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Unemployment Compensation and Benefit Year Ending (BYE) Date

Individuals receiving benefits through the Unemployment Compensation (UC) program may need to re-file their claim at the end of their benefit year (BYE date), which falls exactly one year after they initially applied for UC benefits. 

The “BYE date” is the date when an individual’s unemployment compensation (UC) claim ends — after a claim’s BYE date passes, you cannot collect any additional benefits on that claim.

New claim applications will be the same as when you filed the previous year. Internally, when our UC team receives the application, they will review it to see if you are eligible for a new UC claim. Depending on the individual’s circumstances, our staff may take time to research, so individuals should anticipate a potential delay in their weekly benefits when their benefit year ends. 

File an Initial Claim

Information for Claimants

FAQs

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For many individuals, there will be no delay in benefits. L&I has been preparing for the surge in benefit-years ending and is doing everything possible to keep these delays to a minimum. Note: The benefit year begins on Sundays and ends on Saturdays.

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 UC Claimants


If you are still unemployed when your claim reaches its BYE date, you may qualify for extended benefits under federal programs or for an entirely new claim, based on your work history and non-self-employment wages earned since filing your initial claim. For example:

  • If you have worked for an employer AND earned 6 times your weekly benefit rate since filing your initial claim: You must file a new claim. If you continue to claim on an expired claim, your benefits may be stopped. If you need to file a new claim, the best way to file a new claim for benefits is online at File an Initial Claim.  Alternatively, you can also file a new claim by calling the UC Service Center at 888-313-7284. Once a new claim is filed, we will determine if you are eligible for a new UC claim.
Once an individual has exhausted all of their eligible weeks, they cannot receive additional benefits if they have not worked enough to qualify for a new UC claim.
Our staff has been partnering with PA CareerLinks® to identify individuals who are reaching the end of their unemployment benefits and to provide individualized employment services to assist them with rejoining the workforce. While L&I cannot approve any individuals for claim weeks for which they are not eligible, we make every effort to reduce hardship by connecting them with other non-unemployment services.

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BYE Frequently Asked Questions

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Important Terms and Abbreviations

UC - Unemployment Compensation program 
BYE date - Benefit Year End date (ends exactly one year after individuals first apply for UC benefits) 
L&I - Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry 

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