Overview

• The Office of Unemployment Compensation Benefits is responsible for processing applications, making eligibility decisions and disbursing weekly unemployment benefit checks. Eligible claimants can receive 26 weeks of benefits during a benefit year, and they may qualify for additional extensions, according to the federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act. After an applicant files her initial application for benefits, the office sends her a Claim Confirmation Letter. Once the office makes a formal eligibility decision, applicants receive a Notice of Financial Determination. The Office of Unemployment Compensation Benefits contacts each applicant's former employer to verify the applicant's reason for losing her job.
  
  

Involuntary Termination

• Claimants who are completely unemployed through no fault of their own may qualify for unemployment insurance benefits, according to the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Law. A complete unemployment must be due to a lack of available work or funding. Employees terminated for misconduct, failure to perform required work or excessive absenteeism or tardiness will not qualify for unemployment insurance benefits.
  
  

Voluntary Termination

• Generally, those who voluntarily terminated employment are ineligible for unemployment insurance benefits absent a showing of good cause. Good-cause reasons for termination include employment discrimination, refusal to perform illegal activities or unsafe work in violation of the federal Occupational and Safety Health Act or employment retaliation for reporting their employers' illegal activities.
  
  

Reduced Work Hours

• Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Law allows partially employed claimants to receive reduced unemployment benefits while they look for other work. Claimants who work less than full time are eligible for unemployment benefits if their employers reduced their hours because of a lack of available work or funds. In other words, claimants who are at fault for their reduced hours are ineligible to receive unemployment benefits. Furthermore, claimants who work part-time hours cannot receive reduced benefits if their weekly earnings equal or exceed their weekly benefits. Employees involuntarily furloughed are eligible for partial benefits until they return to working full time.
  
  

Educational Factors

• Students who terminate employment to enroll in academic programs are ineligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits. However, students approved for training through the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry's unemployment-training program may be eligible for unemployment benefits. Students enrolled in qualified training programs must accept suitable work offers at any time, even while they currently attend school.