PA UC benefit year ending - Will my new claim get full 26 weeks or does my previous 8 weeks count against it?
I'm really confused about my benefit year situation with PA unemployment and hoping someone can help me understand this. I initially filed for UC in July 2024 after getting laid off from my warehouse job. I collected benefits for about 8 weeks when I found a position with a shipping company. Great news, right? Well, that job ended up being seasonal, and they let me go last week. When I tried logging back into the PA UC portal to reopen my claim, I got a message saying my benefit year is ending next week and I need to file a completely new claim instead of reopening the old one. My question is: with this new claim I have to file, will I be eligible for the full 26 weeks of benefits? Or does the system somehow count those 8 weeks I already collected against my new benefit year total? I'm worried because I've been applying everywhere but the job market in my area is really tough right now.
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Luca Bianchi
You'll get a full 26 weeks with your new benefit year claim. The PA UC system works on benefit years, which run for 52 weeks from when you first apply. Each benefit year allows up to 26 weeks of benefits. Since your benefit year is ending and you're filing a completely new claim, you'll start fresh with a new potential 26 weeks. The 8 weeks you used were part of your old benefit year allocation and don't affect your new claim. Just make sure you have enough qualifying wages in your base year for the new claim (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before filing).
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Zara Shah
•Thank you SO much for explaining this! So even though it's only been a year, I still qualify for a whole new set of benefits? That's a huge relief. I was worried they'd say I already used part of my benefits or something. Do you know if there's any waiting period between when my current benefit year ends and when I can file the new claim?
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GalacticGuardian
yes new claim = new 26 weeks. old claim doesnt matter anymore once benefit year is over
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Nia Harris
•Not exactly true! You still need to have enough qualifying wages in your base period for the new claim. If you only worked those 8 weeks between claims, you might not qualify for a new claim because you didn't earn enough. The UC office looks at how much you earned in your base year, not just if you had a job.
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Nia Harris
When your benefit year ends, you do file a completely new claim and can potentially get up to 26 weeks of benefits. BUT (and this is important) you must have earned enough qualifying wages in your new base year period. With your timeline, the system will look at roughly Q4 2023 through Q3 2024 to determine eligibility and benefit amount. If you only worked briefly between claims, you might qualify for less or not qualify at all. This trips up a lot of people who assume they automatically get 26 weeks with each new benefit year.
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Zara Shah
•That makes sense. I worked at the shipping company for about 5 months and the pay was decent, around $22/hr for 40 hours a week. Before that I had the warehouse job for almost 2 years. So it sounds like I should have enough in my base period? The UC system is so confusing sometimes!
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Mateo Gonzalez
I went through EXACTLY this last year!!! Filed in 2023, got a job after collecting for like 10 weeks, then lost that job just as my benefit year was ending. It was such a headache!!! The online system kept glitching when I tried to file a new claim and I wasted like 2 weeks trying to get through to someone. Finally I had to drive to the CareerLink office and they helped me sort it out in person. Good luck!
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Aisha Ali
The PA unemployment system is designed to CONFUSE people! They make everything complicated on purpose. When my benefit year ended, they initially denied my new claim saying I didn't have enough qualifying wages even though I DEFINITELY DID. Had to fight them for WEEKS to get it fixed. Be prepared for them to mess something up and make sure you DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!
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Ethan Moore
•While the system can definitely be frustrating, what you experienced sounds like it might have been a calculation error rather than intentional confusion. The UC office has to verify wage information with employers, and sometimes there are discrepancies. Did you end up getting your claim approved after they reviewed your wage information?
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Yuki Nakamura
Try using Claimyr to get through to an actual PA UC agent when you file your new claim. I was in a similar situation and kept getting error messages online. Calling was impossible - busy signals for days. Someone at my church recommended claimyr.com and they got me through to a rep in about 30 minutes. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. The agent was able to help me file my new claim and explain exactly how the new benefit year calculation worked. Saved me a ton of stress!
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Zara Shah
•Thanks for the tip! I've been trying to get through on the phone with no luck. I'll check this out if I keep having trouble with the online system when I file my new claim.
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GalacticGuardian
make sure u file the new claim right away when ur benefit year ends. dont wait or u might miss weeks
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Ethan Moore
To answer your original question more specifically: 1. Each benefit year in PA allows up to 26 weeks of UC benefits (not 24 as you mentioned) 2. When you file a new claim after your benefit year ends, you start fresh with potential eligibility for 26 weeks 3. The weeks you collected on your previous claim do NOT count against your new claim 4. However, you must have earned enough qualifying wages during your base year period to be eligible 5. Your weekly benefit amount on the new claim may be different from your old claim, as it will be calculated based on your more recent earnings You should be able to file your new claim as early as the day after your benefit year officially ends. I recommend doing so immediately to avoid gaps in payments if you're currently unemployed.
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Zara Shah
•Thank you for the detailed breakdown! That's really helpful. I didn't realize PA was 26 weeks not 24 - that's even better. I'll file my new claim right away once my benefit year ends next week.
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Mateo Gonzalez
dont 4get u need 2 do the work search activities even when filing new claim! my friend got denied cause she thought she didn't need to for the first week of her new claim
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Luca Bianchi
•This is an important point. You need to complete and document at least 3 work search activities each week you claim benefits, even during that transition week between benefit years. The only exception would be if you have a recall date from an employer within 6 weeks.
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