PA UC question: Do I report paycheck received after layoff for work done before?
Hi everyone, I'm really confused about reporting income on my PA unemployment claim. I got laid off two weeks ago and just received my final paycheck yesterday for work I did BEFORE being laid off. When I file my weekly claim this Sunday (which will be my 2nd time filing after my waiting week), do I need to report this check as income for THIS week? Or since the work was done before I was laid off, do I not report it at all? I don't want to mess up my claim by reporting incorrectly. Can someone please explain exactly what and how I should handle this on the weekly certification? Thanks!
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Jamal Anderson
You only report earnings for work performed during the week you're claiming. Since you did that work before being laid off, you don't report that income on your weekly certification. PA UC is concerned with when you EARNED the money, not when you received the payment. This is a common question, so don't worry!
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QuantumQuest
•Thank you so much for clarifying! That makes sense. So just to double check - even though I physically received the check during this claim week, since the work was done before I was laid off, I should answer "no" to the question about whether I worked or earned wages this week?
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Mei Zhang
i had the exact same issue last year!!!! i freaked out and reported the money and then my claim got all messed up and i had to call them like 59 times to fix it lol. dont report it if u did the work b4 u got laid off!!!
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Liam McGuire
•Ugh it's so annoying how confusing they make all this stuff! The instructions should be clearer. I reported vacation payout incorrectly and had to deal with an "open issue" for 3 weeks before it got fixed.
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Amara Eze
The previous replies are correct. PA UC determines eligibility based on when you EARNED wages, not when you received payment. So your final paycheck for work performed prior to being laid off should not be reported on your weekly certifications. Some important things to know for your weekly claims going forward: 1. Always report any work/earnings for the week you're claiming (Sunday through Saturday) 2. Remember to complete your work search activities (applying for jobs, attending workshops, etc) 3. Report gross wages (before taxes) for any work done during the claim week 4. Answer all questions truthfully to avoid overpayment issues later
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QuantumQuest
•This is super helpful info - thank you! I'm keeping track of my work search activities in a notebook. Is that sufficient or do I need to upload them somewhere on the PA UC site? I want to make sure I'm doing everything right.
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Giovanni Ricci
The UC system is SO FRUSTRATING!!!! I got my account locked for 3 weeks because I answered a similar question wrong. Then I couldn't get through to anyone on the phone for days. The lines are ALWAYS busy and I kept getting disconnected. The whole system is designed to make people give up!!!!
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NeonNomad
•I had similar issues reaching someone at PA UC when my claim had problems. After wasting days trying to call, I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. Saved me so much frustration when I needed to fix an issue with my work search requirements.
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Fatima Al-Hashemi
when i got laid off last minth i had vacation pay and a bonus they gave me and i didnt know what to do either. ended up not reporting it and everything was fine with my claim. just make sure if you get ANY work during a week you claim you DO report that or youll get in troble for fraud
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Amara Eze
•This is an important distinction - vacation payouts and severance are actually supposed to be reported as they can affect your claim. But regular wages for work done before filing are not reported on weekly claims. Each situation is a bit different, so it's good to be cautious!
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QuantumQuest
Thank you all so much for the helpful responses! I feel much better about filing my weekly claim now. I'll make sure not to report the final paycheck since the work was done before my layoff. And I'll definitely make sure to keep up with my work search activities - I've already applied to 5 jobs this week. This whole process is more confusing than I expected!
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Jamal Anderson
•You're welcome! Just remember to keep detailed records of your work search activities. You need at least one per week, but doing more is always good. PA UC can audit your work search records for up to 2 years after you file, so documentation is important. Good luck with your job search!
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Liam McGuire
I went through the same thing last month and spent hours trying to figure it out! The PA UC website is NOT clear about this at all. Wish they'd update their instructions to explain these common situations better.
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Mei Zhang
•ikr??? half the questions they ask are super confusing. i almost answered wrong on the "are you able and available for work" question cuz i thought they were asking if i had a job lined up lol
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