New unemployment compensation system announced for June

HARRISBURG — The Department of Labor & Industry will unveil a new unemployment compensation system for the state on Thursday.

The new modern system will be easier for filers and businesses to use. The new system will launch June 8, and replaces an obsolete 40-year-old mainframe legacy system.

Programs that will transition to the new system are Unemployment Compensation, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, Extended Benefits, Shared Work or Short-Time Compensation and Trade Readjustment Allowances.

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“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,” Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier said. “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.”

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.

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“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.”

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.

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Cox Media Group