Unemployment Compensation (PA L&I)
Last updated August 2026
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation pays $68 to $605 a week, based on your best quarter, plus up to $8 a week for dependents. Duration runs 18 to 26 weeks depending on your work history, not a flat 26. File at benefits.uc.pa.gov or call 888-313-7284 on weekdays.
Two rules changed and old articles will trip you. Certifications are WEEKLY now, not biweekly: one certification for every week you want paid, online or at 888-255-4728. And the appeal window grew to 21 days from receiving a determination, up from the old 15.
The first eligible week is an unpaid waiting week. From week 3 on, the work-search rule kicks in: apply to two jobs and complete one work-search activity each week, and register with PA CareerLink within 30 days of filing. Working part-time with decent earnings? The job-application requirement drops to one that week.
Appeals file right from your dashboard at benefits.uc.pa.gov, with tutorials built in. Deaf or hard of hearing? An ASL videophone line runs at 717-704-8474, Wednesday mornings and Friday afternoons.
A $605 ceiling does not carry a Pennsylvania household, so stack the rest while you hunt: SNAP reaches $5,360 a month for a family of four on COMPASS, the kids stay covered through CHIP at any income, and the new Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit adds up to $805 at filing time.
Phone 1-888-313-7284
Help available in English and Spanish.
Updated August 2026 Program details can change — confirm with the program directly.
Who qualifies
- Enough recent work and wages in Pennsylvania, and you lost the job through no fault of your own
- You must file a weekly certification and stay able and available for work while claiming
You may qualify. The program makes the final decision.
How to apply
- 1
File at benefits.uc.pa.gov, or call 888-313-7284 weekdays 8 to 4.
- 2
Register with PA CareerLink within 30 days of filing.
- 3
Certify EVERY week, online or at 888-255-4728 (Espanol 877-888-8104). Weekly, not biweekly.
- 4
Expect the first eligible week to be an unpaid waiting week.
- 5
From week 3: apply to two jobs and do one work-search activity weekly, and keep records.
- 6
Report dependents; a spouse adds $5 a week and a child $3, up to $8 total.
- 7
Denied? Appeal from your dashboard within 21 days of receiving the determination.
What the application looks like
Common questions
How much is PA unemployment?
$68 to $605 a week based on your highest quarter, plus up to $8 weekly for dependents.
How many weeks does PA unemployment last?
18 to 26 full weeks depending on your credit weeks. The flat 26 many sites quote only applies with a long enough work history. Your claim year lasts 52 weeks.
Do I certify weekly or biweekly?
Weekly, one certification per week you want paid, online at benefits.uc.pa.gov or by phone at 888-255-4728. The biweekly system is gone.
What are the work search rules?
Starting week 3: two job applications plus one work-search activity per week, with records kept, and PA CareerLink registration within 30 days of filing. Part-timers earning above their partial credit only need one application that week.
How long do I have to appeal?
21 days from receiving the determination, raised from the old 15. File from your claimant dashboard at benefits.uc.pa.gov, and keep certifying weekly while the appeal runs.
Why was my first week unpaid?
Pennsylvania holds the first eligible week of every benefit year as an unpaid waiting week. Certify for it anyway; it opens the claim.
Not sure this is the right program for your situation?
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