The Department of Labor & Industry announced that Pennsylvanians will have a much quicker and easier time filing unemployment claims when the state transitions to a new system in June.
Department of Labor & Industry Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier says that the department’s new system will replace an obsolete, 40-year-old mainframe legacy system with modern software.
“The new system will be easy to use, provide access to important information, and streamline the unemployment claim filing process for workers, employers, unemployment program staff, and third-party administrators,” said Berrier. “The pandemic stressed an already-antiquated IT platform and we look forward to improving the process so that out-of-work Pennsylvanians can focus their time and attention on finding a new job.”
Officials say the new unemployment compensation system will launch on June 8, 2021.
Programs that will transition to the new system are:
Unemployment Compensation (UC)
Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)
Extended Benefits (EB)
Shared Work or Short-Time Compensation (STC) and
Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA).
The new UC system will have a different look and feel than the current system and is better aligned with the user interface of modern websites, making it more intuitive to use. It will also provide access to more information and self-serve options and reduce the need for claimants to contact the UC service center.
“Our goal is to modernize the overall process and make it easier for Pennsylvanians who file unemployment claims to receive the payments to which they are entitled,” continued Berrier. “The hardworking team at L&I is committed to resolving issues as they arise and helping Pennsylvanians who need our services.”
Claimants, businesses, and other users can view tutorials and instruction guides for the new system at www.uc.pa.gov.
