How to change dependent information on my new PA UC claim?

I went through this exact situation! You need to call the PA UC office directly - there's no way to edit dependent info online after submitting. The change in dependents WILL affect your benefit amount (you get an extra $5-8 per dependent up to certain max). I spent 3 days trying to get through on the phone before using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they got me connected to an agent in about 30 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 After I talked to the agent, they updated my info and adjusted my weekly benefit amount. The change was effective the following week.

dude you can actually just send them a message through the dashboard!!! go to the messages section and select "benefits question" and say you need to update dependents. they'll do it that way too if u cant get thru on phone

To correctly update dependent information on your PA UC claim, you need to: 1. Contact the UC Service Center at 1-888-313-7284 2. Inform the representative that you need to update your dependent information 3. Provide verification documents (birth certificates, tax returns showing dependents, etc.) 4. Request that the change be applied retroactively to your initial claim The dependent allowance is currently $8 per dependent (maximum of $24 for 3+ dependents) on top of your base weekly benefit rate. This can make a significant difference over the life of your claim. Importantly, if you make this correction within 14 days of your initial application, they should adjust your weekly benefit amount retroactively to the beginning of your claim. After 14 days, changes typically only apply going forward.

I had the EXACT SAME PROBLEM!!! The UC system is so frustrating! I kept calling and calling and NEVER got through to anyone!!! Just busy signals or the automated message saying call back later. I ended up having to file an appeal because they wouldn't fix my dependent information and I lost like $800 over the life of my claim because of it. The appeal took FOREVER and was such a headache. Definitely keep trying to get through to someone before your first payment!!!!!

Just to add some additional information - make sure you have your children's Social Security numbers on hand when you call. The representative will need to verify their information. Also, the PA UC system defines dependents as children who are financially dependent on you, under 18 (or 23 if full-time students), and unmarried. If your children meet these criteria, you're entitled to the dependent allowance. When my brother had to make this change last year, he found that calling between 8:00-8:30 AM had the best results for getting through to a representative.

good luck gettin thru to anyone lol

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone today! For anyone with the same issue - I used the service that was mentioned above (Claimyr) and got connected in about 20 minutes. The agent was super helpful and updated my dependents info right away. She said since I'm still within the 14 day window, they'll recalculate my WBR with the additional dependents and it will be retroactive to my initial filing date. Thanks everyone for your help!

So glad to hear you got it resolved! I'm actually dealing with a similar situation right now - I accidentally put down the wrong number of dependents when I filed my claim 3 days ago. Your post gives me hope that I can still get this fixed quickly. I'm definitely going to try calling first thing tomorrow morning, and if that doesn't work I'll look into that Claimyr service. It's crazy how such a small mistake can end up costing hundreds of dollars over the life of a claim. Thanks for sharing your experience and the update!