Window to backdate unemployment claims in Pennsylvania expanded

PITTSBURGH — The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry is temporarily expanding its ability to backdate Unemployment Compensation claims.

Opening the window from six weeks to up to 52 weeks, the change will allow the department to help people who attempted to file claims during the first weeks of the pandemic but weren’t able to get help because of the surge in claims.

“The Department of Labor & Industry is committed to getting every eligible Unemployment Compensation claimant the money they are owed,” Secretary Jerry Oleksiak said. “This emergency regulation will help ensure that no eligible claimant will lose out on payments because of the hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In just 21 days, between March 15 and April 4, the state received more than one million new applications for unemployment benefits.

Claimants who want to file a backdated claim should email uchelp@pa.gov with the subject line “Back Date Request.” The email should include the exact date they were separated from their employer and any relevant information about the separation for the additional weeks the claimant wishes to claim.

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