PA UC waiting week question - can I collect benefits during two separate furlough weeks?

You're partially right, but there's good news. PA does have a waiting week requirement, but it's only applied ONCE per benefit year (not each time you file). So for your situation, your first furlough week in February would be your waiting week (no benefits paid), but you WOULD receive benefits for your March furlough week. The waiting week only happens the first time you claim within a 52-week period.

same thing happened at my company last year!! make sure you file RIGHT AWAY for both weeks, dont wait til after they happen or youll mess things up

The waiting week requirement is SUCH GARBAGE!! The state makes you go a whole week without income just because they can. I had a similar situation last year and had to borrow money to pay my bills that first week. The system is designed to make everything as difficult as possible for people who are already struggling. Good luck dealing with this mess!

when i got furloughed i think i filed on a sunday and had issues with my pin not working right had to reset it twice before i could even get in the system lol make sure you have that figured out before your actual furlough starts

To clarify the process for your situation: 1. You MUST file for both furlough weeks, even though the first is a waiting week 2. You can file for each week on the Sunday after your furlough week ends 3. For your first week (February), you won't receive payment but it establishes your claim 4. For your second week (March), you should receive payment 5. Make sure you complete the work search requirements for BOTH weeks (applying to jobs, networking, etc.) One other important note: if your employer is officially designating these as "furloughs" and guaranteeing your return dates, make sure that's clearly indicated when you file. This can affect whether you need to meet the work search requirements.

I had the exact same situation last year with my company's scheduled shutdowns! Tried calling PA UC to confirm the waiting week policy and sat on hold for 3+ hours before getting disconnected 🤦‍♀️ Ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They were able to confirm that yes, you only serve one waiting week per benefit year. Totally worth it for the peace of mind. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2

Regarding the work search question: If your employer has officially designated these as temporary furloughs with guaranteed return dates, you MAY be exempt from the work search requirements. However, this isn't automatic - your employer needs to properly code the furlough when they respond to the UC claim notice. To be safe, I would recommend either: 1. Completing the work search activities anyway (it's only 2 per week) 2. Getting written confirmation from your employer that they've properly coded this as a temporary furlough with return date 3. Calling UC to confirm your specific situation Better to be cautious than to have benefits denied later due to missing work search activities.

my husband had something similar back in december and we were surprised when he actually got paid for both weeks! turns out PA waived the waiting week during covid and never brought it back? at least thats what the lady at the UC office told us when we called about it

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I just spoke with my HR and they confirmed these are official furloughs with guaranteed return dates, so they'll code them properly. I'm going to file for both weeks as suggested and expect payment only for the March week. I'll also do the work search activities just to be safe. Really appreciate everyone's help navigating this confusing system!