PA UC question: Do I need to report employment on weekly certs after finding a job or just stop filing?
Hey everyone, I finally landed a job after being on unemployment for about 3 weeks (thank goodness!). Started Monday and I'm actually enjoying it so far. My question is about what to do with my PA unemployment claim now. Do I need to keep filing my weekly certifications and report that I'm working full-time? Or can I just stop filing and the system will automatically close my claim? I don't want to mess anything up or get accused of fraud later. Thanks for any advice!
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Isaac Wright
Congrats on the new job! You should definitely file one last weekly certification and report that you found full-time work. This properly closes your claim in the system and prevents any confusion later. Make sure to report your earnings accurately. After that, you can stop filing and your claim will become inactive. If you don't formally report that you found work, it could potentially cause issues down the road if you ever need to file again.
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Yara Campbell
•Thanks! That makes sense - I'll definitely file one more time and report my new job. Better to close things properly than leave it hanging. Would hate to have problems later if I ever need UC again.
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Maya Diaz
jst stop filing thats what i did when i got a job last yr. claim just closes on its own after a few weeks
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Tami Morgan
•This isn't correct advice. You should ALWAYS report when you return to work by filing one final weekly certification. If you just stop filing, your claim doesn't properly close in the system, and it could create issues with future claims or even trigger an investigation for potential fraud.
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Rami Samuels
I had this EXACT same question last month!! I ended up filing one more time and checking the box that I returned to work. The system asked for my start date and employer info. After that I just stopped and haven't heard anything since. I think its officially closed now?
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Haley Bennett
•Yep, that's the right way to do it! When you properly report returning to work through your weekly certification, your UC claim gets correctly marked as inactive rather than just abandoned. It's a small detail but important for your records.
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Douglas Foster
Everyone saying to file one more time is right - but also keep in mind that if you worked partial weeks before starting full-time, you might still be eligible for partial benefits for those days you weren't working yet. So definitely report accurately! I've seen people accidentally leave money on the table by not claiming partial weeks they were entitled to.
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Yara Campbell
•Oh that's a good point - I did work just 3 days my first week (started mid-week). So I'll make sure to report that accurately. Would I still get something for those first 2 days I wasn't working yet?
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Nina Chan
I tried calling the PA UC office for literally 3 weeks with a similar question when I got hired back in January and kept getting busy signals or disconnected. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to someone in about 20 minutes. They have this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. The agent confirmed exactly what others are saying here - file one more time, report your new job, and then you're good to go.
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Yara Campbell
•Thanks for the tip! Luckily I think I understand what to do now from everyone's advice, but I'll keep that service in mind if I ever need to actually reach someone at UC again.
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Haley Bennett
DONT FORGET about your job search records!!! Even though you found work, technically UC can still audit your job search activities for the weeks you claimed benefits. They can check up to 2 YEARS later!!! Make sure you have your job search records for those 3 weeks saved somewhere just in case.
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Yara Campbell
•Omg I didn't even think about that! I did keep track of my applications in a spreadsheet but I'll make sure to save it somewhere I won't lose it. Two years is a long time!
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Tami Morgan
One additional thing to be aware of: if you ever need to file for unemployment again within the same benefit year (which runs for 52 weeks from when you first filed), you would reopen your existing claim rather than filing a completely new one. That's another reason why properly closing your current claim by reporting your return to work is important - it keeps everything clean in the system for any future claims.
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Maya Diaz
•wait so like if i lose my job again in a few months do i just go back 2 the same claim? i thot u had to make a new 1 each time
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Douglas Foster
To answer the follow-up question about partial benefits: Yes, you might qualify for partial benefits for those first few days before starting full-time. PA UC has what's called a "partial benefit credit" - you can earn up to 30% of your weekly benefit amount without reduction, then benefits reduce dollar-for-dollar after that. So definitely worth reporting accurately!
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Yara Campbell
•That's super helpful, thanks! My weekly benefit amount was $462 so I guess I could earn about $138 before reductions? I'll definitely report everything correctly and see if I get anything for those partial days.
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