PA UC partial credit of $145 + WBR of $483 - can I work and keep full benefits?

You've got it right! In Pennsylvania, you can earn up to your partial benefit credit (PBC) without reducing your weekly benefit rate. So in your case, you can earn up to $145 per week and still receive your full $483 weekly benefit. Just make sure you report ALL earnings when you file your weekly certification, even though they won't affect your payment amount as long as they're under the $145 threshold.

Yep thats how it works for me too!!! Im getting 465 a week and my partial is 139. I do instacart deliveries and as long as i dont make over 139 I get my full amount. Its a nice little bonus honestly lol

You're correct about the partial credit amount, but be SUPER careful about how you report your earnings. You need to report what you EARN in a week, not when you get paid for it. So if you work on Thursday but don't get the paycheck until next week, you still report those hours/earnings for the week you actually performed the work. This is one of the biggest mistakes people make and can lead to overpayment issues later.

my sister got hit with a huge overpayment because she didn't understand this exact thing. she thought since she didn't get paid until the following week that she didn't need to report it on her weekly claim. ended up owing like $3000 back!!!

Just to add some clarification on how PA UC calculates this: Once you go over your partial benefit credit ($145 in your case), they reduce your weekly benefit amount dollar-for-dollar. So if you earned $150 one week, that's $5 over your PBC, meaning your WBR would be reduced from $483 to $478 for that week. Also important to note - you must continue to complete your work search activities each week even if you're working part-time. Many people forget this requirement and it can cause problems with continued eligibility.

I've been dealing with this exact situation for the past few months. The system works like everyone's saying, but my problem was actually GETTING THROUGH to UC when I had questions about reporting correctly. I kept getting busy signals for days. I finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a PA UC agent in about 25 minutes instead of spending days hitting redial. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. Honestly it saved my sanity because I had specific questions about my situation that weren't answered on the website.

When i was on UC last year I had something similar but completely different partial credit amount. The thing about reporting earnings is SUPER important. My cousin got totally messed up because she reported when she got paid instead of when she worked and then her employer reported different amounts and she got flagged for fraud even though it was just a misunderstanding! Took her 3 months to sort out! Also make sure your employer knows you're on partial UC so they report things correctly too.

so if u earn more than ur partial credit do u lose ALL benefits for that week or just the amount over???

One more important thing to keep in mind - if you earn too much in a week (approximately 130% of your weekly benefit rate), you'll be considered fully employed for that week and won't receive any benefits. But that doesn't end your claim - you can still claim in future weeks when your earnings are lower. Just make sure you continue filing every week, even for weeks you may not receive a payment.

Just wanted to share my experience with PA partial benefits since I went through this same confusion a few months ago. Your understanding is absolutely correct - you can earn up to your $145 partial credit without any reduction to your $483 weekly benefit. I was in a similar situation and was terrified of making a mistake, but once I understood the system it worked smoothly. The key things that helped me: 1) Always report earnings for the week you actually worked (not when paid), 2) Report ALL earnings even if under the threshold, 3) Keep detailed records of your work dates and earnings, and 4) Don't forget your work search requirements. I've been doing part-time work for months now and it's been a lifesaver financially. Take that work if you need it - just follow the reporting rules and you'll be fine!

I'm in a similar boat and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I just wanted to add one thing that my case worker mentioned - make sure you're not just reporting gross earnings, but also any tips or cash payments if you're doing service work. Even small amounts need to be reported. Also, if you're doing any kind of contract or 1099 work, you might need to report it differently than regular W-2 employment. The rules can get tricky with different types of work arrangements. Has anyone here dealt with reporting freelance or gig work while on partial benefits? I'm considering some occasional graphic design work but want to make sure I handle it correctly.

This thread has been so helpful! I'm actually in Pennsylvania too and just got approved for UC with a similar setup - my WBR is $461 and partial credit is $138. I was completely confused about how this worked until reading everyone's explanations. One thing I'm still wondering about though - do you have to report the earnings in real time or just when you file your weekly certification? Like if I work on a Tuesday, do I need to log into the system immediately or is it okay to wait until I file my weekly claim on Sunday? Also, has anyone had experience with seasonal work while on partial benefits? I might have an opportunity to do some tax preparation work during tax season but I'm not sure if that would complicate things since it's temporary but potentially higher earnings during busy periods.

I've been on partial UC in PA for about 6 months now and can confirm everything people are saying here is accurate! Your $145 partial credit is like a "freebie" - you can earn up to that amount without losing a penny of your $483 weekly benefit. I work at a restaurant 2-3 days a week and as long as I keep my weekly earnings under my partial credit, I get the full UC payment plus my work income. It's honestly been a huge help while I'm job searching for full-time work. Just remember to be super precise with your reporting - I use a notebook to write down my exact hours and earnings each day I work, then transfer that to my weekly certification. Better to be overly detailed than to accidentally mess something up! And don't stress too much about it - the system is actually pretty forgiving as long as you're honest and report everything correctly.

I had one week where I went over by about $20 and honestly it wasn't a big deal at all - the system just automatically reduced my UC payment by that $20 for that week. No penalties or anything scary, just a straightforward calculation. The key is being honest on your weekly certification. I think people get paranoid because they hear horror stories about overpayments, but those usually happen when people don't report earnings at all or report them incorrectly for multiple weeks. If you're tracking everything and reporting accurately, even small mistakes get corrected automatically by the system. The worst case is you might get a slightly different payment than expected, but as long as you're not hiding income or lying about when you worked, you'll be fine. PA's system is actually pretty user-friendly once you understand it!

This whole thread has been incredibly informative! I'm new to PA unemployment and was completely overwhelmed trying to figure out how partial benefits work. Reading everyone's real experiences has been way more helpful than the confusing official documentation. One quick question - when you're doing your work search activities while working part-time, do you need to apply for full-time positions only, or can you apply for additional part-time work and have that count toward your search requirements? I want to make sure I'm meeting all the requirements correctly while I'm doing this part-time work arrangement.

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone else reading this thread! I've been on PA partial benefits for about 4 months now and it's worked exactly like everyone described. My partial credit is $152 and WBR is $507, so I can earn up to $152 without any reduction. The most important advice I can give is to be obsessive about record-keeping - I take photos of my time sheets and keep a simple Excel spreadsheet with dates worked, hours, and gross pay. This saved me when my employer initially reported my hours wrong to the state. Also, don't be afraid to take that work! The extra income on top of UC benefits has been a game-changer while I'm looking for full-time employment. The system really does work smoothly when you follow the rules correctly. One last tip - if you ever have questions, don't hesitate to call UC even if the wait times are long. I've called twice with specific questions and both times the representatives were helpful and patient in explaining how everything works.

I'm new to this community but this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation in PA - just got approved for UC with a $167 partial credit and $558 WBR. I was completely lost trying to understand how this all works until I found this discussion. Reading everyone's real experiences has given me so much more confidence than trying to figure it out from the official PA UC website alone. I have a potential part-time retail position that would be perfect to supplement my benefits while I search for full-time work. Based on what everyone's shared, it sounds like as long as I stay under my $167 threshold and report everything accurately when I worked (not when I got paid), I should be able to keep my full weekly benefit. I'm definitely going to start that detailed record-keeping system several of you mentioned - the notebook idea plus taking photos of timesheets seems like the smart way to protect myself. Thank you all for sharing your experiences so openly - this community is exactly what I needed to find!

I just want to echo what everyone else has said - you've got the right understanding of how PA partial benefits work! I went through this exact same confusion when I first started on UC. Your $145 partial credit means you can earn up to that amount weekly without any reduction to your $483 benefit. I've been working part-time for about 8 weeks now and it's been a lifesaver financially. The key things that have worked for me: always report earnings for the week you actually worked (even if you don't get paid until later), keep meticulous records of your hours and pay, and don't overthink it too much. The system is actually pretty straightforward once you get used to it. Take that work opportunity if you need it - just follow the reporting guidelines everyone outlined here and you'll be fine. The combination of part-time work income plus your full UC benefits can really help while you're searching for something full-time. Good luck!

This has been such an amazing thread to read through! I'm also dealing with PA UC partial benefits and was completely confused until I found this discussion. My situation is almost identical - I have a $138 partial credit and $459 WBR, and I've been offered some freelance bookkeeping work that would fit perfectly under my threshold. What really stands out to me from everyone's experiences is how important the record-keeping piece is. I'm definitely going to implement that notebook + photo system that several people mentioned. One thing I'm curious about - has anyone dealt with clients who pay irregularly? Like if I do work in Week 1 but the client doesn't pay me until Week 3, I know I report it for Week 1, but do I need to follow up if there are payment delays to make sure my records stay accurate? The peace of mind everyone's shared about the system working smoothly when you follow the rules correctly has really helped calm my nerves about accepting this work opportunity!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm also navigating PA partial benefits for the first time and was feeling completely overwhelmed by all the rules and potential pitfalls. Reading through everyone's real-world experiences has been so much more valuable than trying to decode the official PA UC documentation. I love how this community shares practical tips like the notebook tracking system, taking photos of timesheets, and being meticulous about reporting earnings for the week work was performed rather than when paid. It's clear that the key to success is honest reporting and detailed record-keeping. For anyone else reading this who might be hesitant like I was - it seems like the system really does work smoothly when you follow the guidelines correctly. The horror stories we hear are usually from people who don't report earnings properly, not from folks who are trying to do everything right. I'm feeling much more confident about accepting part-time work now while continuing my full-time job search. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of community support that makes all the difference!