How to participate
A livestream will be online at https://access.live/PAlabor. Those without internet access can listen by calling 1-833-380-0719, however phone lines are limited so we ask that they be reserved for individuals who need them.
Participants using the phone lines can ask questions directly of our UC expert. Individuals livestreaming the town hall can submit typed questions that will be read to the UC expert by a moderator. To protect participants’ personal confidential information, detailed answers about individual claim questions cannot be answered during the town hall.
Unemployment benefits programs
In addition to the state’s regular UC program, Pennsylvania also oversees:
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) – for self-employed, gig workers, contractors and others not normally eligible for UC.
- Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) – additional 13 weeks of benefits to people who exhaust their regular UC.
- Pennsylvania’s Extended Benefits program – up to 13 additional weeks of payments to people who exhaust regular UC and PEUC benefits.
- Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) – extra $600 per week for anyone receiving unemployment benefits. Although this program has ended, eligible individuals who file for benefits retroactively may still receive FPUC payments for prior weeks of unemployment between April 4, 2020 and July 25, 2020 if they qualify.
- Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program – extra $300 weekly benefit for claimants receiving unemployment benefits. LWA is not an unemployment program, but rather is a temporary federal program funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Improving UC Customer Service
Since March 15, L&I has paid nearly $26 billion in unemployment benefits.
The department has improved customer service by:
- Resolving 97 percent of eligible regular unemployment compensation claims between March 15 and August 1. These claims were either paid or were not eligible for benefits. The remaining 3 percent represents 49,310 cases could not be approved automatically and are pending resolution.
- Increasing UC service center staffing levels 124 percent (from 775 employees to the current total of 1,742) since mid-March with the hiring of new employees, onboarding of external call center support staff, and reassigning of staff from other state offices/agencies.
- Boosting UC support with employees working more than 293,745 total overtime hours since March 15, including in the service centers and all other areas of UC.
- Helping:
- 1,002,660 through email;
- 452,489 by phone;
- 142,610 by LiveChat; and
- 319,735 by Virtual Assistant.
L&I is continuing to focus on these customer service improvements but will not be truly satisfied until every Pennsylvanian who is eligible gets the unemployment benefits they worked hard for and deserve.
Important Resources and Links
- L&I Press Releases
- L&I COVID-19 Guidance and Resources
- L&I COVID-19 Media Center (includes previous town hall and UC media call recordings)
Additional unemployment benefits information is available on L&I’s website, Facebook or Twitter.
