PA UC approved after 12 weeks then benefits ended - stuck waiting until June 10 for new claim?

omg thats messed up. the whole system is designed to make ppl give up i swear

Unfortunately, this is a common issue with benefit year endings (BYE date). The PA UC system requires you to establish a new benefit year after your current one expires, and there's often a waiting period. The good news is that you may be eligible to file a new claim right away - the June 10th date is when you MUST file by, not necessarily when you can start filing. Have you tried actually starting a new application? Sometimes the system will let you file earlier than the date they initially tell you. Also, did you work at all during your previous benefit year? If so, you might qualify for a new claim with a new monetary determination.

This happened to me too! I had to wait about 9 weeks for approval and then could only claim for like 3 weeks before my benefit year ended. Such a waste of time. I ended up having to take a job at Amazon warehouse that I absolutely hate just to pay rent.

I totally understand your frustration. Unfortunately, benefit year rules are pretty strict in PA. You can't file a new UC claim until after your benefit year ends, and you need sufficient qualifying wages in your base year (which is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file). The 4 months of work you mentioned might help, but it depends on when you worked and how much you earned. When exactly did you work those 4 months? And did you receive a financial determination letter when you reopened your claim in January showing how many weeks of benefits you were eligible for?

If you worked from March to July 2024 making $4,100/month, you might actually qualify for a new claim sooner! Have you tried calling PA UC to speak with an agent? They might be able to override the system if you have qualifying wages. I know reaching them is nearly impossible though... I was in a similar situation and finally got through using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They connected me to a UC agent in about 25 minutes when I had been trying for weeks on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 The agent I spoke with was able to look at my specific situation and fix something in the system that was blocking my new claim. Worth a try since your recent work history might qualify you!

The timing of your work history is actually promising! With the wages you earned from March-July 2024, you likely have enough qualifying wages for a new claim. The system sometimes doesn't recognize this automatically. You've hit what's called a "benefit year ending" (BYE) issue, and yes, normally you'd have to wait until your benefit year officially ends before filing again. BUT there are exceptions when you have sufficient new earnings. Here's what to do: 1. Call UC and speak with an agent (not just the automated system) 2. Explain that you have new qualifying wages from March-July 2024 3. Ask them to check if you're eligible for a new benefit year based on those wages 4. Request they override the June 10th restriction if you do qualify Those earnings of about $16,400 ($4,100 x 4) should be enough to establish a new claim if they fall in the right quarters.

My brother in law had this exact problem!!!!! he waited like 10 weeks to get approved and then only got 1 payment, they said his benfit year was ending. He ended up having to wait almost 2 months for a new claim. PA system is broken and they dont care about us at all

UPDATE: I took everyone's advice and managed to get through to an actual person at UC! I used the Claimyr service that someone mentioned and got connected in about 20 minutes. The agent confirmed that I do have enough qualifying wages from my work last year to file a new claim right now! Apparently the system wasn't recognizing my wages correctly because of when they were reported. She overrode something in the system and helped me file a new claim right there on the phone. Should get a determination in 2-3 weeks she said. Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions! Definitely worth calling and speaking to an actual person rather than just trusting what the online system says.