PA UC waiting week payment confusion - do you get paid for first week?

You don't get paid for the waiting week - that's why it's called a waiting week. It's the first week you're eligible but you don't receive payment for it. You'll only get payment starting from your second week. This is standard PA UC procedure for new claims.

Actually, the PA waiting week rules changed a while back. You DO serve a waiting week (first eligible week), but you DO get paid for it - just not immediately. The system will release that payment later after you've filed for a few weeks. Your neighbor probably eventually got paid for her waiting week retroactively.

The waiting week is SO CONFUSING!!! I filed in 2023 and I NEVER got paid for my waiting week no matter how many people told me I would! The system is completely broken and nobody at the unemployment office will even answer the phone to explain anything! I called 47 TIMES last month!!

i think it depends on when u filed? my cousin filed in december and got his first week paid but my brother didnt when he filed in febuary so maybe they keep changing the rules idk

Let me clear this up based on current PA UC rules for 2025. You DO serve a waiting week, which is the first week you're eligible for benefits. You WILL get paid for this week eventually, but it's not immediate. The system holds the payment for this week until after you've filed for 3 consecutive weeks. So your first payment will be for your second week only, and the waiting week payment comes later - usually with your third payment. This is assuming you file all your weekly claims without any gaps or issues. Your neighbor might have received retroactive payment for her waiting week after filing consistently for 3 weeks.

When I filed back in March I was so confused about this too! I kept checking my account and only got paid for the second week. I tried calling PA UC for like two weeks straight and kept getting busy signals or disconnected. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent who explained that the waiting week payment comes later after you've consistently filed for a few weeks. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. Saved me so much stress.

I STILL think the whole system is a scam! My brother-in-law never got his waiting week paid AT ALL and he filed every single week for 6 months!!! The rules keep changing and nobody knows what's going on!!!

my grandma said back in her day there was no waiting week payment at all ever so maybe we should be happy lol

Thanks everyone for the helpful information! I'll expect my first payment to be for my second week, and then hopefully get the waiting week payment after I've filed a few consecutive claims. The PA UC website really should explain this better!

I went through this exact same confusion when I filed my claim last month! The PA UC system really doesn't explain it clearly. From my experience, you'll get paid for your second week first, then the waiting week payment comes later - mine came with my fourth payment actually. Just make sure you file every week without missing any or it can delay things. The key is being consistent with your weekly certifications. Good luck!

I just went through this same situation a few weeks ago! The confusion is totally understandable because the PA UC website really doesn't explain it well. Here's what happened with my claim: I filed my first two weekly certifications and only got paid for the second week initially. Then after I had filed consistently for 4 weeks total, my waiting week payment was automatically released along with my regular payment. So you should expect your first payment to only cover your second week, but don't worry - you will eventually get paid for that first waiting week as long as you keep filing your weekly claims on time without any gaps. The system just holds it until you've proven you're filing consistently. Hope this helps ease your worry!

I'm going through this exact same thing right now! Just filed my first two weeks and was so confused when I only got paid for the second week. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful - sounds like the waiting week payment will come later after I've filed consistently for a few weeks. It's frustrating that the PA UC website doesn't make this clearer, but at least now I know what to expect. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

I'm dealing with this exact same confusion right now! Just filed my initial claim last week and was totally panicked when I read different things online about whether the waiting week gets paid or not. This thread has been incredibly helpful - it sounds like the consensus is that you do eventually get paid for the waiting week, but it comes later after you've filed consistently for several weeks. I wish the PA UC system would just put a clear explanation right on the filing page instead of leaving everyone to figure it out through trial and error. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's really reassuring to know this is normal and I didn't mess something up!