PA UC denial for insufficient base year wages despite 2+ years employment - options?

I went through the EXACT same situation in January! It turned out to be a reporting error where his employer didn't properly report wages to the state for one or more quarters. I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually get through to a UC rep on the phone instead of waiting for weeks. Their video demo shows how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. The rep was able to see the problem right away and helped me file a wage protest. We had to submit my husband's W-2s and paystubs as proof. Took about 3 weeks but they fixed it and he got backpay.

This is a common misunderstanding about how the PA UC base year works. The base year isn't the last 12 months - it's actually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you apply. So if he applied in April 2025, his base year would be Jan-Dec 2024, NOT including 2025 wages at all. If he had periods of lower earnings or wasn't at this job for part of that specific time period, that could explain it.

did he try to appeal it yet? my brother got the same letter but when he appealed they ended up approving him cuz there was just a mix up with his ss# or something

You need to file a wage protest immediately if you believe there's an error. Here's exactly what to do: 1. Call the UC service center (good luck) or use the messaging system in the portal 2. Request a wage protest form (UC-785) 3. Submit copies of ALL wage documentation (pay stubs, W-2s, tax returns) 4. Include a written statement explaining why you believe there's an error Do this ASAP as there's a limited time to protest (usually 15 days from the determination). Also, have him continue job searching and documenting all work search activities because if the protest is successful, he'll need to show he was actively looking for work to get benefits for these weeks.

I hate PA unemployment so much!!!! They denied me THREE TIMES with this same excuse and I had been working for 5 years!!! The system is designed to reject people and make it impossible to get what we've paid into. I spent MONTHS fighting them and eventually got approved but missed 3 mortgage payments waiting. The whole system is BROKEN!!

Based on your follow-up comments, it's sounding like the gap in employment in late 2022 might be the issue. Here's something important to understand: to qualify for UC in Pennsylvania, he needs to have earned at least $116 per week for at least 18 weeks in the base year OR earned at least $9,900 total during the base year. If that gap in 2022 pushed him below either threshold for the specific quarters they're looking at, that's your problem. Also, if the job before the gap was out-of-state, those wages won't automatically be included in PA's calculation unless you specifically request a combined wage claim across states.

Ah, this makes perfect sense now. You need to specifically request a Combined Wage Claim (CWC) since he worked in Ohio previously. This is different from a regular wage protest. Call the UC service center and specifically ask to file a Combined Wage Claim to include his Ohio wages. Have his Ohio employer information and approximate dates of employment ready. They'll contact Ohio to verify those wages and recalculate his eligibility. Different timing scenario to consider: if he filed in April 2025, his base year would be Jan-Dec 2024 (all PA work, should qualify). If he filed in March 2025, his base year would be Oct 2023-Sep 2024 (all PA work, should qualify). But if he filed in Feb 2025, his base year would be Jul 2023-Jun 2024 (all PA work, likely qualifies). Very early 2025 filings might pull in quarters where the Ohio/gap situation matters.

have u tried talking to his work? when i got laid off they messed up and didnt report my last 2 months of wages which threw everything off. the HR lady had to send something to fix it

Just to add to my earlier comment - since you mentioned the April 18 filing date, that's DEFINITELY recent enough that a reporting error is the most likely explanation. The deadline for employers to report Q1 2025 wages was April 30, so they might not have submitted the most recent quarter. But with a base year of Jan-Dec 2024, all of those quarters should definitely be in the system by now unless the employer messed up. When I called using Claimyr, the UC rep could immediately see which quarters were missing and that helped us target exactly what documentation we needed to submit. In my case, it was Q3 2024 that was missing.

Just wanted to share my experience since I went through something similar last year. I was denied initially for "insufficient wages" even though I had been working steadily. Turned out my employer had filed their quarterly wage reports late, so some of my earnings weren't showing up in the system when UC calculated my base year wages. The key thing I learned is that you have to be really specific about what type of issue you're dealing with when you contact them. Based on what you've described with the April filing date and continuous employment, this sounds like either a wage reporting error OR possibly an issue with how recent quarters are being calculated. Make sure when you call (or use one of those callback services people mentioned) that you ask them to tell you EXACTLY which quarters show wages and which don't. That will help you figure out if it's a reporting problem, a timing issue with recent quarters, or something else entirely. Don't let them just give you the standard "insufficient wages" response - push for specifics about what's actually in your husband's wage record. Good luck! The system is frustrating but once you get to the right person who can actually look at the details, these issues usually get resolved pretty quickly.

This is such a common and frustrating issue! I've been helping people navigate PA UC for years and what you're describing sounds like a classic wage reporting delay or error. Since your husband filed on April 18th with his base year being Jan-Dec 2024, ALL of those quarters should absolutely be in the system by now - there's no timing issue here. Here's what I'd recommend doing immediately: 1. Call his former employer's HR/payroll department FIRST thing tomorrow. Ask them to verify they submitted quarterly wage reports for ALL of 2024 (especially Q4 2024). Sometimes companies mess up the final quarter reporting when they're doing layoffs. 2. While you're gathering his documentation, make sure you have his final paystub from the layoff - this will show his year-to-date earnings which should easily exceed the $9,900 minimum requirement. 3. When you contact UC (whether through phone or that callback service others mentioned), ask for a "wage detail report" that shows exactly what quarters they have on file and the amounts. This will tell you immediately if it's a reporting error vs. something else. At $19.75/hour full-time for over 2 years, he should EASILY qualify - this is definitely a system/reporting error, not a legitimate denial. Don't get discouraged, just be persistent and methodical about getting the right documentation to the right people.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My sister got denied for the same reason even though she's been working consistently for 3 years. What we discovered is that sometimes employers don't submit their wage reports on time or there are glitches in the state's system that cause wages to not show up properly. One thing that really helped us was requesting a copy of her "wage and benefit year" statement from UC - this shows exactly what wages they have on file for each quarter. When we got it, we could see that two entire quarters were showing as $0 even though she definitely worked and paid into the system during those periods. The appeal process isn't as scary as it seems either. We filled out the form, attached copies of her W-2s and a few representative paystubs from the missing quarters, and wrote a simple letter explaining that the wage records were incomplete. It took about a month but they reversed the decision and she got her benefits plus back pay. Don't give up! With over 2 years of consistent work at that wage, your husband absolutely should qualify. This is almost certainly a paperwork/system error that can be fixed.

I went through almost the exact same thing two years ago! Got denied for "insufficient base year wages" even though I'd been working full-time for 3+ years. Turns out my employer had made an error when filing their quarterly wage reports - they accidentally used the wrong federal ID number for one quarter, so those wages weren't being credited to my record. The fastest way I found to get answers was to request a "monetary determination worksheet" through the UC portal (it's under forms/documents). This shows you exactly what quarters they have wages for and the amounts. When I got mine, I could clearly see one quarter showing $0 when it should have been around $6,000. Once I had that proof, I filed a wage protest with copies of my paystubs for that quarter. The whole thing got resolved in about 3 weeks and I received all the back benefits. At your husband's wage rate working full-time, he should easily meet the requirements - this is definitely a reporting error somewhere in the system. Don't let them discourage you with the generic denial language. Keep pushing for specifics about what's actually in his wage record!

I'm going through something very similar right now! My boyfriend got denied last month for the same "insufficient base year wages" reason even though he's been working consistently at $21/hr for almost 3 years. What we found out is that PA's unemployment system has been having major issues with employer wage reporting, especially for companies that have had layoffs or restructuring. Here's what worked for us: First, we called his employer's payroll department and found out they had submitted their Q4 2024 wages late due to the layoffs. Second, we used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above to actually get through to a UC representative (seriously, it's impossible to reach them otherwise). The rep was able to see immediately that his Q4 wages were missing from their system. We're still waiting for the resolution, but the UC rep said once the employer resubmits the correct wage information, it should be processed within 2-3 weeks. She also mentioned that they've been seeing a lot of these cases lately where employers mess up their final quarter reporting during layoffs. Don't give up! At your husband's wage and work history, this is 100% a system error. Make sure to document everything and keep copies of all his paystubs - you'll need them for the wage protest.

I work for a local legal aid organization and we see this exact scenario almost weekly. What you're describing is a textbook case of either employer wage reporting errors or system timing issues. Given your husband's employment history and wage rate, he should absolutely qualify for benefits. Here's my professional recommendation for your next steps: 1. **Document everything immediately** - Gather all 2024 paystubs, W-2, and his final pay statement showing year-to-date earnings 2. **Contact the employer first** - Call their HR/payroll department tomorrow and specifically ask if they submitted ALL quarterly wage reports for 2024 on time, especially Q4 3. **Request wage records from UC** - Ask for both the "monetary determination worksheet" and "wage and benefit year statement" to see exactly what quarters show $0 or incorrect amounts 4. **File a formal wage protest** - Don't just appeal the denial, specifically file a wage protest citing employer reporting errors The fact that he filed in April 2025 with a base year of Jan-Dec 2024 means all those wages should definitely be in the system by now. At $19.75/hr full-time, he'd have earned roughly $40,000+ in 2024 alone, which is 4x the minimum requirement. One important note: Make sure he continues documenting job search activities even while fighting this denial. If/when it gets overturned, he'll need to show he was actively seeking work to receive benefits for these weeks. This is frustrating but very fixable. Don't let them wear you down with bureaucratic delays - your husband earned these benefits and deserves them.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago and it was so stressful! After reading all the helpful advice here, I wanted to add one more thing that really helped me get faster results. When I finally got through to a UC representative (used one of those callback services too), I asked them to send me a detailed breakdown of exactly which employer reported wages for which quarters. This was different from the monetary determination worksheet - it actually showed me the employer names and EINs associated with each wage entry. That's when I discovered the problem: my employer had changed their payroll company mid-year and the new payroll company had been using a slightly different version of the company's legal name when reporting wages. The UC system couldn't match them up as the same employer! Once we got that sorted out with a wage protest, everything was approved within 10 days. Just another angle to consider if the standard wage reporting error doesn't turn out to be the issue. Sometimes it's these weird technical glitches that cause legitimate wages to not show up properly in their system.

Wow, reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational! I had no idea there were so many potential technical issues that could cause legitimate wages not to show up in the UC system. The payroll company change angle that Samantha mentioned really resonates - companies switching systems mid-year seems like it could easily cause these kinds of database matching problems. For anyone else dealing with this, it sounds like the key is getting that detailed breakdown from UC showing exactly which employer names/EINs are associated with each quarter's wages. That seems to be the smoking gun for identifying whether it's a standard reporting error, a timing issue, or one of these more complex technical mismatches. I'm also bookmarking all the specific forms and documents people mentioned (monetary determination worksheet, wage and benefit year statement, UC-785 wage protest form) since those seem to be the concrete tools you need to actually fight these denials effectively. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is amazing for breaking down these bureaucratic processes into actionable steps!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Got denied three weeks ago with the same "insufficient base year wages" reason even though I've been working full-time at $22/hr for almost two years. After reading all these responses, I'm realizing I probably should have been more proactive about investigating the specific cause instead of just feeling defeated by the denial letter. The advice about requesting those detailed wage breakdowns sounds crucial - I had no idea you could get that level of specificity about which quarters are missing or have errors. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service to actually get through to someone who can tell me exactly what's in my wage record versus what should be there. It's so frustrating that the system seems designed to reject people first and make us fight for benefits we've legitimately earned, but reading everyone's success stories gives me hope that persistence pays off. Going to start gathering all my documentation tonight and make some calls tomorrow. Thanks for sharing your experience - it really helps to know this is fixable!