PA UC first week showing 'Not Applicable' - will I get paid for it?
I just filed my biweekly claims and noticed something weird. For the first week I claimed, it says 'Not Applicable' for the payment status. The second week shows 'In Progress' which makes sense. I'm freaking out a little because I really need both weeks of payments! Does 'Not Applicable' mean I won't get paid for that week? Is this the waiting week thing I've heard about? If so, when do I actually get compensated for it? This is my first time on unemployment in PA and I'm completely lost.
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Nia Harris
That's your waiting week. In Pennsylvania, the first week you're eligible for unemployment is a 'waiting week' - you don't get paid for it right away, but you DO need to file for it. The system shows it as 'Not Applicable' because it's not being processed for immediate payment.
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GalacticGuardian
•Ohh that makes sense! But do I eventually get paid for that waiting week? Or is it just completely lost money?
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Mateo Gonzalez
Yes, you will get paid for the waiting week, but not until AFTER your benefit year ends - so basically a year from now. It's PA's way of making sure you actually stayed in the system. If you remain on UC for your full benefit year, or exhaust your benefits before that year ends, you'll receive that waiting week payment at the end.
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GalacticGuardian
•A WHOLE YEAR?? That's ridiculous! I was counting on getting paid for both weeks. Is there any way to get it sooner?
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Aisha Ali
waiting week is BS!!! they NEVER pay it trust me. been thru this twice now and its just a way for them to steal a week from us!!
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Nia Harris
•That's not accurate. The waiting week does get paid, but only at the end of your benefit year or when you exhaust benefits. Check your payment history after your BYE date - it should be there.
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Ethan Moore
I actually did receive my waiting week payment when my benefit year ended. It was a nice surprise since I'd forgotten all about it by then. Make sure you keep your payment information (direct deposit or Money Network card) up-to-date even after you stop claiming so you can receive it when the time comes.
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Yuki Nakamura
•Is the waiting week only for new claims? I just had to reopen my claim after a temporary job ended and I'm wondering if I'll have another waiting week.
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Mateo Gonzalez
@UserProfile3 - No, you only serve one waiting week per benefit year. If you're reopening a claim within the same benefit year, you won't have another waiting week. But if your benefit year expired and you filed a new application, then yes, you'd have a new waiting week.
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Yuki Nakamura
•Thank you! That's a relief.
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StarSurfer
Has anyone had luck calling PA UC to ask about their waiting week? I've been trying to get through on the phone for days with no success. Just busy signals or getting disconnected after waiting forever. Really need to sort out my payment issues too.
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Carmen Reyes
•Try using Claimyr.com - it's the only way I got through to PA UC. It connects you directly to an agent instead of dealing with busy signals. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 that shows how it works. I was skeptical but it saved me hours of frustration when I had issues with my open claim. Got through in about 10 minutes vs. days of trying on my own.
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GalacticGuardian
Thanks everyone for the info! At least now I understand what's happening. Still annoyed I have to wait so long for that first week payment, but at least I know I'll get it eventually. I'll keep claiming my weeks and hope the second week payment comes through soon.
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Nia Harris
•Just make sure you continue filing your weekly/biweekly claims on time and meet all the work search requirements! You need to do at least 2 work search activities per week (applying for jobs, attending job fairs, etc.) and keep records of them. PA will randomly audit people so keep good notes.
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Sofia Hernandez
I went through the same thing when I first started claiming! That "Not Applicable" status is definitely confusing - I thought there was an error with my claim too. Just to add to what others have said, make sure you keep track of when your benefit year started because that waiting week payment will come exactly one year later (or when you exhaust benefits if that happens first). I set a reminder in my phone so I wouldn't forget about it. Also, your second week should process normally and you should see that payment within a few days if there are no other issues with your claim.
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Diego Mendoza
•That's really helpful advice about setting a reminder! I definitely would have forgotten about it by then. Quick question - when you say the second week should process normally, how long did it actually take for you to see the money? I'm trying to budget and figure out when I can expect it to hit my account.
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