Do I lose money during PA UC waiting week? Can I get that payment?

The waiting week is essentially a one-week period at the beginning of your benefit year when you qualify for benefits but don't receive payment. It's like a deductible in insurance. Pennsylvania reinstated the waiting week requirement after suspending it during COVID. You won't receive payment for that specific week, but all eligible weeks after that will be paid normally.

ya they keep the first week. happened to me too. its stupid but thats how they do it. you'll get paid starting on your second week if you keep filing

i had the EXACT same problem last month!!!! its so frustrating bc nobody tells u this when u apply!! they just take a whole week of money when ur already broke and desperate. the system is DESIGNED to screw us over!!!!

If you're having issues with your claim or need clarification about the waiting week, you might want to try calling PA UC directly. However, we all know how impossible it is to get through on their phones. I recently discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to a live agent without spending hours redialing. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. I was skeptical but it actually worked for me when I had an issue with my benefit calculation.

To clarify on the work search requirements someone mentioned above - PA requires you to complete 2 work search activities each week (not 3). Work search activities can include: 1. Applying for jobs 2. Taking a civil service test 3. Creating a profile on PA CareerLink 4. Attending job fairs or workshops 5. Posting a resume on job listing sites But yes, unfortunately the waiting week is mandatory and you won't receive payment for it. Make sure you still file for that week though, or it could delay your future payments.

One important thing to note - even though you don't get paid for the waiting week, you still MUST file a claim for that week. The system needs to process that you were eligible during the waiting week for your future payments to process correctly. If you didn't file for the waiting week, you should do so immediately (if the system still allows it).

my sister works at the unemployment office (not in PA tho) and she says the waiting week is basically free money for the state. they collect interest on all that money they hold onto from thousands of people. system is rigged man

Thanks everyone for the explanations. Still frustrated but at least now I understand what's happening. Going to adjust my budget for next month. Fingers crossed the rest of my payments come through smoothly!

Just want to add - if you're struggling with rent being due, check if your county has emergency rental assistance programs. Many PA counties still have funds available from federal programs. Also, some utility companies have moratoriums on shutoffs for UC recipients if you show proof of your claim. It won't help with the waiting week money you're missing, but might buy you some breathing room while you get your benefits sorted out. Hang in there!

I went through this same situation a few months ago and it's definitely frustrating! The waiting week is unfortunately here to stay - Pennsylvania brought it back in July 2022 after suspending it during the pandemic. You're right that it feels unfair when you're already struggling financially. One thing that helped me was contacting local churches and community organizations - many have emergency assistance funds for situations exactly like this. Also, if you're behind on utilities, most companies have customer assistance programs that can help while you're waiting for your UC payments to start. The waiting week stinks, but your regular payments should start coming through consistently after that first week as long as you keep filing on time.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now - just got approved and seeing that "waiting week" status is so confusing and stressful! Reading through everyone's responses here has been really helpful though. It's frustrating that this isn't explained clearly upfront when you apply, especially when every dollar counts. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one caught off guard by this. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences and tips about rental assistance and utility programs - definitely going to look into those options while I wait for my regular payments to start. The whole UC system feels like it's designed to be as confusing as possible!

I feel for everyone going through this - the waiting week caught me completely off guard when I first applied too! What helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track my weekly certifications and work search activities. I document everything: job applications with company names and dates, any workshops I attend through PA CareerLink, even when I update my resume on job sites. This saved me during a random audit they did on my claim. Also, pro tip: set up direct deposit if you haven't already - it makes the payments come through faster once they start. The waiting week is definitely frustrating but hang in there, the regular payments do come through reliably after that first week hurdle!

Just wanted to jump in and say this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in the same boat - just filed my first claim last week and was totally blindsided by this waiting week thing. Like so many others have said, it really should be explained clearly upfront instead of leaving people to figure it out when they're already stressed about finances. I'm definitely going to follow the advice about documenting work search activities and looking into local assistance programs. It's frustrating that we have to navigate all these hoops, but at least knowing what to expect makes it a bit easier. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is way more informative than the official resources!

This whole thread has been such an eye-opener! I just started my UC claim process last week and had no clue about the waiting week situation. Reading everyone's experiences here has been way more informative than anything I found on the official PA UC website. It's really frustrating that they don't clearly explain this upfront - like why not just have a simple notice that says "Your first eligible week will be unpaid due to PA's waiting week requirement"? Instead we're all left scrambling to understand what's happening with our money when we're already financially stressed. I'm definitely going to implement the spreadsheet tracking system for work search activities and look into those local assistance programs people mentioned. Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge and making this confusing process a little less overwhelming!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now and it's so frustrating! Just got my first "waiting week" status yesterday and I had absolutely no idea this was even a thing. Like everyone else here, I'm scrambling to figure out how to cover my bills this month. The lack of clear communication from PA UC is honestly shocking - this should be explained right up front during the application process, not something we have to discover after the fact when we're already stressed about money. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful though. I'm definitely going to start that spreadsheet tracking system for work search activities and look into the emergency rental assistance programs people mentioned. It's really reassuring to know I'm not the only one caught off guard by this policy. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and practical tips - this community is way more helpful than any official PA UC resources I've found!

I'm dealing with this same waiting week situation right now and I'm honestly so relieved to find this thread! Just filed my first weekly claim and saw that "waiting week" status with no explanation of what it actually means. Reading everyone's experiences here has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no clue I wouldn't get paid for that first week. It's really frustrating that PA UC doesn't clearly communicate this upfront, especially when people are already dealing with the financial stress of being unemployed. I'm definitely going to start tracking my work search activities in a spreadsheet like someone suggested, and I'm going to look into those emergency assistance programs people mentioned. Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge and making this confusing process a bit less overwhelming. This community has been way more helpful than any official PA UC resources!