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

Thanks for explaining! So even though I earned that bonus last quarter, I should have reported it for the week I actually received the check? I didn't think I had to since I wasn't working then. This is so confusing! Will they deny my benefits completely now?

This is incorrect. PA UC does NOT treat all bonuses the same way. Whether it counts as wages depends on the type of bonus and when it was earned. Performance bonuses for work performed before the layoff period are often excluded from benefit calculations if they were for work performed in a different quarter. The determination examiner will review this on a case-by-case basis.

I tried calling the PA UC hotline for 2 days straight but keep getting busy signals or that automated message saying call volume is too high. Did you ever get through to them? I'm running out of money fast and need this resolved!

Does that actually work???? I'm so desperate at this point I'll try anything

Yes, it definitely works. I was skeptical too, but it connected me directly to a UC rep who was able to clear my open issue on the spot. Saved me weeks of waiting and constant calling.

While the system definitely has problems, most open issues are legitimate verification needs. The missing wages flag usually means there's a discrepancy between employer reporting and claimant information, not an intentional delay tactic. I understand your frustration though - the communication could definitely be clearer.

Thank you SO much for this detailed explanation! This makes way more sense now. I'll keep trying to get through to someone at UC to explain my situation. Seems like I need to be super clear about the timing of when the bonus was earned versus paid.

I actually found an email from HR explaining the bonus calculation from last quarter. Would that help as documentation? And is it true I might wait another 3-4 weeks? That would be almost 2 months total without any income!

Yes, that email would be excellent documentation! Keep it ready when you speak with UC. And unfortunately the 3-4 week timeline is pretty standard for open issues, though sometimes they resolve them faster if you can get through to someone and clearly explain the situation with documentation.

While your cousin may work there, please be careful about giving potentially misleading information. Not "everyone" has this issue, and different types of bonuses are handled differently. Each case is evaluated based on PA UC regulations, and while call volumes are high, that doesn't mean everyone is experiencing this specific issue.

Great news! Thanks for updating us. This is exactly how the process should work - once you can actually reach someone who can evaluate your specific circumstances. For anyone else facing this issue, make sure you report ALL payments received during your claim weeks, even if you think they don't count as wages. The UC system will determine if they affect your benefits or not.

I'm also curious about this! I'm dealing with a similar situation where I got a year-end bonus right before my layoff started. Did the agent ask you to provide any proof like pay stubs or emails from HR showing when the bonus was earned? And was there any impact on your benefit amount for that week, or did they just remove the issue completely? This whole process is so stressful when you're already worried about finances!

I didn't need to submit any documentation! The agent was able to see everything in the system - she could see my employer's quarterly wage report showing the bonus and could verify it was for previous quarter performance. She just needed me to verbally confirm the timing and nature of the bonus. It took me about 45 minutes of calling this morning to get through - I called right when they opened at 8am. No impact on my benefit amount either since it was clearly earned before my unemployment period started. Such a relief!

That's such a relief to hear! I'm in a similar boat with a quarterly commission payment that came through right after my layoff started. The timing is so confusing - I earned the commission over three months but got paid after I was already unemployed. Your experience gives me hope that once I can actually reach someone, they'll be able to sort it out quickly. Did you have any trouble getting through at 8am specifically, or would you recommend that time for others trying to call?

@bb0ad1cb2c9e Thanks for sharing your experience! The 8am timing tip is really helpful. I've been calling randomly throughout the day with no luck. For commission payments like @0ad6cc600f88 mentioned, it sounds like the key is being able to explain that the money was earned over a previous period even if received during unemployment. I'm dealing with a similar situation with a sales commission that was calculated quarterly but paid after my layoff. It's such a relief to hear these issues can actually get resolved once you reach the right person!

@bb0ad1cb2c9e That's amazing that you got it resolved so quickly once you reached someone! The 8am tip is gold - I've been calling at random times during the day and never getting through. For anyone else reading this, it sounds like the key is being very clear about when the bonus/commission was actually EARNED versus when it was PAID. I'm dealing with a retention bonus that was promised last year but paid out after my layoff started in February. Your success story gives me hope that once I can explain the timeline to an actual human, they'll be able to clear the issue. Thanks for sharing the update and the specific details about your call!

@bb0ad1cb2c9e This is incredibly helpful - thank you for sharing all these details! I'm actually in a very similar situation with a performance bonus from Q4 2024 that I received during my first week of unemployment in January. The "missing wages" flag has been driving me crazy for the past month. Your tip about calling right at 8am is exactly what I needed to hear. I've been trying afternoons and getting nowhere. Did you notice if they were less busy in the mornings, or was it still hard to get through even then? Also, it's such a relief that you didn't need documentation since I'm not sure I could easily get records from HR about the bonus timing. This gives me so much hope that my situation can be resolved just as smoothly!

This is super helpful to know about the "wage verification inquiry" process! I had no idea that's what they call it when they contact your employer directly. That explains why it takes so long - they're not just taking our word for it, they're actually doing their due diligence with the employer. It's frustrating but I guess it makes sense from their perspective. Did you have to do anything special to trigger that inquiry, or did the UC agent automatically start that process once you explained your situation? I'm hoping when I finally get through, I can specifically ask for this type of verification to get things moving faster. Thanks for sharing your experience - it's really reassuring to hear that these issues usually get resolved in the claimant's favor when the bonus timing is legitimate!

Your situation sounds almost identical to what I went through! Six weeks is definitely frustrating, but based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like you're on the right track. The 8am calling strategy seems to be the real game-changer - I never would have thought about timing mattering so much. It's also really helpful to know about specifically asking for the "wage verification inquiry" by name. I'm dealing with a similar bonus timing issue and have been feeling pretty hopeless about getting through to anyone, but reading through all these success stories gives me renewed motivation to keep trying. The fact that most of these cases seem to get resolved in favor of the claimant when the bonus was legitimately earned before unemployment is really reassuring. Hang in there - sounds like you have all the right information now to get this sorted out once you reach someone!

@fc0c86c676ab I'm in week 4 of the exact same situation with a year-end bonus! Reading everyone's experiences here has been so helpful - I had no idea about the 8am calling strategy either. It's frustrating that we have to figure out these "tricks" just to reach someone, but I'm definitely going to try calling right when they open tomorrow. The wage verification inquiry process makes so much sense now too - explains why this takes weeks instead of being resolved immediately. Your summary of the key points to emphasize is perfect. I'm bookmarking this thread because it has more useful information than anything I found on the official PA UC website! Thanks for sharing and good luck getting through - sounds like we're both armed with much better information now.

This is exactly what I needed to read! I'm actually dealing with the same "missing wages" issue right now - got a project completion bonus from my last job about 3 weeks into my unemployment claim. I've been panicking thinking they might deny my entire claim, but seeing all these success stories is such a relief. The 8am calling tip is brilliant - I've been trying to call during lunch breaks with no luck. I'm definitely setting my alarm early tomorrow to try this strategy. It's also really helpful to know about asking specifically for a "wage verification inquiry" and having a clear explanation ready about when the bonus was earned vs when it was paid. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread is like a masterclass in navigating PA UC bonus issues!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm dealing with almost the exact same thing - got a performance bonus during my second week of unemployment and have been stuck with the "missing wages" flag for about 6 weeks now. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly reassuring. I had been calling at random times during the day with zero success, so the 8am strategy is a game changer. It's also really helpful to know that I should ask specifically for a "wage verification inquiry" and be prepared to clearly explain when the bonus was earned versus when it was paid. The success stories give me so much hope that this will eventually get resolved in my favor since my bonus was clearly for work I did last quarter. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has more useful information than hours of searching the PA UC website!