When to stop filing PA unemployment after job offer with pending background check?

Congrats on the job offer! The official rule is that you should continue filing your weekly claims until your first day of work. A contingent offer isn't the same as employment yet. When filing your weekly certification, you'll answer 'no' to the question about whether you worked or earned wages that week. Just make sure to report your first day of work accurately when it happens.

def keep filing!!!! so many things can go wrong with background checks n stuff. my cousin had a job lined up but then they rescinded the offer cuz of a misdemeanor from like 10 yrs ago. dont stop filing til ur first actual payday

I would be very careful about this. I got an overpayment notice for $2,800 because I kept filing after I got a job offer but before I started. The UC office said I should have stopped filing as soon as I accepted the job. I've been fighting it for months!!!

I went through this exact situation last year. The rule is you should continue filing until you actually start working. However, you MUST report the job offer in the 'other information' section when you file your weekly claim. Specifically mention it's a contingent offer with the expected start date. This covers you legally while still allowing you to receive benefits until you're actually earning wages.

Hey, if you're trying to contact the UC office about this, don't waste hours on hold. I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me through to a PA UC agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. Saved me so much frustration when I had questions about my eligibility status changing.

Make sure WHEN U START WORKING that u put the EXACT start date on your weekly certification!!! The system will flag inconsistencies and then ur claims get locked and it's a NIGHTMARE to fix. Happened to me. Took 6 weeks to resolve!!!

Another thing to consider is your job search requirements don't change until you actually start working. So keep doing your 2 work search activities each week and documenting them.

Just to add one more thing - when you do start working, file your final claim for the partial week (if applicable). Report any earnings for that week. Then after that, simply stop filing claims - you don't need to formally close your benefit year. If something happens with the new job within the same benefit year, you can restart your claim by filing again.

Just wanted to add my experience - I was in almost the exact same situation last year with a contingent offer pending background check. I continued filing my weekly claims and made sure to note the pending job offer in the additional information section each week. The background check took longer than expected (almost 5 weeks!), but I was covered the whole time. Once I actually started work, I reported my start date and earnings accurately. No issues at all with UC. The key is being transparent about your situation in your weekly filings and only stopping when you're actually earning wages. Good luck with the background check!

I actually just went through this exact situation a few months ago! Got a job offer but had to wait for both background check and security clearance to go through. I kept filing my weekly claims the entire time (which ended up being 6 weeks total) and documented everything carefully. The UC office confirmed I was doing the right thing when I called to ask. The important thing is you're not actually employed until you start working and earning wages - a conditional offer doesn't count as employment. Just make sure when you do start, you report that first day of work immediately on your next weekly certification. Also keep all your paperwork from the job offer process in case you ever need to show the timeline. You're making the right call by continuing to file!

I'm in a similar boat right now - got a job offer two weeks ago but still waiting on the background check to clear! Reading through all these responses has been super helpful. It sounds like the consensus is to keep filing until you actually start working, which makes sense since a contingent offer isn't guaranteed employment yet. I've been noting the pending offer in the additional information section each week like some of you suggested. My biggest worry was accidentally committing fraud, but it seems like being transparent and accurate with dates is the key. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's really reassuring to know others have navigated this successfully!