PA UC benefit year ending with 6 weeks left - can I qualify for a new claim after employer shutdown?

You'll need to have worked and earned qualifying wages in at least 18 credit weeks during your base period to qualify for a new UC claim. Your base period would be the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file the new claim. The amount of time isn't as important as whether you earned enough wages during those quarters to qualify. Check your wage statements from when you were working full time - you need at least $116 per week to count as a credit week.

i had smiliar situation last year. you have to use up ALL your current benefits first before u can apply for a new claim. then wen ur 6 weeks are gone, file a new application and theyll look at ur wages during base period. the part time weeks DO count as credit weeks as long as you earned at least $116 in each of those weeks, even if you were collecting partial at the same time.

Just to add some important details - when your 6 weeks run out, you'll need to file a new Application for Benefits, not just continue with weekly certifications. The system won't automatically transition you. And be prepared for a waiting week when you start the new benefit year - you won't get paid for the first eligible week of a new claim. Also, your weekly benefit amount might be different on the new claim depending on your earnings during the new base period quarters.

Have you been trying to reach PA UC to get an official answer about your situation? I was in a somewhat similar position last year and spent WEEKS trying to get through on the phone. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent within about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. The agent I talked to was able to look at my exact situation and confirm I would qualify for a new claim. Might save you some stress if you're worried about the transition.

@user8 - Yes, it's legitimate. I was skeptical too but it actually works. They basically keep dialing for you and when they get through, they connect you directly with UC. I got through when I had been trying on my own for over a week with no luck.

THE UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM IS SO BROKEN!! I had almost IDENTICAL situation in 2022 and they screwed up my new claim application and I had to WAIT TWO MONTHS with NO INCOME while they "reviewed" my application!!! Make SURE you keep filing your weekly claims even if your benefit year ends and don't see payments! They'll backpay you but ONLY if you keep filing every week!!!!

When my employer closed down last year, I ended up having to wait almost a month between my original benefits ending and the new claim being approved. Just something to be aware of - might want to start putting aside some money now if you can to cover that gap. Also, when you file the new application, make sure you specifically mention that your employer went out of business since that may affect how they process your claim.

One more thing to be aware of - when you file a new claim, you'll need to satisfy the PA job search requirements. Make sure you're doing at least 2 work search activities each week (applying to jobs, attending job fairs, etc.) and recording them. With the first claim, there might have been different rules when you initially filed in 2023, but all new claims now definitely require this.

The work search recording system is somewhat better now in 2025 than it was in 2023, but still has issues. My recommendation is to keep your own separate log as backup (just a spreadsheet with dates, company names, positions, and how you applied). That way if the system errors out or there's ever a question about your work search activities, you have your own records. Regarding your original question, based on what you've shared, it sounds like you'll likely qualify for a new claim after your current benefits are exhausted. The key factors are having enough credit weeks (18+) and sufficient wages in your base period, not necessarily working for 3 consecutive quarters.