PA UC benefit year about to expire - Can I file a new claim after 2 layoffs within 12 months?

Yes, you absolutely CAN file a new claim after your benefit year ends in February. It's actually pretty common for people in seasonal or cyclical industries like construction. Here's how it works: When your current benefit year expires, you'll need to file a completely new initial claim (not reopen). The system will look at your base year wages from your second job to determine eligibility. As long as you earned at least $140/week for at least 18 weeks at that second job, you should qualify for a new claim with potentially up to 26 weeks of benefits. The amount will be calculated based on your wages during the new base year period, so it might be different from your current weekly benefit amount.

man i had this EXACT same thing happen to me last year!!!!! lost my machinist job in march then got another one in may and then got laid off AGAIN in october. was on my first claim until it expired then filed a new one. they made me do a phone interview thing but i got approved for another 26 weeks. the weekly amount was like $30 less the second time around but hey money is money lol

This is correct information, but I want to clarify a few things to make sure you don't run into issues: 1. You can file a new UC claim after your benefit year ends, but eligibility depends on your base period wages from the second job 2. For a new claim, PA requires you to have earned at least 37% of your base year wages outside the highest quarter (this trips up a lot of people) 3. You'll need to have earned at least 6x your weekly benefit rate in the second job to qualify for a new claim 4. There's no waiting week between benefit years like there is for initial claims I recommend calling UC about two weeks before your current benefit year ends to verify your specific situation. The Financial Determination they'll send will show if you qualify and for how much.

I've been trying to call UC for DAYS about a similar situation and can't get through! Just constant busy signals or disconnects. The website is useless for anything that's not totally straightforward. So frustrating when you need actual answers!!! Has anyone found a way to actually reach a human being?

has anyone filed for a second benift year after there first expired? what documents do you need for the new claim? do you have to requalify?

I HATE how confusing PA makes this whole process!!! My husband went through a similar situation last year and the UC rep gave us COMPLETELY wrong information and told him he couldn't file a new claim after his benefit year ended. We found out SIX WEEKS LATER from a different rep that he actually could have filed right away!!! By then we'd already missed out on over $3000 in benefits that we couldn't get retroactively because of their stupid mistake!!!! DON'T just take one rep's word for it - call again and talk to someone else to verify whatever they tell you!!!! The system is deliberately complicated to deny people benefits they deserve!!!!!

To address a few of the questions that have come up in this thread: 1. For the original poster, there is no waiting period between benefit years. You can file your new application as soon as your current benefit year ends in February. 2. Regarding the 37% rule someone asked about: PA requires that at least 37% of your base year wages come from outside your highest earning quarter. This ensures you've had relatively steady work rather than just one good quarter. 3. For documentation, PA UC can access most wage records electronically, but having your pay stubs or W-2s ready is helpful if there are discrepancies. 4. You do need to fully requalify based on wages earned after you established your first benefit year. The construction industry downturn is hitting a lot of PA workers hard right now. If your claim is approved, make sure you're completing your work search activities each week (applying to at least two jobs and doing one work search activity). PA has been conducting more frequent work search audits lately.

Thank you all for the helpful responses! This clears up a lot of my questions. I'm relieved to hear I should be able to file a new claim after my current benefit year ends. I've been keeping detailed records of all my job search activities just in case. One follow-up question - if I somehow find part-time work before my current claim ends, will that affect my ability to file a new claim in February? Or would that part-time work actually help establish more base year wages for the new claim?