PA UC question: Do I need to report starting a new job or just stop filing weekly claims?
Got a job offer yesterday (finally!) after being on unemployment for 3 months. Start date is Monday. I'm not sure what the protocol is when you find employment in PA. Do I need to call the unemployment office and tell them I found a job? Should I contact CareerLink since they helped with my resume? Or do I just stop filing my weekly certifications? Or should I file one more time and indicate that I worked? Don't want to mess anything up and end up with an overpayment issue down the road. Thanks for any help!
18 comments
Join the conversation
GalaxyGuardian
Congrats on the new job! Here's what you need to do: 1. File your weekly certification for your last week of unemployment 2. When you certify, answer honestly that you've found work and report your start date 3. Report any earnings if you worked any days that week 4. After that final certification, you can stop filing No need to call UC or CareerLink specifically to report your new job. The system handles it through that final certification. Just make sure you complete that last filing so your claim closes properly!
0 coins
Keisha Robinson
•Thank you so much! That's exactly what I needed to know. I'll make sure to do my final certification this Sunday and report my start date. Really appreciate the clear instructions!
0 coins
Paolo Ricci
ya deff file 1 last time n check the box that u found work. congrats btw!
0 coins
Keisha Robinson
•Thanks! Will do that for sure.
0 coins
Amina Toure
DO NOT just stop filing!!! When I got a job last year, I thought I could just stop filing and ended up with a HUGE MESS. Got letters about failure to report employment and had to deal with potential fraud investigation. Always file that final claim and report your new job!!!! The system needs to properly close your claim.
0 coins
Keisha Robinson
•Oh wow, thank you for the warning! I definitely don't want to deal with fraud accusations. I'll make sure to file that final certification.
0 coins
Oliver Zimmermann
Does anyone know if I need to tell them about my new salary? I'm worried because my new job pays less than my previous one, so if I lose this job in the future would my benefits be recalculated based on this lower salary? Should I include this concern when filing my final weekly claim?
0 coins
GalaxyGuardian
•Your benefit rate is established when you first open your claim and doesn't change during that benefit year. If you would need to reapply in the future after this new job, then yes, your new wages would be used to calculate a new benefit rate. But for now, you just need to report that you found work - no need to include salary details in your final certification.
0 coins
Natasha Volkova
I was in this exact same situation back in January! I spent HOURS trying to get through to UC on the phone to ask this question and kept getting disconnected or hearing that "all representatives are busy." Eventually I found this service called Claimyr that got me connected to a PA UC rep in about 20 minutes. The website is claimyr.com and there's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 The rep confirmed exactly what others are saying here - file one last time and indicate you found work. But also make sure you report any earnings if you worked any days during that final claim week. Good luck with the new job!
0 coins
Oliver Zimmermann
•Does this Claimyr thing actually work? I've been trying to get through to UC for 2 weeks about my open issue.
0 coins
Natasha Volkova
•It worked for me! Saved me hours of redial hell. I was skeptical too but was desperate after trying for days.
0 coins
Javier Torres
One thing nobody's mentioned - if you're starting mid-week, remember that PA UC weeks run Sunday-Saturday. So if you start on a Wednesday, you'd report partial unemployment and your earnings for that week. You can actually keep claiming partial benefits if your new job pays significantly less than your weekly benefit rate, but most people don't bother with the hassle once they're fully employed.
0 coins
Amina Toure
•Yep! This is important! When I started my new job on a Thursday, I reported the 2 days I worked and still got partial benefits for the other days that week. Every little bit helps when you're getting back on your feet financially!
0 coins
Emma Davis
I heard you have to contact CareerLink if they helped you get the job through their services but not if you found it on your own. Is that true?
0 coins
GalaxyGuardian
•No, that's not accurate. If CareerLink directly referred you to the employer who hired you, they likely already know. But either way, there's no UC requirement to notify CareerLink when you find employment. The only thing required is filing that final weekly certification and indicating you found work.
0 coins
Paolo Ricci
My cousin just stopped filing when he got a job and nothing bad happened to him so maybe it depends?
0 coins
GalaxyGuardian
•Your cousin got lucky. The official PA UC guidance is clear that you should file a final certification reporting that you found work. Some people who just stop filing without reporting employment can face complications later, including potential overpayment notices if the system doesn't properly close their claim. Always better to follow the proper procedure.
0 coins
Keisha Robinson
Thank you everyone for all the helpful advice! I'll definitely file my final certification this Sunday and report my new job and start date. Really glad I asked instead of just stopping my claims - sounds like that could have created problems. This community has been such a huge help during my unemployment journey!
0 coins