PA UC claim approved, got a contract job - can I reopen benefits when contract ends?
So I finally got some good news from PA unemployment! Just got approved after waiting for what felt like forever, and they've issued my first check today (yay!). But here's my situation - I actually started a contract job last week, so I didn't file for this past week. The contract is only for 3 months though, and I'm worried about what happens when it ends. If I still can't find permanent work after this contract, can I just restart my PA UC benefits? Or do I have to file a whole new claim and wait another 8 weeks for approval? Does anyone know if there's a time limit for how long my current claim stays active even if I'm not filing weekly?
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Andre Dupont
Congrats on both the approval AND finding work! When your contract ends, you can reopen your existing claim as long as it's within the same benefit year (which runs for 52 weeks from when you first applied). Just log into your PA UC account and look for the "reopen claim" option. You'll need to report your contract earnings and any severance if you get it. You won't have to wait for approval again like with a new claim - should be much quicker.
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Carmen Lopez
•Thank you! That's a huge relief. I was so worried I'd have to start all over again. Do you know if I need to do anything special since it's contract work? My position is W-2 but definitely temporary.
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QuantumQuasar
ive been there done that! u dont need to do anything special for contract work just make sure u answer the questions about why ur no longer working accurately when u reopen. if they ask why u separated just be honest that the contract ended. its actually super common in PA. dont forget tho - u need to do ur weekly work search activities when u go back on UC (apply for 2 jobs and do 1 work search activity each week). i got in trouble for forgetting that part lol
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Carmen Lopez
•Oh that's good to know about the work search! I'll definitely keep track of my job applications when the time comes. Did you have any issues with the timing when you reopened your claim? Like, did you have to wait until the exact day your contract ended?
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Zoe Papanikolaou
I went through this EXACT situation in January. You can 100% reopen your benefits after contract work ends, but here's what they DON'T tell you: if you made good money during your contract, your weekly benefit amount might change. They look at your highest quarters of earnings. Also, when your contract ends, file your reopened claim IMMEDIATELY - don't wait even one day. The system can be really picky about timelines and I lost a week of benefits because I waited until Monday after my Friday end date.
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Carmen Lopez
•Wow, thanks for the heads up! I definitely don't want to lose any benefits. My contract is supposed to end on a Thursday, so I'll make sure to file that same day. The pay for this contract is decent but not amazing, so hopefully it won't mess with my benefit amount too much.
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Jamal Wilson
Just wanted to say that PA unemployment has been AWFUL to deal with lately. I tried reopening my claim after my seasonal job ended and they flagged it for "investigation" for no reason. Been waiting 6 weeks with ZERO income and can't get anyone on the phone!!! The system is completely broken!!!
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Mei Lin
•I had the same problem trying to get through to PA UC last month! I was calling literally 50+ times a day with constant busy signals. Finally I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 - it was honestly the only way I could get my issue resolved. Worth checking out when your contract ends if you have any problems reopening.
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Liam Fitzgerald
Something people haven't mentioned - make sure you keep DETAILED records of your contract job. PA UC is notorious for requesting income verification after you reopen a claim, especially with contract work. Save all your paystubs, the contract document showing start/end dates, and any communications about the temporary nature of the position. Also keep proof of your final day (like a goodbye email or end of contract notice). This will save you from delays if they request verification.
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Carmen Lopez
•That's great advice! I hadn't thought about keeping proof of my final day. I'll definitely save everything related to this job. Better to have too much documentation than not enough.
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Amara Nnamani
my cousin works for contract job too but when he ended he couldn't get benefits again cuz they said he quit but he didn't the job was just over??? make sure they know you didn't quit or get fired the contract just ended thats what the lady told him when he finally got thru
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Andre Dupont
•That's a good point. The official term they want to see is "lack of work" - make sure to use those exact words when describing why your contract ended. Don't say it "expired" or "finished" as those terms sometimes trigger additional reviews. Always specify it was temporary work that ended due to "lack of work" - that's the magic phrase that speeds things up.
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Carmen Lopez
Thanks everyone for all the advice! I'm feeling much better about what to do when my contract ends in June. I'll definitely make sure to use "lack of work" as the reason, file immediately on my last day, keep all documentation, and remember to do my job search activities. Hopefully the reopening process will go smoothly, but if not, I'll check out that Claimyr service. Really appreciate all the help!
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QuantumQuasar
•glad we could help! one more thing - when ur doing ur work search keep the confirmations like screenshots or emails of job applications. they randomly audit people and if u cant prove u did the activities they can make u pay back benefits!!! happened to my roommate
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