PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania’s 40-year-old unemployment compensation system is getting ready to undergo some much-needed renovations.
The system is going offline to transition to the new and easier-to-use software. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry said no claims will be processed while the system is offline, so claimants must file before 9 p.m. on Wednesday, June 2.
People who are scheduled to file a biweekly unemployment compensation, or UC, claim for the week of May 30 to June 5 must have their filing complete by that deadline.
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The system will be offline and unavailable on Thursday while data is migrated from the old system to the new one. If the deadline isn’t met, filing for that time can be made when the new system goes live on June 8, but the payment date may be delayed.
The department said the new UC system is designed to simplify and speed up the claims process and reduce fraud. Claimants will also have access to self-serve options, diminishing the need to contact customer service.
Stephen from Center City, who preferred not to use his last name, has been out of work from his bartending job since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. He’s looking forward to a faster and more reliable UC system that is easy to use — unlike the old one.
“People couldn’t get on. They couldn’t get through to unemployment they had no recourse,” he said. “They couldn’t get through the lines and they just didn’t get any money.”
He banded with his also out-of-work friends for help.
“Actually, all of my coworkers spoke to each other and said, ‘What did you do? What did you do?’ And we all kind of got through it,” he added.
For information on how navigate the new UC system, visit uc.pa.gov.