Claimants Experiencing Difficulty and Delays Contacting Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Service Center

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The Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation System recently lost about half of its staff, many of whom used to answer the phone lines. As a result, you may be experience problems reaching representatives or quickly receiving benefits.

If you have had problems reaching representatives from Unemployment Compensation (UC), you can submit a complaint using a new complaint site at https://uccomplaint.org, that has been created by Philadelphia Legal Assistance. The Complaint System also lists resources and information for claimants about the UC process.

PLA will will use the information from this Complaint System to prepare a report to the Department of Labor and Industry (which operates Pennsylvania’s UC system) about the problems that claimants are having.

Some additional tips for contacting the UC Office include:

  • Filing a new claim? Try the online application. It is available on the website of the PA Department of Labor and Industry at https://www.paclaims.state.pa.us/UCEN/Welcome.asp. Visit this page from the Office of UC for more information on things you can do online relating to your claim.
     
  • Try emailing about your problem. You can email UCCclaims@pa.gov about the issue you are experiencing or submit a message using the online contact form at http://www.uc.pa.gov/Pages/Contact-Us-Form.aspx.
     
  • Go to a PA CareerLink office. The CareerLink offices have telephones that cut through the busy signals and go straight to a UC case worker, but you may need to wait in a lengthy line to use one.
     
  • Keep calling. When all else fails, keep trying the statewide toll-free number for the UC Service Centers (888-313-7284) on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays and prepare to re-dial. If you make it past the busy signal and are still waiting to speak with someone at 4pm (when the Centers close) you will be signed up for a callback.
     
  • If you have an eligibility or claim issue, other that the system delays, you can contact your local legal aid office for direct assistance. You can locate you local legal aid office by using the Legal Help Finder at http://www.palegalaid.net/resources/clients/legalhelpfinder. The legal aid providers listed there are available to assist low-income individuals with UC problems.

 

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