Eligible PUA and PUA-related FPUC claimants who filed for benefits on Friday, June 5, 2020, and thereafter and who have active ReliaCard debit cards will now receive their benefits on those cards. They will be deposited three business days following the day of the claimant’s filing, except that Friday filers will receive deposits to their card two business days later.
Eligible PUA and PUA-related FPUC claimants who do not have ReliaCards and file for benefits from Friday, June 5, 2020, through and including Thursday, June 11, 2020, will receive those benefits by checks delivered by the US Postal Service. Those checks should arrive within four to seven business days following the day of filing.
During this same period, US Bank, the ReliaCard provider, will be mailing debit cards to all PUA and PUA-related FPUC benefits recipients who do not currently have active debit cards. The new ReliaCards should be delivered to most PUA and PUA-related FPUC claimants who do not currently have debit cards from about June 19, 2020, until about July 7, 2020. All claims filed for benefits starting on Friday, June 12, 2020, will be paid by deposit to the ReliaCard. It is our expectation that most new ReliaCards will be received by claimants within one or two days of the first deposits being placed on their cards.
The Commonwealth is making several important changes to the way unemployment compensation (UC) benefits are paid onto prepaid debit cards.
Beginning on March 1, 2023, UC recipients who receive benefit payments via prepaid debit card will temporarily receive payments via paper check. This will continue until approximately March 23, 2023.
Beginning on or about March 6, 2023, Money Network prepaid debit cards will be mailed to UC recipients who receive benefit payments via prepaid debit card. The Money Network prepaid debit cards will replace the U.S. Bank ReliaCard® currently in use.
Beginning March 24, 2023, all UC benefit payments made via prepaid debit card will be loaded onto Money Network prepaid debit cards.
If you received a paper check in the mail but did not file for unemployment benefits in Pennsylvania, do not cash the check. Cashing the check knowing that you have not applied for PUA or any other UC program may be deemed fraud and repayment will be required.
Instead, please write “VOID” on the check and return it to:
Pennsylvania Treasury Department
651 Boas Street
Room 400 L&I Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Please include a brief signed statement with the reason you are returning the check. Be sure to include your printed name, address, phone number and email address, along with the last four digits of your Social Security number.
What to do if you’ve received a UC payment in error via a US Bank ReliaCard:
If you received a US Bank ReliaCard in error, do not activate the card.
Instead, to aid Treasury’s internal investigation operations and prevent a fraudulent expenditure of Commonwealth funds, please return the ReliaCard to:
Pennsylvania Treasury Department
651 Boas Street
Room 400 L&I Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Please include a brief signed statement with the reason you are returning the ReliaCard. Be sure to include your printed name, address, phone number and email address, along with the last four digits of your Social Security number.
What to do if you’ve received a UC payment in error via electronic payment or direct deposit:
Contact your financial institution to request a “Refuse Credit of Deposit” and provide the financial institution with the issue date of the payment.
If you are unable to request a “Refuse Credit of Deposit,” write a personal check, cashier’s check, certified check, or money order payable to the “PA UC Fund” in an amount equal to the direct deposit payment. Then, mail the check to:
Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry
651 Boas Street, Room 500
Harrisburg, PA 17121
Please include a brief signed statement with the reason you are returning the check. Be sure to include your printed name, address, phone number and email address, along with the last four digits of your Social Security number.