PA UC benefit year ending with zero balance but still part-time - can I reapply for partial benefits?

u need to wait until ur benefit year ends in sept before filing new claim... thats what the lady on phone told me

The previous comment isn't entirely accurate. When your balance reaches zero, you should contact the UC office to determine if you're eligible for what's called a "Additional Benefits" claim. This is different from filing a completely new claim. You may qualify if your earnings during your benefit year meet certain thresholds. I went through this last year and was able to receive additional benefits without waiting for my benefit year to end. The key factor will be whether you've earned enough qualifying wages during your current benefit year.

I can share what happened in my situation, which was similar. Once my balance hit zero, I had to check if I qualified for additional benefits by looking at my wages during the benefit year. You need to have earned 6x your weekly benefit amount in NEW wages since your claim started. If you did, you might qualify for additional benefits within the same benefit year. For example, if your weekly benefit amount was $200, you'd need to have earned at least $1,200 in wages since your claim began. The UC rep will look at this when you call, but having your pay stubs ready makes it faster. If you don't qualify for additional benefits, then unfortunately the previous commenter is right and you'd need to wait until your benefit year ends in September to file a new claim.

You DEFINITELY need to call PA UC to get the right answer for YOUR specific situation. Unfortunately, the phone lines are a complete nightmare. I was in a similar situation last month and spent DAYS trying to get through. After getting endless busy signals and disconnections, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a UC rep in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 Worth it because the UC rep told me I WAS eligible for additional benefits based on my work history during my current benefit year, which was completely different advice than what I'd been told by friends. Every case is different!

The PA UC system is DELIBERATELY DESIGNED to be confusing and hard to navigate!!! I went through this EXACT situation and even though I qualified for additional benefits they STILL made me wait 3 weeks with NO MONEY coming in before they processed it!!! Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims EVEN WHEN your balance is zero!!! Don't listen to what the website says about "don't file if your balance is zero" - IGNORE THAT and keep filing!!! If you stop filing they'll make you start all over!!!!

To directly answer your original question: Yes, you can receive additional partial benefits when your balance hits zero, BUT only if you meet the earnings requirements I mentioned earlier. This is not the same as filing a completely new claim (which would happen after your benefit year ends). When you talk to UC, specifically ask about: 1. Additional Benefits (sometimes called AB) 2. Whether your part-time earnings meet the qualification thresholds 3. Whether you need to complete a new application or if they'll process it automatically And as the other person mentioned, continue filing your weekly claims even when your balance is zero. This creates a continuous claim record that's crucial if you do qualify for additional benefits.

my cousin said apply for PUA if regular uc runs out

Update: Used Claimyr this morning and got through to PA UC in about 15 minutes! The rep confirmed that I qualified for additional benefits within my current benefit year because I had enough work hours. They're processing it now and said my payments should continue without interruption. So relieved!