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Pennsylvania Act 55 of 2025 removes unemployment compensation disqualification for claimants who voluntarily leave employment or fail to attend work due to domestic violence safety concerns. Claimants can verify their situation through protective orders, statements from qualified individuals, self-affirmation, or other reasonable evidence. The Department of Labor and Industry must expedite eligibility determinations and keep all domestic violence documentation confidential. Base year employers automatically receive relief from UC contribution charges for claims approved under these provisions, with no action required to claim the relief.
Pennsylvania Expands Unemployment Compensation Eligibility for Domestic Violence Victims
Pennsylvania Act 55 of 2025 removes unemployment compensation (UC) disqualifications for claimants who voluntarily leave employment or fail to attend work due to domestic violence safety concerns. The law takes effect on 31 December 2025 and modifies sections 402(b), 402(e), and 401 of the Pennsylvania UC Law.
Who is affected
All Pennsylvania UC claimants who leave employment or miss work because continued employment would jeopardize their safety or the safety of a family or household member due to domestic violence are eligible for relief under Act 55. Employers with base year employees who claim UC benefits under these provisions are also affected, as they receive automatic relief from UC contribution charges.
What's changing
Voluntary separation and failure to attend work
Previously, claimants who voluntarily left employment or failed to attend work were automatically disqualified from UC benefits under sections 402(b) and 402(e). Act 55 removes this disqualification when domestic violence created a documented safety risk.
Verification methods
Claimants may verify domestic violence through any of four methods:
| Verification Method | Examples |
|---|---|
| Official records | Active or recently issued protective orders; court records; police, medical, social service, or child protective services documentation |
| Qualified individual statement | Counselor, attorney, healthcare worker, clergy member, shelter worker, friend, or relative |
| Self-affirmation | Claimant's own statement |
| Other reasonable evidence | Any documentation that reasonably proves domestic violence |
Processing and confidentiality
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry must expedite eligibility determinations for claimants who provide verifying documentation and meet other section 401 requirements. All domestic violence documentation must be kept confidential and may not be disclosed to employers in any eligibility determination notice.
Employer contribution relief
Base year employers automatically receive relief from UC contribution charges for claims approved under the domestic violence provisions. No employer action is required to claim this relief.
What NEO partners and clients should do
- Notify HR and payroll teams that UC eligibility determinations may approve benefits under the domestic violence provisions without disclosing underlying circumstances to the employer.
- Confirm that automatic contribution relief applies to approved domestic violence claims; no request or appeal action is necessary.
- Ensure payroll systems are updated to reflect that UC contribution charges will not increase for these determinations.
- Document receipt of UC eligibility determinations that reference domestic violence provisions for compliance records.
