PA UC says 'missing wages' open issue after receiving bonus check - will this affect my claim?

Yes, PA UC considers bonuses as wages and they need to be reported for the week you received them, not when you earned them. The open issue flag means there's a discrepancy between what your employer reported and what you claimed. You need to call UC to explain that it was a bonus for work performed before your layoff. They'll make a determination if it affects your weekly benefit amount for that period.

I had something similar happen. Dont worry, they wont deny everything!! Just that week might get adjusted or they might determine it doesnt count against u at all. Depends on bonus type.

OMG THE EXACT THING just happened to me!!! I got a safety bonus from my warehouse job and then when I filed it showed 'missing wages' and I've been waiting FOREVER to get it fixed. UC is THE WORST at explaining ANYTHING!!! Did you try calling them? I've been trying for 2 weeks straight!!!

I had success using Claimyr to get through to a PA UC agent when I had an open issue last month. Instead of spending days redialing, I was connected in about 20 minutes. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. It was totally worth it to get my issue resolved quickly rather than waiting weeks.

This is how PA UC system is DESIGNED to work - create confusion, flag accounts with vague "issues" and then make it IMPOSSIBLE to reach anyone!!! They WANT you to give up! The whole "missing wages" thing is just their way of delaying payments. I had FIVE different open issues over my 6 month claim period. The system is BROKEN BY DESIGN!!!

To clear this up: Under PA UC rules, bonuses are generally considered wages for the week in which they are paid, not when they were earned. However, there are exceptions for certain types of bonuses that were clearly earned before the layoff period. You'll need to speak with a claims examiner who can review your specific situation. When you do reach someone, make sure to explain: 1. The bonus was for performance in the previous quarter 2. It was paid during your last week of work or after layoff 3. Ask them to check if your employer reported it as regular wages They may remove the weeks from your claim, reduce the benefit amount for that week, or determine it doesn't affect your eligibility at all. But you do need to get this resolved directly with a UC representative.

When you finally get through to UC, ask them specifically for a "missing wages investigation." This is a formal process where they'll contact your employer to verify the nature of the bonus payment. Make sure you have documentation showing when the bonus was earned (previous quarter) versus when it was paid. In most cases, if the bonus was clearly earned before your unemployment period, they'll resolve the issue in your favor. But waiting is unfortunately part of the process - open issues typically take 3-4 weeks to resolve.

my cousin works at the call center and says they're super backed up right now. he says everyone has this problem with bonuses, its common. just keep trying to call them

UPDATE: I finally got through to PA UC this morning! The agent explained that the "missing wages" flag was triggered because my employer reported the bonus payment on my quarterly wage report, but I didn't report it on my weekly claim. She removed the open issue after I explained it was a performance bonus for work I did last quarter. My payments should start processing next week! Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!