(Harrisburg, Pa.) Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier announced today that Pennsylvanians will have a much quicker and easier time filing claims for unemployment compensation (UC) benefits when the department’s new UC system launches on June 8, 2021. The system with modern software will replace an obsolete 40-year-old mainframe legacy system.

“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.”

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.”

Helping Users Prepare

L&I will provide user guides and hold live workshops with UC experts to assist individuals with learning how to use the new system before its implementation. Announcements will be made in the coming weeks regarding the dates of the workshops and how to access them. L&I is also in the process of hiring and training an additional 500 to 1,000 customer service representatives and 180 interviewers to help Pennsylvanians with their questions and claims.

New System Features

Individuals currently filing for benefits through one of the above-listed programs will need to use the new UC system to file their weekly or biweekly claims. Additional features of the new system include:

Filing a new or reopened claim;
Accessing information about a claim;
Filing an appeal;
Checking the status of a payment;
Using a dashboard to receive important messages from UC staff; and
Changing options such as whether communication is sent electronically or by physical mail, and whether federal income tax is withheld.
The new UC system will provide employers with the ability to receive important information and notices via their dashboard and additional self-service options for managing their benefit information. While the current system provides notices of separations, appeal hearing dates, and UC correspondence only on paper, the new system will allow employers to view this information in real-time. This will provide greater oversight, faster response time, and better communication regarding changes in an employer’s information.

During the transition, the claims system will need to be taken offline for all users for a period of approximately two weeks. L&I will be providing regular updates and information about this and other changes.

Claimants, businesses, and other users can view tutorials and instruction guides for the new system at www.uc.pa.gov, and should follow L&I on Facebook or Twitter to stay up-to-date.

Important Note: The federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program operates on a separate system and will not be affected by the transition of other programs to the new UC system.

Court flips on signature rules for Pa. nominating petitions
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s highest court says voters who sign a state political candidate’s nominating petition have to list the address where they are registered to vote or it doesn’t count. The state Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a 5-year-old precedent because of a more recent change in state law. The court had previously held that a petition signature could not be invalidated just because the voter’s address didn’t match their voter registration address. The ruling was made in a challenge to Rania Major’s petition to run in the Democratic primary for judge in Philadelphia. The court upheld a decision to keep Major off the ballot.

Pennsylvania pension system says it got grand jury subpoena
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s largest public pension system are giving a little more detail about a federal probe, saying the agency received a subpoena, although it is staying silent about subpoenas said to have been received by top management officials. Officials at the Public School Employees’ Retirement System and board members have declined to answer questions publicly about what information federal investigators are seeking. In a brief statement Thursday, the $64 billion pension system said it had been served with a grand jury subpoena for documents. Pension system officials have said nothing about Tuesday’s revelation by state Treasurer Stacy Garrity that federal subpoenas were served on “several PSERS management officials.”

Tourist charged with manslaughter in pal’s Hawaii death
By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER Associated Press
HONOLULU (AP) — A Hawaii judge rules there is probable cause to charge a Pittsburgh tourist with manslaughter in the strangulation of the college buddy he was vacationing with. Benjamin Fleming was arrested last month after his first night out on the Big Island with his two college friends ended in a deadly fight. Alexander Germany-Wald of Montclair, New Jersey, testified at a preliminary hearing for Fleming that their friend, Abhishek Gupta, also of Pittsburgh, got “psychotically” drunk. Germany-Wald says a fistfight ensued until Fleming restrained Gupta. They later realized he wasn’t breathing. A judge denied a request to release Fleming or reduce his $250,000 bail.

(Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Curtis Walsh)

The Big Beaver Falls School District held their monthly board discussion meeting tonight.  They started off by discussing a real estate auditor contract that was recommended by business manager Gary Ceccarelli.  It would be a three year contract to have real estate audits for 2020 through 2022 at a cost of $13,900 for 2020, $14,325 for this year, and $14,760 for 2022.  The board then went on to speak on 2 recommendations by the administration.  The first was for the approval of sports and voluntary student accident insurance for the 2021/2022 school year at an annual premium of $6,300.  The second recommendation  was for the approval of the Beaver County Career & Technology 2021/2022 operating budget to be $6,234,249, $81,965 less than last year.  The board of education also recommended the approval of a resolution to remove the Midland Borough School District from membership with the Beaver County Career and Technology Center.

On Friday’s A.M. Beaver County, Matt Drzik throws open the phone lines at (724) 843-1888 & (724) 774-1888.

And we’ll be talking about the Biden administration’s attempt at gun control and the Pirates’ home opener against the Cubs…among other things.

6:30 to 9:00 on Beaver County Radio.