Submitted by ViolettheJerseyNun t3_zg7wv0 in Pennsylvania
I can’t get anyone on the phone (I’m heading down to my local CareerLink now) and I just got laid off yesterday so sorry if I’m a little frazzled.
I filed my claim online this morning and put it my wages for the job I had from July of last year to June of this year, from which I voluntarily resigned. (I said as much on the application.) I was at my new job for four months when yesterday came, and while I did list the new job and my wages on the claim, it seems like it’s being financially determined from the job I resigned from…? Is that normal? I don’t want my old job to refuse to pay it because I resigned of my own will. Now I’m worried I’m going to be accused of fraud.
I hope I’m not out of work long because the way the system is now is stressing me out and I’m worried of getting accused of something when I have no ill intentions. I last collected in 2019 and it was only a month before I got a new job so I didn’t need it that long anyway, and things went really smoothly. Now no one is picking up the phone and I can’t even change my mailing address. They really should allow me to at least do that. I’ve called 10 times today and get nothing but a busy signal.
Kempers t1_izfkagd wrote
The state uses the highest quarter of the past 5 quarters, not counting the most recent one. So it would be earnings from 3-15 months ago, which probably is your earnings from your old job. The bill goes to the employer that laid you off.
However, the system IS confusing and will probably flag you for a bunch of reviews. They're also understaffed for the amount of reviews they're required to do, so it's taking on average TWELVE WEEKS for benefits to start paying. The takeaway here is that you should start pinching pennies NOW.
I was able to get this moved along by visiting my state representative's office in my district. You need to have the claim opened, but if you visit the rep they'll call their contacts at the UC office and get you a callback within about a day, and they'll expedite the reviews so you get your determination and other issues cleared up faster. Keep filing each Sunday in the meantime, they'll pay all the back weeks once the claim is cleared for payment.
Good luck, and sorry to hear you're in this situation. I was in the same boat and it really stressed me out. Its so frustrating that the response to the fraud during the pandemic was to make it harder to claim without staffing up to ensure claims were processed in a timeframe that's actually helpful to valid claimants.