PA UC eligibility with hours cut from 35 to 20 - can I claim partial benefits?

YES you absolutely can file for partial UC!!! I went through this exact thing last year when my retail job cut me from 38 hrs to 22. PA unemployment will pay you the difference between what you make now and what you SHOULD be making. Just be super careful reporting your weekly earnings when you file - if you mess up the amounts they'll flag your account with an 'open issue' and it takes FOREVER to fix.

Yes, you can file for partial unemployment in Pennsylvania when your hours are significantly reduced through no fault of your own. What's important is that you meet the financial eligibility requirements and report your part-time earnings accurately each week when you file your continued claims. When you file, make sure you: 1. Report your gross earnings (before taxes) for the week 2. Answer "yes" when asked if you worked during the week 3. Keep track of your work search activities (PA requires you to apply to at least 2 jobs per week) The system will calculate your partial benefit amount based on your reported earnings.

i had my hours cut last year from 40 to 15 and got partial benefits easy. just be ready for them to ask for all kinds of verification stuff and dont freak out if u see 'open issue' status after u apply. took like 2-3 weeks for mine to get approved

Adding to what others have said, you need to understand how PA calculates partial benefits. They use something called the "Partial Benefit Credit" which is 30% of your weekly benefit rate. You can earn up to that amount without reducing your benefits. Anything over that gets deducted dollar-for-dollar from your weekly benefit. For example, if your weekly benefit rate would be $300, your Partial Benefit Credit would be $90. If you earn $200 working part-time, they would deduct $110 from your benefit amount ($200 - $90 = $110), so you would receive $190 in UC benefits ($300 - $110). Make sure you apply as soon as your hours are reduced. Don't wait weeks to file as it could affect your eligibility period.

I tried calling the PA unemployment office last month when I had a similar situation with reduced hours and it was IMPOSSIBLE to get through!! Busy signals for days and when I finally got in the queue, I was on hold for 3+ hours before getting disconnected. So frustrating!!! I finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual person at the UC office within 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 Seriously saved me so much stress because I had questions about my partial benefits that weren't answered on the website.

Be CAREFUL with partial UC!!! My coworker did this when our hours got cut and she messed up reporting her earnings ONE WEEK and they hit her with an overpayment notice for $1,200 that she had to pay back!! The system is designed to trap you into making mistakes I swear.

Update: I applied yesterday after my first reduced week. The online system was actually pretty straightforward but I'm still confused about one thing - it's asking me for "work search activities" even though I'm still employed at my regular job, just with fewer hours. Do I really need to apply to other jobs while trying to get partial benefits? Seems counterproductive since I'm hoping my hours go back up in a few months.

anyone else notice that the weekly benefit calculator on the pa unemployment website is totally wrong?? it told me id get way more than i actually did lol

Make sure u keep ALL ur paystubs showing the reduced hours!!! My employer tried to tell UC I voluntarily reduced my hours (TOTAL BS) and having my paystubs showing the sudden drop saved me from losing benefits. Some employers will try anything to avoid their UC tax going up.

Second update: Got my financial determination letter today! They approved me for partial benefits. My weekly benefit rate is $320, which means I can earn up to $96 (that 30% partial benefit credit thing someone mentioned) before they start reducing my benefit amount. With my current 20-hour schedule, I should get about $150 in UC benefits each week in addition to my reduced paycheck. I'm still doing the work search requirements even though it feels weird. Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions!