Harrisburg, PA – Building on the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to high-quality customer service for Pennsylvanians, Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Nancy A. Walker today reminded Pennsylvanians who were paid Unemployment Compensation (UC) benefits in 2024 to monitor their mailboxes and online UC dashboards for the 1099-G form they’ll need to file a tax return this year.
“We are dedicated to ensuring that every Pennsylvanian who received Unemployment Compensation benefits in 2024 has the resources they need to file their taxes accurately and on time,” Secretary Walker said. “Our goal is to make this process as smooth as possible, and we encourage claimants to check their mailboxes and online dashboards for their 1099-G forms. If there are any issues, we are here to help and ensure that any necessary corrections are made quickly."
Tax forms are available to all claimants in their online dashboards now, and mailings will be completed by the end of January. The Department has an extensive FAQ about 1099-G forms on its website to help claimants and other individuals with questions. Claimants who suspect their 1099-G form includes an error should first review the information in the FAQs and then contact the Department to request a corrected form.
Because 1099-G forms are automatically generated for all claimants who received Unemployment Compensation payments, the receipt of a 1099-G form by a person who didn't file for benefits may indicate a case of identity theft.
If you suspect you are the victim of identity theft involving UC fraud, please report it to L&I. You can report suspected fraud online or call the PA Fraud Hotline at 1-800-692-7469.
Victims of identity theft should not wait to file their tax return and should only include true income – not the fraudulent income on the 1099-G form.
More information about identity theft and 1099-G forms is available on the IRS website.
UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION
Since the start of the Shapiro Administration, L&I has made great strides toward improving the efficiency of Pennsylvania’s UC system, ensuring it is now more accessible and supportive than ever for Pennsylvanians experiencing job loss. Through collaborations with community-based organizations, enhanced technology, and increased funding, the Shapiro Administration continues its commitment to breaking down barriers to access and delivering timely benefits to eligible Pennsylvanians.
Under Governor Josh Shapiro’s leadership, Pennsylvania’s UC system has undergone transformative improvements to better serve claimants and streamline processes, including:
- Reduced Wait Times: With more than 380 additional UC interviewers hired to enhance customer service, UC claimants are experiencing significantly reduced wait times for phone assistance. Average call wait times improved from 39 minutes and 56 seconds in 2023 to 26 minutes and 44 seconds in 2024. Additionally, claimants now average 2.8 call attempts before reaching a representative, compared to 11.4 attempts in 2023—a 75% improvement.
- Service Expansion and Impact: In 2024, UC Connect served 30,796 individuals in person at in PA CareerLink® locations, bringing the total served since its launch two years ago to 96,178 Pennsylvanians. Additionally, in 2024, L&I processed over 564,400 UC claims and distributed over $2.1 billion in benefits to 357,699 eligible claimants. To support claimants effectively, L&I assisted nearly 1,117,000 individuals through the UC helpline, 79,432 through the UC Live Chat service, and 179,800 via email.
- Historic Investments in Technology and Support Services: Governor Shapiro’s bipartisan 2024-25 budget allocated $68 million through the Service Improvement and Infrastructure Fund (SIIF) to increase overall staff support and strengthen UC services and infrastructure.
- Verification Made Easy: With grant funding from the U.S. Department of Labor, L&I installed ID.me kiosks at all PA CareerLink® locations to enhance and improve the accessibility of the identity verification process, which claimants can still complete from their home computer or mobile phone should they choose to do so. For most claimants, the self-service identity verification options take fewer than 10 minutes to complete.
- Reopen Process: Under Governor Shapiro’s leadership, L&I implemented an abbreviated process to reopen a claim which reduced the process from about one hour to only 5-15 minutes. Previously, the reopen process progressed in the same way as the initial claim process. Now, if claimants don't have changes to any of their previously provided information, they can skip ahead directly to the Employment History section.
Governor Shapiro’s comprehensive reforms underscore his Administration’s dedication to creating a fair, efficient, and accessible unemployment system that reflects the diverse needs of Pennsylvania’s workforce.
Pennsylvanians experiencing job loss can always contact L&I directly for assistance through the Department’s UC helpline (888-313-7284), by email (UCHelp@pa.gov) or the live chat service.
For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, please visit the website or follow L&I on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
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