PA UC eligibility question - work history needed if applying July 1, 2025?

PA UC uses a base year system, not just the last 12 months. For a July 1, 2025 application, your base year would be January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 (last complete calendar year). You need to have earned at least $116 in 18 weeks OR have total base year wages of at least $1,688 to qualify for minimum benefits. Higher wages = higher weekly benefit amount.

i applied in april and they only looked at 2023 for me... weird system

The PA unemployment system is RIDICULOUSLY outdated!!! They use these weird quarters instead of just checking if you worked recently like a NORMAL system would. I almost got denied because my employer in NY didn't report wages to PA even though I CLEARLY worked there!!! Had to appeal and wait 9 weeks with NO MONEY coming in while they "investigated" obvious facts!!!

To clarify what others have said: Pennsylvania uses a Base Year which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you apply. So for a July 1, 2025 application: - Last 5 completed quarters would be: Jan-Mar 2024, Apr-Jun 2024, Jul-Sep 2024, Oct-Dec 2024, Jan-Mar 2025 - Your Base Year would be: Jan-Mar 2024, Apr-Jun 2024, Jul-Sep 2024, Oct-Dec 2024 If you don't qualify using this method, PA also has two alternate base year calculations they can use, especially if you had a recent injury or illness that prevented work. They'll automatically check these if you don't qualify under the standard calculation.

I just went through this whole process last month. The base year thing confused me too! If you're having trouble getting through to an agent to check if you have enough qualifying wages, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a UC rep in about 20 minutes instead of calling for days. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 showing how it works. The rep was able to look up my wage records right away and tell me if I qualified before I even submitted my application.

Just FYI they also look at how much you earned, not just which months you worked. I worked all 4 quarters in my base year but didn't make enough in each quarter to qualify for the maximum benefit amount. You need at least $2,718 in your highest quarter to get any benefits at all now (I think that amount went up in January).

One more important thing - if you don't qualify using the standard base year, definitely ask them to check your eligibility using the alternate base year methods. The system doesn't always automatically do this despite what they claim. The first alternate method uses the 4 most recently completed quarters, and the second looks at current quarter wages too. Many people qualify under these methods but don't know to ask.

My husband just went thru this! Its so confusing why they make it so complicated!

And DON'T FORGET they require job search activities EVERY WEEK now. You have to apply to at least 2 jobs and do 1 other "work search activity" EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK. Miss one week and they can deny your benefits!!!

Just wanted to add - if you're still confused about your specific situation, you can also check your wage records online through the PA UC portal before applying. Go to the PA UC website and look for "View Wage Records" or something similar. It will show you exactly what wages they have on file for each quarter, so you can calculate if you meet the minimum requirements. This saved me a lot of stress because I could see my exact earnings for each quarter in 2024 before filing. Also, make sure all your employers reported your wages correctly - I found one employer had the wrong SSN on file which delayed my claim!