PA UC qualification question: Does my 18th week count toward September or October quarter?

I think it goes by the week ending date. So if ur week ends on oct 1 then it probly counts for october quarter not september.

The PA UC system actually bases this on when the week ends. For unemployment purposes, a week runs Sunday through Saturday. If your 18th week includes October 1 (Friday) but ends on Saturday, October 2, then the entire week would count toward the October quarter. However, if your week ends on Saturday, September 25, then it counts toward the September quarter. PA UC typically uses calendar quarters (Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, Oct-Dec).

Thanks for the info! So if I understand correctly, it matters when the Saturday falls? The week I'm talking about would start Sunday, September 26 and end Saturday, October 2. So it sounds like that would count toward October even though most days are in September?

Yes, that's correct. For Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation, the entire week would count toward the October quarter because the Saturday end date (October 2) falls in October. The UC system classifies the entire week based on which quarter the Saturday falls in. This is how the base year calculation works when determining eligibility. If you're concerned about qualifying, you should review your Notice of Financial Determination when you receive it, as it will show exactly how many credit weeks you have in each quarter of your base year.

I just went through something similar!!! It's so frustrating how these technicalities can make or break whether you qualify. Have you tried calling them directly to explain your situation? Maybe they can give you a definitive answer or there might be some exception? I spent 3 DAYS trying to get through on the phone before I finally talked to someone.

If you're struggling to get through to PA Unemployment on the phone, you might want to try using Claimyr. I was in the same boat - couldn't get through for weeks and was freaking out about my claim. Someone on here recommended it, and it actually worked. The service calls UC for you and connects you once they get through. Saved me hours of redial hell. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 that shows how it works. Their website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out. Definitely worth it to get a definitive answer on your quarter question.

I hate to break it to you but I'm pretty sure you're out of luck if that week falls in October. When I filed last year they were SUPER strict about the quarter cutoffs. The rep told me it's just how their system works - they don't make exceptions even if you're off by just one day. It's totally unfair but that's PA UC for you...

One more thing to consider - are you calculating your base year correctly? For claims filed in September 2025, your base year would be April 2024 through March 2025. For claims filed in October 2025, your base year shifts to July 2024 through June 2025. This can make a significant difference in qualifying wages and credit weeks. If you're right on the border, waiting until October to file might actually be beneficial depending on your work history.

my cousin had the same thing happen and she just lied and said she worked one more week lol but i guess that's fraud so probably don't do that...they check everything these days

Thanks everyone for all your help! I've decided to try calling them using that Claimyr service to get an official answer, and also to run the calculations for both September and October filing to see which would be better for my base year. I'll update once I know more in case it helps someone else in the future!