PA UC waiting week suddenly required after COVID waiver ended - hit with notice in 2025

This is happening to thousands of people right now. The PA UC waiting week waiver from COVID officially ended on January 1, 2025, but the system wasn't properly updated to tell new claimants. I work with an advocacy group and we're seeing this constantly. You need to file an appeal ASAP - you have 15 days from the notice date. They can't retroactively apply this if the system didn't properly notify you when you filed.

omg same thing just happened 2 me!! got a letter saying i owe $712 for no waiting week. what even is a waiting week?? thought that was just an old thing.

I'm FURIOUS about this!!! The PA UC system is completely BROKEN!!! They KNOW the waiting week requirement returned but didn't bother updating their systems or notifications!!! I got the same notice last week and when I finally got through to someone after 3 HOURS on hold, they admitted it's a "known system issue" affecting "many claimants" but said I STILL need to file an appeal!!! This is INSANE!! Why should WE have to fix THEIR mistakes???

This is definitely a widespread issue. The waiting week requirement was actually reinstated on January 1, 2025, but the UC system wasn't properly updated to inform new claimants. Here's what you need to know: 1. You MUST file an appeal within 15 days of the notice date 2. Specifically state that you were never informed of the waiting week requirement when you filed 3. Note that this is a "system error affecting multiple claimants" 4. Request a waiver of the overpayment due to administrative error If you properly file the appeal, there's a good chance this will be resolved in your favor since it's their mistake. The law requires proper notification of eligibility requirements.

If anyone's struggling to get through to PA UC about this waiting week issue, I used Claimyr last week and actually got through to someone in about 20 minutes instead of spending days calling. They have a system that connects you with an agent. Saved me a ton of stress with this exact same waiting week problem. You can see how it works at claimyr.com or check their demo video https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 - so much better than dealing with busy signals all day!

Just to add some clarity here - the waiting week requirement has actually been part of PA UC law for decades. It was temporarily waived during COVID, and that waiver expired on January 1, 2025. The issue isn't that they're creating a new rule, but rather that the online system wasn't properly updated to inform new claimants that the waiver had expired. This is definitely grounds for appeal - the department has an obligation to properly inform claimants of eligibility requirements. When filing your appeal, focus on the fact that you weren't properly notified of this requirement when you filed your initial claim.

wait so does everyone have to do the waiting week now or just new people? i been on unemployment since december

Just an update for everyone dealing with this waiting week issue - I've spoken with several PA UC reps through my advocacy work, and they're aware this is a systemic problem. They've expedited the appeal process for these specific cases. When you file your appeal, use the phrase "system notification failure regarding waiting week requirement" in your explanation. This will flag it as part of this known issue. They're hoping to have a more permanent fix soon, but for now, individual appeals are the way to go.

my cousin works for unemployment and she said they're getting THOUSANDS of calls about this waiting week thing. total disaster. said their computer system is from like 1995 and they're always having problems updating it when rules change.