How to report PTO payout on new PA UC claim after seasonal work ends?

You'll need to report the PTO payout as wages during the week you RECEIVE the payment, not when you earn it or when you file. PA UC considers lump sum payments like vacation/PTO payouts as income for the week they're paid to you. So if you get your final check with the PTO payout in two weeks, you'd report those earnings for that specific week. Make sure you have documentation showing when you received it in case they ask for verification.

when i got laid off last yr they paid my vacation time and i just put it on the week i got paid, it didn't cause any problems

DONT FORGET that 12 hours of PTO might push you over the partial benefit credit for that week! If your PTO payout is more than your partial benefit credit, you won't get benefits for that week. Make sure you check the partial benefit calculator on the PA UC site to see how much you can earn and still get some benefits.

In Pennsylvania, the partial benefit credit is 30% of your weekly benefit amount. So if your weekly benefit amount is $400, your partial benefit credit would be $120. You can earn up to $120 in a week without any reduction to your benefits. Anything over that gets deducted dollar-for-dollar from your weekly benefit. With only 12 hours of PTO, unless you have a very high hourly rate, you'll likely still qualify for at least partial benefits that week.

i had a similar situation last year when i was seasonal too! make sure you also indicate you're a 'seasonal worker' when filing and that you expect to return to work after summer! they tried to make me look for other jobs even tho i was going back to my regular one in september lol

The PA UC phone system is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to get through to if you have questions when filing. I spent 3 weeks trying to reach someone about my PTO question and kept getting disconnected or busy signals. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to a rep in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. Totally worth it for me because I was about to lose my mind trying to get an answer about my situation.

When you file, make sure you're super honest about the PTO payout! UC can sometimes cross-check with employers and if they discover unreported income it can lead to overpayment issues that are a NIGHTMARE to deal with. I had a friend who didn't report correctly and ended up having to pay back benefits plus penalties. Better to report everything upfront and maybe miss one week of benefits than deal with that headache later.

anyone know if school cafeteria workers can get benefits during christmas break too or just summer?? my cousin works at a school too

Thanks everyone for all the great advice! Just to confirm what I've learned: 1) Report PTO payout as wages for the week I receive it, not when filing initial claim 2) Report the GROSS amount before taxes 3) Check if the PTO payout exceeds my partial benefit credit (30% of weekly benefit) 4) Make sure to indicate I'm seasonal with a return-to-work date 5) Be prepared to possibly not receive benefits for the week of my PTO payout depending on the amount. I'll be filing my initial claim this weekend and will update if I run into any issues!

Great summary Paolo! One more tip - when you do your biweekly certifications online, there's usually a section that asks about any "holiday or vacation pay" specifically. Make sure you check that box YES for the week you receive your PTO payout and enter the gross amount. The system will automatically calculate how it affects your benefits for that week. Also, since you're cafeteria staff, double-check that your employer reports you as "laid off due to lack of work" rather than "quit" - sometimes school districts mess this up and it can delay your claim approval. Best of luck with everything!

As someone who's been through this process multiple times with seasonal work, I'd also recommend calling your school district's payroll/HR department to confirm exactly WHEN they're planning to issue that final check with the PTO payout. Sometimes districts delay final paychecks or split them up, and you want to know the exact date so you report it on the correct week when doing your biweekly certifications. Also, keep in mind that if you have any other deductions on that final check (like health insurance premiums, union dues, etc.), you still report the GROSS PTO amount before those deductions. The PA system can be pretty strict about timing, so having all your documentation lined up ahead of time will save you headaches later!

One thing I'd add that saved me a lot of stress - take screenshots of your biweekly certification submissions, especially the week you report your PTO payout. I had a glitch where the system showed I hadn't reported earnings one week even though I had, and having that screenshot helped resolve it quickly when I called. Also, if your PTO payout does end up making you ineligible for benefits that specific week, don't panic - you'll still get benefits for all the other weeks during your seasonal break as long as you keep certifying. The system just skips that one week and continues with your regular payments after.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who also worked in school food service - make sure you keep track of any unused sick days too if your district pays those out! Some districts in PA will pay out unused sick time along with vacation/PTO on your final check, and you'd need to report that as well. Also, if you worked any extra hours or overtime in your last few weeks, double-check that those are included in your final regular paycheck and not lumped in with the PTO payout - you want to make sure you're reporting earnings for the correct weeks. The PA system is pretty good at catching discrepancies if your reported wages don't match what your employer reports, so accuracy is key!

Just went through this exact same situation last month! One thing nobody mentioned yet - if you're filing online (which I highly recommend), there's a specific dropdown menu when you get to the "earnings" section that has options like "vacation pay," "holiday pay," "severance," etc. Make sure you select "vacation pay" or "PTO payout" rather than just putting it under regular wages. The system treats different types of payments differently for calculation purposes. Also, pro tip: file your initial claim as soon as possible after your last day of work, even if you haven't received the PTO payout yet. There's usually a waiting week anyway, so getting the process started early helps. You can always report the PTO earnings during your biweekly certification later. The sooner you get in the system, the sooner you'll start receiving benefits for the weeks you're actually unemployed!

One more thing to keep in mind - if you're planning to work any part-time or substitute jobs during your break (some cafeteria workers pick up summer camp work or other seasonal gigs), make sure you understand how that affects your benefits too. Any earnings from other work during your claim period also need to be reported during your biweekly certifications. The good news is PA allows you to work part-time and still collect partial benefits as long as you stay under certain thresholds. Just wanted to mention this since summer break is long and some folks need extra income during the gap. The partial benefit calculator on the PA UC website is really helpful for figuring out how much you can earn from other work and still get some unemployment benefits. Good luck with everything!