Important UC Claimant Information

If after reading this explanation, you are still unsure of whether you are eligible for a week of benefits, it is better to file your claim and let the Department make that determination.

Usually, a person who worked at least 80% of his or her normal hours in a week is still considered fully employed for that week. The Department will perform a calculation to confirm. If your gross earnings for the week are equal to or higher than the combination rate on your claim, then you are ineligible to receive benefits for the week. There is a calculator on the Department’s website you can use to do this calculation and learn more: Partial Benefit Credit

A bus driver works full-time, 6 hours per day, Monday through Friday, and makes $25 per hour in gross pay. He has an existing UC claim with a weekly benefit rate (WBR) of $400 per week.

• His partial benefit credit (PBC) is $120 (30% of $400).
• His combination rate is $520, ($400 WBR plus $120 PBC).

Let’s see if he would be eligible for benefits in two different scenarios:

• During a particular week the bus driver worked 3 days (18 hours) and earned $450. He was “unemployed” that week and eligible for benefits because his earnings were less than his combination rate. He is eligible for $70 in benefits ($520 – $450 = $70) that week, but he must first reopen his claim during that week​ (i.e., the week he became unemployed) before he can file for that week beginning on Sunday to receive the $70 in benefits.

• In his last week before the school break the bus driver worked 4 days (24 hours) and earned $600. He was not “unemployed” that week because his $600 in earnings were more than his $520 combination rate. He would not be eligible for any benefits for that week even though he only worked 24 hours instead of his typical 30 hours. He should reopen his claim the following week when he will be unemployed.

This question is just for statistical purposes, but please note that all are “School Bus Drivers” even if you technically work driving a van or other vehicle that is not an actual bus.

This is another statistical question. You can use “Bus Drivers, School or Special Client” or type in the numerical code “53302200.”

​​As long as you are not continuing to work part-time for your employer for the time being, then you would say “no.” This question is not related to whether or not you will be working for the same employer when they recall you. This is asking about your work schedule right now.​

Hopefully you are opening your claim during the correct week: the first week in which you are actually unemployed​. If you did not work at all during the week, then this will be zero. If you worked part-time, enter the gross amount of earnings you made that week (hourly wage times the number of hours).

​​Layoff, furlough, and lack of work are all the same.​

​​A “Voluntary Layoff Option” is a very specific action that employers use when downsizing their workforce. This is not related to school-related holidays and between-term layoffs, so this does not apply in that situation. In this situation you would indicate “NO”.​

Having a recall date from your employer is different from the Reasonable Assurance issue discussed above. Even if you work for a contractor, you may still have a recall date from your employer for when the break ends. This date is important because it affects other requirements of the UC Law.

An exact recall date in writing will exempt you from the following requirements for unemployment compensation:

• Registering for work in the PA CareerLink system within 30 days of opening your claim;
• Searching for work each week; and
• Being called to in-person reemployment sessions at the PA CareerLink®

To be exempt from work registration and work search requirements:

• Your employer must provide this date to you in writing; and
• Your employer must provide an exact date

To be fully exempt, a verbally given date is not enough. An estimate or a range of dates is also not acceptable.

If you have a recall date in writing from your employer, the most critical actions for you to take are to:

• Answer “Yes” to the question “Did your employer tell you that you would be recalled to your job?”;
• Enter the exact date of recall into the “Anticipated recall date” field; and
• Answer “Yes” to “Do you have a recall notice in writing from your employer?”

No other actions are necessary regarding your recall date, but these three steps are critical. Do not skip them. If these fields in the system are not complete, then you will likely receive a determination denying benefits for not registering for work, as well as receiving call-in notices for a RESEA session at a PA CareerLink®. ​

• Do NOT mail your recall notice to Labor & Industry. Please save yourself a stamp!​ (This letter can be in any format but is often provided to you by your employer on a form UC-1609.)
• Keep your written recall date on file in case the Department ever requests it from you.
• If you wish, you may upload a copy of your notice to your dashboard as your own way of keeping it on file. Staff do not review these; denials are issued based on a crossmatch between systems, which uses the date you entered in your application.
• If your recall date changes, let the Department know right away (call, email, chat). Benefits are held after the date you provided unless you tell the Department that the date has changed.
• If you no longer have a valid recall date, you must register for work, search for work, and could potentially have other requirements you must meet to obtain UC benefits.

Even if you wish to be paid by Direct Deposit, everyone is required to review the debit card disclosures and accept their terms by checking the box. This is because a debit card may automatically be issued to you if there is ever a problem with your bank account.