Pennsylvania Form UC-44FR is the Request for Relief from Charges that an employer files with the Department of Labor and Industry to keep a former worker’s unemployment benefits from being charged against the employer’s account. Under Section 302.1 of the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Law, you can request that relief when the worker quit without good cause, was fired for willful misconduct, is still working for you part-time, or was temporarily laid off because of a disaster-related closure. The form has a short filing window and lives or dies on documentation, so the work starts before you pick up a pen.
Which Ground Applies to Your Situation
Pick one of four, and be ready to prove it.
Voluntary Quit Without Good Cause
If the worker left on their own and the reason had nothing to do with how you ran the job, you have grounds to request relief. The legal test is whether the worker had a “necessitous and compelling” reason tied to something the employer did or failed to do. Walking off, relocating for personal reasons, or quitting over a private matter generally supports an employer’s filing. Unsafe conditions you ignored, a major unilateral cut in pay or hours, or documented harassment usually do not.
Keep the resignation notice, texts, or emails in which the worker stated why they left. If nothing was in writing, write a dated memo of the conversation while it is fresh. The department will weigh your account against what the claimant told them.
Discharge for Willful Misconduct
Willful misconduct means a deliberate violation of a known workplace rule, repeated disregard of instructions, or reckless behavior that shows intentional disregard of the employer’s interests. You have to prove two things: the rule existed and was communicated, and the worker knowingly broke it.
A written policy with a signed acknowledgment page is the strongest evidence. Incident reports, prior written warnings, and witness statements fill out a solid file. Vague complaints about attitude almost never carry the day. The department looks for specific acts and proof the employee knew the standard.
Continuing Part-Time Employment
If the claimant worked part-time for you alongside a full-time job elsewhere, lost the full-time job, and filed for benefits, your account can still be charged as a base-year employer. Section 302.1 allows relief as long as the part-time job keeps going on the same terms: same hours, same duties, same pay. Payroll records or time sheets showing consistent hours before and after the other employer’s separation are what you need.
Disaster-Related Temporary Layoff
If you had to close briefly because of a disaster and laid workers off during that closure, you can request relief from the resulting charges. The closure has to be genuinely temporary and tied to the disaster rather than to a business slowdown.
What to Gather Before You Fill Out the Form
- Your seven-digit Pennsylvania UC account number, legal business name, and mailing address exactly as they appear on your UC filings.
- The claimant’s full legal name and Social Security number, cross-checked against the Notice of Financial Determination the department sent you. A single mismatched digit can hold up the request.
- The claimant’s last day of work and a factual description of why employment ended. State which of the four grounds you are claiming.
- Supporting documents: resignation letters, termination notices, signed policy acknowledgments, written warnings, payroll records, and any correspondence with the worker about the separation.
The department’s instructions ask you to include the claimant’s name, Social Security number, your UC account number, and your employer name in a cover letter submitted with the completed form. For a disaster-related request, the letter should also describe the nature of the disaster and the dates of closure.
The Deadline and How to Submit
The form must be filed by the “Last Date for Timely Request” printed on the UC-44FR itself. In practice this is 15 days from the date the department issued the earliest notice that the claimant is eligible for benefits, or 15 days from the earliest notice that the individual is claiming benefits if the separation happened after the claim was filed.1Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. Relief from Charges Questions and Answers Missing that date almost always results in denial. Check the deadline the moment the form arrives.
You can fax the UC-44FR to 717-724-6952.2Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. File for Relief from Unemployment Compensation Charges The department also accepts submissions through the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Management System (UCMS) employer portal and by mail. Whichever method you use, keep proof of delivery: a fax transmission report, a screenshot of the online submission, or a certified mail receipt. If the department later questions whether you met the 15-day deadline, that proof is your only defense.
Mistakes That Sink Requests
The most common errors are mismatched account numbers, missing or transposed Social Security digits, and separation summaries that state a legal conclusion (“willful misconduct”) without describing what actually happened. The department needs facts: what the employee did, when, and what policy it violated. A one-line reason like “terminated for cause” gives the reviewer nothing. Two or three paragraphs with specific dates and actions will do far more work than a label.
Everything you put on the form is verifiable. The department cross-references your account against the claimant’s statements, wage records, and prior determinations. False information on a UC filing can lead to criminal prosecution, fines, and repayment of any improperly obtained tax relief.3Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Report Unemployment Compensation Fraud Describe the facts accurately and let the department apply the standard.
What Happens After You File
The Employer Services Section reviews the request against the claimant’s statements and Section 302.1.1Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. Relief from Charges Questions and Answers Relief is not granted while the underlying eligibility determination is still open or being appealed. It takes effect only once that determination is final or all related appeals are resolved.4Department of Labor and Industry. Relief From Charges FAQs
If relief is granted, benefit charges already posted to your account are credited back, and you are notified on a supplemental Form UC-640, the Monthly Notice of Compensation Charged.1Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. Relief from Charges Questions and Answers Charges for that claimant also stop accruing against your experience rating from that point forward.
If relief is denied, the determination itself contains the appeal instructions on the reverse side.4Department of Labor and Industry. Relief From Charges FAQs UC appeals generally must be filed within 21 calendar days of the determination date on the notice.5Department of Labor and Industry. UC Benefit Appeals That window is firm. Courts have held that a late appeal will only be accepted on proof of extraordinary circumstances.
Why This Matters for Your Contribution Rate
Your Pennsylvania unemployment contribution rate is calculated using a reserve ratio and a benefit ratio drawn from your account’s history of contributions, charges, and payroll.6Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Computation of Rates Every dollar of benefit charges that stays on your account pulls both ratios in the wrong direction.
For 2026, Pennsylvania employer contribution rates run from roughly 1.42 percent at the floor to about 10.37 percent at the ceiling, including the surcharge and additional contributions tax, applied to the first $10,000 of each employee’s wages.7Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Yearly Tax Highlights The spread between the lowest and highest rate is wide enough that a single successful UC-44FR filing can keep your rate from ticking up at the next recalculation.