Federal employees or contractors who worked in Pennsylvania and were furloughed due to the government shutdown may be eligible for unemployment compensation.
Federal workers and contractors should file for UC benefits as soon as they stop working.
Federal workers will need to provide unemployment with documentation that shows they worked for the federal government.
When you file your initial application, you will be asked if you are federal employee. When you answer “yes,” you will be asked to provide more information.
- If you are a federal employee, upload your SF-8 or SF-50 forms, or your W2 and a recent pay statement, during your initial application.
- If you are a federal contractor, upload your W2 and a recent pay statement during your initial application.
- You must report severance pay on your initial application.
- Your full name
- The last four digits of your Social Security number
- An explanation that you are a federal employee who just submitted an initial UC application and wage documents.
To receive benefits, you must file weekly certifications. You should start filing your weekly certifications right away, even if you are still waiting on eligibility determinations.
You can file weekly certification in your online UC account (benefits.uc.pa.gov) or using the automated phone filing system (888-255-4728).
I got a letter from unemployment that says I am ineligible for benefits.
If in the future you receive backpay for the weeks that you received UC benefits, you will be issued a non-fault overpayment.
In Pennsylvania, you do not have to pay back a non-fault overpayment out of pocket. The only way the government can recover the overpayment is by taking a portion of any future UC benefits you collect.
