PA UC benefits calculated at $70/week when I earned $1600/week - major calculation error?

That definitely sounds like an error in how they calculated your base year wages. PA UC looks at your earnings from the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed. If you filed in 2025, they'd look at different quarters than if you filed in late 2024. You should request a reconsideration/redetermination immediately. There's a form on the UC website under 'Appeals' where you can upload your proof of earnings. Make sure you're looking at the right quarters too - sometimes people think their recent earnings count but UC might be looking at older quarters.

the same thing hapened to me last year!!! turned out they only had records from my part time job not my main job. definately call them asap

This is a common issue with PA UC financial determinations. They may be missing wages or only have partial employment records. Three things you need to do immediately: 1. File an appeal within 15 days of the determination date (very important deadline) 2. Gather all your pay stubs and W2s from the base year quarters 3. Request a wage investigation through your UC dashboard Your weekly benefit rate should be approximately 50-55% of your average weekly wage during the highest quarter of your base year, up to the maximum benefit of $785 per week for 2025. With earnings of $1600/week, you should be near that maximum benefit amount.

If you can't get through on the phone, try using Claimyr (claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation with a major wage calculation error and kept getting busy signals for days. The service 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 The rep was able to do a wage investigation while I was on the phone and confirmed they were missing my primary employer's wages. Worth it when your benefits are that far off!

Listen the PA UC system is COMPLETELY BROKEN. I had the exact same issue and it took me 2 MONTHS to get it fixed. They kept saying they'd fix it and never did until I contacted my state rep's office. Try that if nothing else works.

UPDATE: I managed to reach someone! They found the issue - they somehow had me confused with someone else with a similar name and SSN. They only had my weekend side job wages showing up in their system. The rep said she'd send it for immediate review and I should see a corrected determination letter in 7-10 days. She said my weekly benefit amount should be around $715 based on my actual wages. What a relief!!!

I had a similar problem back in November. They mixed up my identity with someone else! It's crazy how many errors happen in their system. Glad you got it sorted out. Just remember if you don't see that correction within the 10 days they promised, call back immediately. They told me 10 days and it actually took 4 weeks and another call before my determination was fixed.