PA UC partial claim question - can I file for last week if I worked a few days as a casual employee?

Yes, you can file for the previous week when the system allows you to file on Sunday 3/2. The PA UC system lets you claim benefits for the prior week when you do your weekly certification. You'll need to report the exact earnings from those 3 days you worked, so make sure you have that info ready. Also, be careful with your reporting - if you earned over a certain amount during those 3 days, it might reduce your weekly benefit amount or make you ineligible for that specific week.

when i reopened my claim last yr it was super confusing becuase they ask about all your employers and stuff. just make sure you report every penny you earned those 3 days or they might hit you with an overpayment later and thats a NIGHTMARE trust me lol

Let me clarify how this works with PA UC for casual/part-time employment: 1. When you reopen a claim, the system always sets you up to file on the next available Sunday for the previous week 2. This is normal and doesn't mean you've lost the ability to claim for last week 3. When filing on 3/2, you'll be claiming for the week ending 2/29 4. You'll need to report your gross earnings (before taxes) for those 3 days 5. PA has a partial benefit credit - you can earn up to 30% of your weekly benefit amount without reduction 6. Earnings over that 30% threshold will reduce your benefit dollar-for-dollar You're doing everything correctly so far. Just wait until Sunday, file for last week, and accurately report those 3 days of work.

OMG i had the EXACT same problem!!!!! it's so annoying how they make everything so complicated. why can't they just let us file when we need to? i ended up getting my partial payment but it took FOREVER to show up on my card.

I don't think you can file for last week actually. When you reopen a claim it starts with the current week not the previous one. At least that's what happened to me last time. I lost a week of benefits because of the reopening process. Might want to call and double check.

If you're really worried about this, you might want to try calling the UC service center directly to confirm. I know it's nearly impossible to get through to them on the phone (I spent 3 hours last week trying), but I recently found a service called Claimyr that actually got me through to a rep in about 20 minutes. Costs a bit but saved me so much frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 and their website is claimyr.com. For something time-sensitive like making sure you don't miss filing for a week, it might be worth it.

Here's what will happen: This Sunday (3/2), the system will let you file for the week ending 2/29. You'll report your work and earnings for those 3 days, and the system will calculate if you're eligible for a partial benefit. Make sure you answer the work search questions correctly too - you still need to complete your work search activities even for weeks you worked partially.

They make this whole process way more confusing than it needs to be 🙄 especially for people with irregular work schedules like urs. good luck!!

One other thing to keep in mind: make sure you understand how your employer reports your work to the state. Sometimes with casual/on-call work, the reporting periods can be confusing. If possible, keep your own detailed records of exactly which days you worked and how much you earned each day. This will help if there's ever a discrepancy between what you report and what your employer reports to PA UC.

Just want to add that as someone who's been dealing with PA UC for a while, the system can be really frustrating but it does work once you understand the timing. The key thing is that you're not actually "missing" anything by having to wait until Sunday - that's just how their weekly filing schedule works. When you file on 3/2, you'll be claiming for the week ending 2/29, which includes those 3 days you worked. Make sure you have your exact gross earnings ready (before any taxes or deductions), and don't stress too much about the reopening process - it's pretty standard. The most important thing is accurate reporting of your earnings and work search activities. You've got this!

I went through something very similar when I was doing temp work last year! The waiting period after reopening a claim is totally normal - it's not that you missed your window, it's just how their system batches everything. When you file this Sunday, you'll be claiming benefits for the week that just ended (which includes those 3 days you worked). Just make sure you report your gross wages accurately and remember that in PA, you can earn up to about 30% of your weekly benefit amount before it starts reducing your payment. Also keep your pay stub handy in case they ever audit your claim later. The partial benefit system actually works pretty well once you get used to the timing!