PA Unemployment Eligibility: No Vehicle

[winorlose1]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania

I know that no one can really answer this question and be 100% certain, but I'll ask anyway...lol.

I have a part time job where I work in the field. I travel from one client location to the next performing my job functions. This requires the use of my own car. I drive about 300 miles a week on average for the job.

3 years ago when I took the job, it was doable. But now, my car is really suffering as it is getting older. I don't make much at the job and I can't afford a car payment.

But for this type of job, my car is no longer suitable.

As it is now, my car is great for making short-distance trips and just low mileage driving in general. So, if I had a job within, say 25 miles from home where I would go to work, do my job and go home (where no driving around was involved) my car would suit me just fine. But if I continue with my current job, I will eventually run my car into the ground and then I will have no job and no car.

I have 2 questions...

1. If my car were to break down and I was unable to repair it cost effectively and had to quit my job because of it, would I be eligible for PA State unemployment? I ask because I know that in PA you have to be both able to work and "available" for work in order to be eligible to receive UC benefits. So would not having a car or access to one deem me "unavailable" for work" and therefore ineligible for PA UC benefits?

2. I have actually been toying around with the thought of just quitting my job so that I can save what life my car has left and have time to seriously look for another job. If I were to quit my job before my car is rendered useless with the reasoning that my car is no longer suitable for this line of work, would I be eligible for PA UC benefits?

Any help with answers or educated opinions would be appreciated. After reading though the PA UC laws, I can't seem to really get much from it. But, then, I can't really understand legalese that well.

Thanks

 

[Chyvan]

1. If my car were to break down and I was unable to repair it cost effectively and had to quit my job because of it, would I be eligible for PA State unemployment? I ask because I know that in PA you have to be both able to work and "available" for work in order to be eligible to receive UC benefits. So would not having a car or access to one deem me "unavailable" for work" and therefore ineligible for PA UC benefits?

Unlikey on the first part because when you accept a job it's assumed you knew what you were getting into, and since you're driving a lot for little money that's on you. Also, transportation is the responsibility of the employee. Now, if the employer makes you start to drive more than you already are then you can maybe get away with quitting because it was a change to the terms and conditions of your employment.

Not necessarily to the second part. If you live in a city with public transportation and are still available to a substantial field of employment, not having a car wouldn't by itself be disqualifying. However, if you live in the country, it could be a problem.

2. I have actually been toying around with the thought of just quitting my job so that I can save what life my car has left and have time to seriously look for another job. If I were to quit my job before my car is rendered useless with the reasoning that my car is no longer suitable for this line of work, would I be eligible for PA UC benefits?

Unlikely for the reason above, and quitting a job to look for a job is not good cause.

 

[cbg]

in PA you have to be both able to work and "available" for work in order to be eligible to receive UC benefits

In all 50 states you have to be both able to work and available for work in order to be eligible to receive UC benefits.

 

[commentator]

If you quit a job, you have to show a valid WORK RELATED cause to quit the job. You accepted the job on the terms it had attached to it, as in driving during work. You lose your transportation and that's a personal problem. They don't care whether your car broke down or your baby sitter quit or you got a job you thought was coming through soon, it's all personal. If you quit your job for a personal reason, (car wearing out with the driving required on the job) and you don't have any transportation now that you've quit, you also don't have much of any possibility of qualifying for unemployment.

Unemployment is not based on need. It is based on being out of work through no fault of your own (that you can't keep your car from wearing out or you can't afford another car at the present time is not no fault of your own.)

Even if, by some real weird fluke, you did qualify for benefits (say the company suddenly closed down) and you went in and told them that you would only be able to accept jobs within a limited radius of your home now because you were going to have to walk to work because your car isn't any good, that would likely make you disqualified.

You must be able and available for equivalent work. In other words, if you were driving fifty miles each way to get to your job, or using your car for work, you can't announce when filing for unemployment benefits that you'll only accept work within a five mile radius of your home now based on how your transportation situation has changed. They will only look at whether you are available for "equivalent" work. You'd better have really dandy public transportation around you to convince them you'll use public transportation now, especially after leaving a driving job.

My question to you is why can't you look for another job while you're still working. Since unemployment isn't going to be an option, that sounds to me like your best alternative.

I have heard that excuse forever that you "need to spend more time looking for that next job" or that you "don't have time to apply for other jobs while working." I do not accept it. Unemployment (even if approved) is usually quite a bit less money than you're making working at any job. Keeping one till you've got another to go to is a very good idea when it comes to jobs.

And try applying for jobs and explaining to your prospective employer that you quit your previous job because your car was wearing out and you thought you needed to quit so that you'd have time to apply for other things full time. It won't make much of an impression.