PA UC question: Vacation + missed work day - will I need to reopen claim for next week?
Hey everyone, I need some advice on my PA unemployment situation. I've been working part-time while collecting partial benefits. Last week I went on vacation and ended up missing one scheduled work day. I realize I probably won't qualify for benefits for that week because of the missed day, but my big concern is whether I'll need to completely reopen my claim. Next week my employer doesn't have any hours scheduled for me at all, so I really need those benefits to come through. Will the system automatically disqualify me for just the vacation week, or will my entire claim get messed up? Do I need to do anything special when filing this week to make sure I can still claim next week? This is my first time dealing with a situation like this and I'm anxious about making a mistake that could delay benefits.
16 comments
Ethan Clark
You don't need to reopen your claim just because you're disqualified for one week. When you file for that week, report your vacation day honestly. The system will likely disqualify you for just that week. Then when you file for the following week, you'll report that you had zero work and were available all days, and benefits should process normally. Your claim stays open for your entire benefit year unless you stop filing weekly claims for 2+ consecutive weeks.
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Aisha Mahmood
•Thank you so much! That's a relief. I was really worried I'd have to go through that whole reopening process again. So just to be super clear - when I file this Sunday, I should report that I missed work due to vacation, and then just file normally the following week?
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AstroAce
just be honest when filing ur weekly claim cuz if u lie they might hit u with an overpayment later. i think as long as u keep filing every week ur claim stays active even if u dont get $ for one week
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Aisha Mahmood
•Yeah, definitely don't want to deal with overpayments. I'll be honest about the vacation day. Just got nervous that my claim would somehow close automatically if I got disqualified for a week.
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Yuki Kobayashi
I had almost EXACTLY the same situation back in December!! I missed two days for a family thing and got disqualified for that week. I panicked thinking my claim was closed but when I filed the next week everything was fine - I got my full benefit amount since I worked all my scheduled hours. The system keeps your claim open as long as you KEEP FILING EVERY WEEK even if you get $0 for a particular week. You only need to reopen if you miss filing for 2+ weeks in a row.
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Aisha Mahmood
•That's exactly my situation! So glad to hear it worked out for you. Definitely makes me feel better knowing someone else went through this successfully.
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Carmen Vega
It sounds like you're doing everything right, but if you're really worried about making sure your claim stays open, I'd recommend trying to get through to a UC agent to confirm. I spent WEEKS getting busy signals until I found Claimyr (claimyr.com). They got me through to an agent in about 35 minutes after I kept getting busy signals for days. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. Totally worth it to get a definitive answer directly from UC about your specific situation.
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Andre Rousseau
•is that service legit? seems sketchy that u have to pay to get through to unemployment when its supposed to be a free government service??
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Zoe Stavros
To clarify some misinformation in this thread: The PA UC system considers you ineligible for benefits in any week where you were not "able and available" for work. Taking a vacation day when you were scheduled to work meets the definition of not being "available" for that day. You must report this accurately. Your claim will remain open as long as you continue to file weekly certifications, even if you're deemed ineligible for payment for a particular week. You would only need to reopen your claim if you fail to file weekly certifications for two or more consecutive weeks. When you have no scheduled hours the following week, you'll file normally, report zero earnings, and (assuming you meet all other eligibility requirements) you should receive your full benefit amount.
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Aisha Mahmood
•Thank you for the detailed explanation! This really helps me understand the "able and available" requirement better. I'll definitely report the vacation day correctly and just continue filing weekly.
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Jamal Harris
This happened to me but worse cuz i didnt just miss work i completely forgot to file for like 3 weeks straight lol. Had to reopen my claim and wait like 10 days for it to process again. Such a pain!!! Just keep filing every week even if ur not getting paid and youll be fine
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Yuki Kobayashi
•OMG that must have been stressful! The reopening process took me almost 3 weeks last time because I had an "open issue" that nobody would explain to me. The UC system is so frustrating sometimes!
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Zoe Stavros
One additional point regarding vacation days: If you're receiving partial benefits while working part-time, remember that PA UC uses a "partial benefit credit" formula. They deduct 40% of your weekly benefit rate from your earnings, and if there's a remainder, you get that as your partial benefit. Missing one day might reduce your earnings enough that you still qualify for some partial benefits, depending on your specific financial details. This is why it's important to accurately report your actual earnings each week, rather than assuming you'll be automatically disqualified.
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Aisha Mahmood
•That's really helpful information! I didn't realize the partial benefit calculation worked that way. I'll report my exact earnings and see what happens. Maybe I'll still get something for the week after all.
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Ethan Clark
Just wanted to confirm what others have said - your claim remains open for your entire benefit year (typically 52 weeks from when you first applied) as long as you continue to file weekly claims. Even weeks where you receive $0 in benefits still count as having filed. The only time you need to reopen is if you completely stop filing for 2+ consecutive weeks. So you're doing everything right - just be honest about your vacation day, and then file normally for the week where you have no scheduled hours.
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Aisha Mahmood
•Thanks for confirming! I feel much better about the situation now. I'll make sure to keep filing weekly claims no matter what.
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