Wage protest for unemployment insurance benefits
Does your unemployment claim have missing wages? Is it missing an employer? You have the right to file a wage protest.
A wage protest allows you to dispute missing wages or incorrect financial determinations related to your unemployment benefits. It must be done no later than 21 calendar days after the mail date provided on the determination.
A wage protest allows us to review your info and update it, without a Referee hearing or a formal appeal.
After our review is complete, the wage protest is closed. We might issue a revised finanical determination. Even if we don't make any revisions, we will give you a new financial determination with an explanation of what we found.
How to file a wage protest:
- Log in to your UC dashboard at www.benefits.uc.pa.gov and navigate to the Unemployment Services widget.
- Click “More Unemployment Services” and then “File a Wage Protest.” Follow the prompts provided.
- Be sure to upload proof of earnings such as W2s and pay stubs for the relevant period.
If you disagree with the results of the wage protect, you have another 21-day period in which you can file an appeal.
Right to appeal an unemployment decision
The Department of Labor & Industry must quickly review every request for unemployment benefits. They must see if each request is valid.
Every person can also appeal an unemployment decision. They have this right by law.
As a claimant or employer, you can appeal to a UC Referee or the UC Board. You have the choice to represent yourself or hire an attorney. Also, those who qualify can get free legal help. They can get it from local legal services, a bar association, or a law school clinic.
The 3 Levels of UC benefits eligibility appeals
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Start a Business in PA
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Register for a UC Tax Account Number
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EMPLOYERS ONLY - File and Pay Quarterly Wage and Tax Information
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Learn about UC Eligibility
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File an Initial Claim
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Reopen an Existing Claim
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File a Weekly Claim
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Access resources for new UC applicants
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Learn about ID.me verification
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Register for Work Search
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Check a Claim Status
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View Benefit Payments
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Change Personal Claimant Information
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Register for Work Search
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Direct Deposit of UC Benefits
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File an Appeal
Important information for scheduling UC hearings
Most hearings are held in person. If you wish to attend by telephone, you must request a telephone hearing as soon as possible.
Requests can be made through the UC System or by contacting the referee office. Your referee office will be listed on the Notice of Hearing. Please submit all requests in writing before the hearing as far in advance as possible. A request will only be granted for good reason, so include reasons for the request. If your hearing is already scheduled, granting a request may require rescheduling the hearing.
If you are scheduled to participate by phone and wish to attend in person, please contact the referee office as soon as possible.
The parties (Claimants, Employers, and Department) will be sent notices by their chosen method in the UC System. Notices of Hearings will also be mailed regardless of chosen method.
Hearing exhibits can be viewed online in the UC System. For telephone hearings, the case file will be mailed along with the notice of hearing. If documents are missing, please supply them to the referee office as soon as possible.
Please read your hearing notice for information and instructions.
Unemployment benefit appeals FAQs
Have questions about unemployment benefit appeals? Find more information here.
If you don't agree with a decision made by the UC Service Center or an Appeals Referee, you can ask for another review by filing an appeal. You can file an appeal in the UC system. You can send a letter or a form by mail to the address on the decision, or fax your appeal to the fax number on the decision.
You can also email your appeal to UCAppeals@pa.gov if you disagree with a Service Center decision or UCBoardAppeals@pa.gov if you disagree with a Referee decisions. But be careful, sending information by email is not very secure.
To appeal a UC Service Center decision, you must do so within 21 days of the notice. The deadline is also on the notice.
To appeal, you must act within 21 days of the referee's decision. The deadline is on the referee's decision.
You must file an appeal to a Board decision within 30 days. The 30 days start on the date the Board mailed the decision.
Preparation for Your Appeal
Organize all the facts and documents related to your case and bring them to the hearing. If it is a phone hearing, make sure you supply them to the referee office in advance of the hearing so they can be circulated to all parties.
If you have a disability or language barrier, contact the Referee's office or make a request via the UC system. They can arrange help for you.
Hearing Process
The hearings are informal but involve testifying under oath, cross-examination, rebuttals, and witnesses. All testimony will be recorded.
Notify any witnesses with firsthand knowledge of the matter about the hearing. Work with them to attend the hearing.
Witness testimonies based only on hearsay cannot be used in making the decision.
Ensuring Witness Presence
If a witness refuses to appear or provide evidence, you can ask the Referee to issue a subpoena. You will have to serve the subpoena on the witness and it will require their presence at the hearing.
Current rules allow phone testimony in specific cases. The Referee or Board will determine if the rules apply to your case.
To ask for a phone hearing, you can make a request in the UC system or contact the office listed in your hearing notice. You can do this by phone, mail, email, or fax.
As a claimant or employer, you can represent yourself before the Referee or the Board. You can also have an attorney or advocate.
Need help? Free legal aid might be an option if you qualify. Contact a local legal service organization, bar association, or law school clinic. They may have resources to help you.
Hearings are informal but include witnesses and sworn testimony. They also involve cross-examination, rebuttals, and are recorded. Whether or not you have a representative, the Referee will work to get the facts and conduct a fair hearing.
If you can't attend the hearing, ask for a continuance right away. The hearing may be able to be postponed and rescheduled. Send the request to the referee office listed on the front of the Notice of Hearing or make a request through the UC system.
This will be granted only for "proper cause" and upon terms deemed proper by the Referee. If a continuance of the hearing is granted, you will receive notice. If you don’t receive notice that your request was granted, assume that it was denied and appear for the hearing.
To request a subpoena, make a request in the UC system or contact the Referee office listed on the Notice of Hearing.
If a witness refuses to appear or provide documents, you can ask for a subpoena. This requires their presence. The Referee will then issue the subpoena, if appropriate, but you will have to serve it.
If you need help due to a disability with hearing, speech, and/or vision, or for a non-English language, make a request in the UC system or contact the Referee's office as soon as possible.
A party who has filed an appeal may withdraw the appeal with the approval of the tribunal before whom the appeal is pending.
- If the appeal is pending before a Referee, the withdrawal request must be submitted in writing through the UC System or by mail, email or fax to the Referee Office
- Additionally, withdrawal forms are available from any Referee office.
If the appeal is pending before the Board, the withdrawal request must be submitted in writing through the UC System or by mail, email or fax to the Board.
If the Referee has not yet issued a decision, you can request to reopen the record to add more information by contacting the Referee’s office in writing.
Requests sent before the Referee issues a decision will be reviewed by the referee. Reopening is possible only with a good reason. If you missed the hearing, provide the reason you missed it. To request a reopening, make a request through the UC System or write a letter or email to the Referee's office that handled the hearing.
If the Referee has made a decision and you plan to appeal to the Board, you should include these points in your appeal. If you missed the hearing, provide the reason you missed it. Ask for a remand hearing if you think it's necessary. Then, the Board will decide on your request.
Referee decisions are usually made within two weeks of the hearing, and Board decisions often take at least 60-75 days.
If the Referee approves your appeal, it can take 2-4 weeks to get your benefits from the UC Service Center. Continue to file for benefits during the waiting period.
A party who did not attend a scheduled hearing does have the right to request reopening of the record.
You must submit this request in writing. You can send it by mail, email, or fax to the Referee. It must list the reason for the non-appearance.
The Referee will decide whether such reasons constitute "proper cause" for the non-appearance. If the Referee's decision has not yet been issued, the Referee may allow the record to be reopened.
If a request to reopen arrives after the Referee's decision, it counts as an appeal to the Board of Review. The Board will then review and decide on the request.
If you feel that existing testimony is not enough and that new evidence should be introduced, you should submit a request for a remand to the Appeals System Administrator. Say why you think the testimony is incomplete.
The hearing record is transcribed only if a Referee decision is appealed to the UC Board of Review.
Copies of such testimony are available to you (to be used for UC purposes only) at no charge. You must submit a written request by mail, email or fax to:
Appeals System Administrator, UC Board of Review
Room 1116 Labor & Industry Building
651 Boas Street
Harrisburg, PA 17121-0750
Fax: 717-787-6125
Email: ra-li-ucbr-CentralOf@pa.gov.
NOTE: If you elect to submit a request by email please be careful to note the EXACT email address as it appears above. The Board cannot be responsible for misdirected emails.
The request must list the reason(s) for which the record will be used. The Board will only provide records for purposes relating to the Unemployment Compensation Law.
If a party wants to appeal to the Board and file a brief, they need permission. They must ask the Board in writing. They can send the request by mail, fax, or email.
Appeals System Administrator, UC Board of Review
Room 1116, Labor & Industry Building
651 Boas Street
Harrisburg, PA 17121-0750
Fax: 717-787-6125
Email: ra-li-ucbr-CentralOf@pa.gov
If you submit a request by email, please use the exact email address shown. The UC Board of Review can't be responsible for misdirected emails.
If the Board permits the filing of a brief, it will give the party a copy of the testimony transcript. The Board will also send a letter saying when the brief is due.
You need to submit an original brief and four copies. The Board doesn't demand a specific format for the brief.
Anyone who disagrees with the Board's decision can ask the Commonwealth Court for a review. They must send their appeal to the following address:
Prothonotary of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Judicial Center
601 Commonwealth Avenue, Suite 2100
P.O. Box 69185,
Harrisburg, PA 17106-9185
You must submit your appeal within 30 days of the Board's decision or have it postmarked by then. If you need help with an appeal to the Commonwealth Court, call 717-255-1650.
You may also submit a written request to the UC Board of Review by mail, email or fax to reconsider the case.
This request may be submitted to:
Appeals System Administrator, UC Board of Review
Room 1116 Labor & Industry Building
651 Boas Street
Harrisburg, PA 17121-0750
Fax: 717-787-6125
Email address: ra-li-ucbr-CentralOf@pa.gov
If you choose to email your request, use the exact email in the example. The Board is not responsible for emails sent to the wrong address.
Submit the request within 15 days of getting the decision. Reconsideration is rare, only for "good cause." The Board usually can't review credibility decisions. It also won't take new evidence unless it was impossible to present earlier.
Remember: sending a request for reconsideration to the Board does not extend the time to file a review petition with Commonwealth Court.
If you think a conflict of interest would be created if the Referee assigned to your case conducts the hearing, you may tell the Appeals System Administrator. You can write to:
UC Board of Review
651 Boas St., Room 1116
Harrisburg, PA 17121-0750
Email: ra-li-ucbr-CentralOf@pa.gov
Fax: 717-787-6125
Give your reason(s) for the conflict of interest. Request in writing that another Referee be assigned.