PA UC asking about voluntary quit or leave of absence after hand surgery layoff - feels like a trap!

This is actually a common situation with PA UC and it IS a bit of a trap if you don't answer carefully. They're trying to determine if you had a separation that would make you ineligible. Do NOT select voluntary quit - that will almost certainly lead to disqualification. If you have documentation showing they told you there was no position (emails, texts, termination letter), upload that with your response. You should also write in the comments section that this was an employer-initiated separation due to lack of available work following your medical leave. The key phrase is \

Thank you! I do have a text message where my supervisor said \

omg the exact same thing happened to my cousin last yr. they made him pick one of those options and then tried to say he wasnt eligible and wanted all the money back. such BS

Did your cousin end up having to pay back the benefits? I'm really worried they might make me repay thousands of dollars I've already used for bills!

I've helped several clients through this exact scenario. This appears to be the UC office investigating whether your separation was actually due to medical reasons rather than lack of work. Here's exactly what you need to do:\n\n1. Choose \

Thank you so much for the detailed explanation! I've been trying to call for 2 days now but keep getting busy signals or disconnected. Is there a better time of day to call?

Man, I HATE how the unemployment office does this!!! They ALWAYS try to trick people with their stupid forms that don't have the right options. It's like they WANT to deny your claim!! They did this to me too but with different questions. The whole system is rigged I swear.

Try Claimyr to get through to the UC office quickly. I was in a similar situation with them investigating my claim after I'd been receiving benefits for 10 weeks. Spent days trying to get through on my own but kept getting busy signals. Used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to a UC agent in about 15 minutes. The agent was able to note my explanation in the system before I even submitted the form. Saved me from probably getting disqualified. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. Having an agent add notes to your claim ahead of time makes a huge difference.

does it actually work?? i've tried calling PA UC like 50 times this week!!

It worked for me. I was skeptical too but was desperate after not getting through for days. They connected me to an agent who actually helped resolve my issue.

i think what hapened is ur employer told them u quit or took leave. my boss did this to me cuz they dont want their UC tax rates to go up. u need to fight this ASAP!!!!

That makes so much sense actually. They probably don't want their rates to increase so they're claiming I left voluntarily. So frustrating!

OK so what you're dealing with is actually what PA UC calls a

Thank you so much for the detailed breakdown. I just submitted the form and chose

update?? did u get this figured out OP?? im curious what happened

I was actually able to get through to UC yesterday! I used that call service someone mentioned and got connected pretty quickly. The agent was super helpful and put detailed notes in my file explaining the situation. She said it was good I submitted the form with

That's great news that you got through and got it sorted out! For anyone else dealing with this - documentation is absolutely key. Always keep screenshots of any communications with your employer about your employment status. PA UC really does try to catch people on technicalities with these forms, but if you have proof that the employer initiated the separation (like Caleb's text message), you should be fine. The system is definitely frustrating but it sounds like you handled it the right way by being persistent and getting an agent to document everything properly.