Harrisburg, PA – Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier today reminded everyone that the Unemployment Compensation (UC) program and its extensions, the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation and the Extended Benefits programs, will transition to a new system on June 8, 2021.
The department has taken steps to minimize the amount of time the UC system will be offline as it prepares for next month’s transition from an outdated, 40-year-old system to a modern software solution. Once the transition is complete, the new system will enable quicker and easier filing of UC claims.
The current system is scheduled to go offline to users on May 30 through June 7, 2021 to allow for data migration from the old system to the new one, the most complex part of any system upgrade. The new system is anticipated to be “live” June 8, 2021.
The transfer of an enormous magnitude of information between the systems can happen only when the UC database is taken offline to ensure that every claimant’s information is up-to-date and correct during the transition. Allowing changes to claims and other information while data migration is taking place would increase the risk of issues as this updated information is vital to the new UC system functioning correctly.
No claims processing will take place during the offline period. The system will be offline for everyone, including L&I staff. However, the UC Service Center will keep the phones and email open. They will still take new inquiries from claimants and place them in the queue for when the system comes online. They will also be able to assist individuals who are experiencing issues and will be able to answer questions about the offline period and the new UC system generally.
The new UC system will be much easier to use, provide faster access to relevant information and streamline the unemployment claim filing process for workers, employers, unemployment program staff, as well as the third-party administrators who will be able to easily access and update more of their information. It will offer a more modern interface for users with formatting similar to user-friendly websites most people use every day. The system will be mobile and tablet-friendly and will enable faster communications between users and L&I staff.
New UC System Instructional Workshops and Other Resources
L&I is offering a series of 24 workshops and other easy-to-use tools and helpful resources for users, including the legislative, advocate, and employer communities, to guide them through the transition to the new system.
This Week’s Workshop Dates and Links
Scheduled workshops will be offered in English and Spanish on a variety of days and times, including evenings and weekends. A full list of scheduled workshops and links to connect to them are here. Recordings of each workshop will be uploaded to this page on www.uc.pa.gov.
Questions about the new UC system should be submitted here. L&I will address the most frequently asked questions in future workshops.
Helpful Resources
Claimant User Guides:
Employer User Guides:
Claimant and Employer User Guides:
For more information and updates on unemployment benefits programs, visit www.uc.pa.gov or follow L&I on Facebook or Twitter.