L&I expands backdating of UC claims to 52 weeks
Recipients of Unemployment Compensation benefits in Pennsylvania now can backdate claims up to a full year.
State Labor & Industry secretary Jerry Oleksiak announced Friday that the department is expanding the period residents can backdate claims from six weeks to 52 weeks. The change, which is temporary, is to accommodate claimants who needed assistance filing during the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic in Pennsylvania, but were unable to contact a staffer due to a surge in applications.
L&I said that within 21 days – March 15 to April 4 – the state UC system received more than one million initial claims for benefits, a record.
The swift increase and large volume of claims prevented the department from responding promptly to many claimants who were seeking assistance on filing. As a result, a higher-than-usual number of individuals had to request backdated claims.
This change will allow individuals who filed eligible claims, but did not receive payments because of the six-week limit, to request and receive approval for up to 52 weeks before the new backdated claim date.
Claimants should email uchelp@pa.gov and include the subject line “Back Date Request,” specific date they were separated from work, and other pertinent information about the separation for the additional weeks he or she intends to claim.