PA UC additional claim confusion - employer response time 48 hours or 7 days?

The correct answer is that employers have 48 hours to respond to additional claims where the benefit amount won't change. I went through this exact situation in February. The 7-day response period applies to initial claims or when there's a potential change to your benefit amount. Some UC reps don't understand the difference between the procedures. If it's been more than 48 hours since you filed your additional claim, I'd call back and specifically ask to speak with a claims examiner who can process your claim right away.

OMG the PA UC phone system is THE WORST!!!! I had the EXACT same thing happen last month. One rep told me 3 days, another said 10 days, and a third said 5 days. None of them were right!!! It was actually 48 hours just like you thought but my payments didn't start automatically. I had to call AGAIN and finally got someone who fixed it in like 2 minutes. So ridiculous that they can't get their stories straight!!!

I had this same issue with my additional claim in March. The 48-hour rule is correct for additional claims when your weekly benefit amount stays the same. Here's what many people don't know: after those 48 hours pass, the system doesn't always automatically process your claim - sometimes it gets stuck in a queue. I discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to a PA UC agent right away instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. The agent I spoke with was able to immediately release my claim once I explained that the 48-hour employer response time had already passed.

wait whats an additional claim? is that different from the weekly claims we file? im confused

The PA unemployment system is intentionally giving conflicting information. They WANT you to get frustrated and give up claiming what you're entitled to. I filed an additional claim last year and was told THREE different waiting periods by THREE different reps. Guess what? After waiting the longest period (10 business days), I called again and they said "oh we have no record of your additional claim" even though I had a confirmation number!!!! Had to start the whole process over. The system is BROKEN BY DESIGN. Don't let them wear you down.

My husband just went thru this. Its 48 hrs for additional claims where benefit amount stays same. But system is backlogged so even after 48 hrs it doesnt process automatically. He waited 9 days and nothing happened, then called and they fixed it right away once he got through. Said it was sitting in queue waiting for someone to push a button basically.

Just to clarify for everyone in this thread: According to the PA UC handbook (updated for 2025), employers have 48 hours to respond to additional claims where the weekly benefit amount remains unchanged. For initial claims or claims that might alter your benefit amount, employers have 7 business days to respond. However, as others have mentioned, even after this time period, claims can get stuck in a processing queue. If it's been more than 48 hours since you filed your additional claim, you should contact the UC service center and specifically request that they check if your claim is waiting in the queue for manual processing. The representative can often release it immediately if the employer response time has passed.

same thing happened to my sister last month lol. she ended up just waiting the full 7 days and then her payments started automatically. different for everyone i guess

Update: I finally got through to PA UC this morning after 1.5 hours on hold! The rep confirmed it IS supposed to be 48 hours for additional claims, but said my claim got stuck in their processing queue (exactly like some of you mentioned). She was able to release it right away and said I should receive payment within 2-3 business days for all weeks I've certified. Thanks everyone for your help and confirming I wasn't crazy about the 48-hour rule!

This whole thread is so helpful! I'm bookmarking this for future reference. It's crazy that PA UC reps are giving out such inconsistent information - you'd think they'd all be trained on the same procedures. The fact that multiple people have confirmed it's 48 hours for additional claims (when benefit amount stays the same) but then the system doesn't automatically process after that timeframe is just broken. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially Diego for coming back with the update. It's clear the key is calling and specifically asking them to check if your claim is stuck in the processing queue. Hopefully PA will fix their system so we don't all have to waste hours on hold just to get someone to push a button!