Pa Unemployment- Hello all, I have been collecting for a few weeks now while applying to jobs since being laid off. But yesterday I went to a job training and the rest of this week I intend to show up for the training. It is gonna be a paid 40 hours but I won’t get the money until next week. I decided this morning I am not going to keep working here after this week due to the commute being too far. What do I do when Sunday comes? Do I skip filing this week? Do I report my income? I don’t want to lose out on next and future weeks pay. I intend to go back to collecting after this week. Please help

@Lena Kowalski Thanks for your response. My worry is they will investigate why I was only at a job for one week. That they will research the separation reason or something and that will delay payments. I didn’t file yet because im scared of what to do. Is it possible to skip a week and Let it pass and just don’t get paid for it ?

@Matt Hopkins I understand your anxiety about this situation. I was in a similar spot last year and definitely felt that same worry! You should never skip filing - that can actually create more problems. Always file your weekly claim and honestly report any work/earnings. One week at a job typically won t'trigger major issues, especially if the reason was something reasonable like the commute being too far. When I faced delays with my claim, I ended up trying claimyr.com the (tool someone mentioned above and) spoke to an actual human about the issue. The agent explained that brief employment periods happen frequently and aren t'usually problematic as long as you report them accurately. They helped me understand how to properly document my situation to avoid payment interruptions. If you skip filing, the system might flag your account for investigation anyway, potentially causing longer delays. Being upfront about the short-term work and your valid reason for leaving is usually the safer approach. Report the income when you receive it sounds (like next week ,)and be prepared to briefly explain the separation reason if asked. The unemployment system is designed to handle these kinds of situations!

@Lena Kowalski Thank you. Will they ask a reason for separation, and is my response laid off/lack of work, or do I mention the commute is too far. If I go with the latter, I’m afraid they will ask is it a voluntary resignation. Also, do you suggest I call and do all this and file over the phone or online?

@Matt Hopkins You re'right to be concerned about how you report this. Honestly, saying the commute is too far will likely be classified as voluntary resignation, which can affect your benefits. When I was in a similar situation, I ended up trying claimyr.com the (tool someone mentioned above and) spoke to an actual human about the issue. The agent advised me that it s'always best to be truthful but strategic. For your situation, I d'recommend filing online first, as it gives you time to think through your answers. If you were initially laid off and this was just a brief training opportunity that didn t'work out, you might explain that the position wasn t'suitable for your circumstances due to transportation limitations that weren t'apparent when you accepted the training. Remember to report any income earned during the training week when you file. The unemployment office will likely follow up for more details, so be prepared to explain your situation clearly. If things get complicated during the online process, don t'hesitate to call them directly for clarification.

@Lena Kowalski I am thinking about filing and saying I was unavailable for work this week. That should result in no payment for the week, I don’t do anything wrong, and next week I resume collecting as normal. Either that or just skip this week entirely but I don’t know if that’s an option, I also don’t want the claim to close..

@Matt Hopkins Don t'say you were unavailable for work if you actually worked! That would be providing false information, which could get you in serious trouble with PA UC and potentially result in penalties or having to pay back benefits. You absolutely cannot skip filing - that will definitely cause your claim to close and create bigger headaches. You must file every week to keep your claim active. Here s'what I d'honestly recommend: File your claim, report the work and expected earnings truthfully. When it comes to separation reason, focus on the fact that this was temporary training that didn t'lead to permanent employment due to logistical issues commute (distance .)Many training programs don t'result in permanent placement - that s'normal. The unemployment office deals with short-term work situations constantly. Being honest about working one week of training and it not working out due to distance is much less problematic than providing false information or skipping claims. Just file truthfully, report the income, and resume normal claims next week. You re'overthinking this - one week of reported work won t'derail your benefits if you handle it properly.