Update for Employers regarding Pennsylvania Unemployment

On Thursday, our Daily Update covered what business owners need to know about Pennsylvania Unemployment. Over the past few days, some of you received emails sent on behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Tax Services explaining that “the department is working on the programming needed to grant automatic relief from charges.” The email continued that there is no need to contact the PA UC or submit additional paperwork at this time. This is good news for Pennsylvania employers.

The complete message from PA UC is below. As always, if you have questions or need assistance with this or any other topic, please contact us.

“We are aware that employers’ UC-640 charge statements are indicating that employers are being charged for all benefits.  All charges which are a result of separation due to COVID-19 will receive credits, retroactively.  You do NOT need to contact us and you do NOT need to send in any paper work.  The department is working on the programming needed to grant automatic relief from charges.  Benefit charging will resume after the governor declares an end to the pandemic disaster.  The UC-640 charge statement shows you all the individuals you would otherwise be charged for if they continue filing benefits after the disaster is ended.

Governor Wolf signed Act 9 of 2020 into law on March 27, 2020, which provided for temporary amendments to the PA Unemployment Compensation Law as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pursuant to these emergency provisions related to COVID-19, contributory employers and reimbursable employers who have paid the 2020 solvency fee will receive automatic relief from charges for those employees whose UC claims are due to the COVID-19 outbreak or public health officials’ efforts to contain and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Reimbursable employers who have not paid the solvency fee will continue to pay their full charges but will receive reimbursement for 50% of their COVID-19-related charges, per the federal CARES Act.”

As always, if you have questions about this or other topics, please know we are available to speak by phone at 215-675-8364.

 

 

DISCLAIMER: The WM Daily Update COVID-19, COVID-19 Business Resources and COVID-19 Client News Alerts and other related communications are intended to provide general information on legislative COVID-19 relief measures as of the date of this communication and may reference information from reputable sources. Although our firm has made every reasonable effort to ensure that the information provided is accurate, we make no warranties, expressed or implied, on the information provided. As legislative efforts are still ongoing, we expect that there may be additional guidance and clarification from regulators that may modify some of the provisions in this communication. Some of those modifications may be significant. As such, be aware that this is not a comprehensive analysis of the subject matter covered and is not intended to provide specific recommendations to you or your business with respect to the matters addressed.