, it does work out. Good luck with your claim!
0 coins