Just went through this exact same process last month! Won my appeal after being wrongfully denied for "job abandonment" when I was actually terminated. Here's what I learned that might help you: The appeal decision letter is just step one - the PA UC system absolutely will NOT automatically release your payments even with a favorable ruling. You have to call them to manually trigger the release. Don't wait like I did for the first week thinking it would happen automatically. When you call (and yes, the hold times are brutal), make sure to ask them to check for ANY other flags or issues on your account beyond just the appeal. Sometimes there are multiple holds that need to be cleared. Also have your decision letter handy with all the reference numbers - they'll need those to pull up your case quickly. The good news is once they manually release it, payments usually start flowing within 2-3 business days just like others mentioned here. I got all my back pay for every week I had certified during the appeal period. One tip that saved me time - try calling exactly at 8 AM when they open. The hold times are much shorter in the early morning vs later in the day. Good luck and congrats on winning your appeal!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently dealing with my own PA UC situation - filed an appeal 5 weeks ago after being denied for "voluntary separation" when I was actually laid off due to company restructuring. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such an eye-opener about how the system really works vs what they tell you to expect. The biggest takeaway for me is that winning the appeal is literally just the beginning - you then have to fight the system all over again to actually get your payments released! It's mind-boggling that the system doesn't automatically process payments after a favorable decision. I'm definitely saving all the practical tips shared here: calling at 8 AM sharp to avoid brutal hold times (@Victoria Stark thank you for that!), having all documentation ready including decision letter reference numbers, asking specifically about other potential flags on the account, and most importantly - being proactive instead of waiting for the system to work automatically. @Nathaniel Stewart - congratulations on getting everything resolved and thank you for sharing your entire journey with updates! The fact that you got paid within 2-3 days of calling vs others waiting months really drives home how critical it is to call immediately after getting a favorable decision. This community is doing what PA UC should be doing - actually helping people navigate the process with real information instead of useless official timelines. Will definitely update with my own experience once I get through this maze!

One more important thing to know: after you file, you may see an "open issue" on your claim while they verify your employment separation. This is normal and doesn't mean there's a problem. Since you're being laid off (not fired or quitting), you should be eligible without issues, but the verification can still take 2-3 weeks. If it takes longer, that's when you might want to try calling or using a service to reach them.

Just wanted to add from my experience - when you do file your initial claim, make sure you have your last employer's information ready including their federal tax ID number if possible. This speeds up the process. Also, even though you mentioned you've never filed before, don't let that stress you out - the online system walks you through everything step by step. I was also laid off after many years with the same company and was terrified about the whole process, but it's really not as complicated as it seems. The hardest part is just getting started. You've got this!

Welcome to the community! I'm new here but wanted to share some encouragement since I went through a vacate and remand situation about 5 months ago. Like everyone else has mentioned, this is definitely good news - it means the Board found significant issues with your original hearing process. My timeline was very similar: about 4 weeks to receive the new hearing notice, then another 3 weeks until the actual hearing date. One thing that really helped me was keeping a detailed log of all my preparation activities and deadlines, so I didn't miss anything important during the waiting period. Since you mentioned having restructuring emails that weren't submitted before, those could be crucial evidence! Also, if your company provided any kind of outplacement services or job search assistance as part of the layoff package, documentation of that can really help establish that this was an involuntary separation. The financial stress during this waiting period is incredibly difficult - I completely understand what you're going through. But based on everything you've described (the restructuring documentation, the Board's decision to vacate and remand, and all the encouraging success stories shared here), you seem to be in a really strong position. Make sure to keep filing your weekly claims, stay organized with your evidence, and remember that you'll be getting a completely fresh hearing with a new referee who hasn't seen any of the previous case details. You've got this!

I'm new to this community but wanted to add my voice to the chorus of encouragement! I went through a very similar vacate and remand situation about 7 months ago after my employer falsely claimed I had abandoned my position when I was actually laid off due to company downsizing. Everyone here is absolutely right - this is excellent news for you! The Board doesn't issue vacate and remand orders lightly, so they clearly identified significant problems with how your original case was handled. In my experience, the timeline was about 4.5 weeks to receive the new hearing notice, then another 3 weeks until the hearing date. One piece of advice I haven't seen mentioned yet: if you have any performance reviews or commendations from before the restructuring, bring those too. In my case, my employer tried to claim at the rehearing that my separation was really performance-related, but having recent positive reviews helped counter that narrative and reinforced that the layoff was purely due to business restructuring. Also, since you mentioned expressing concerns about the company direction during a team meeting, be prepared to explain that context clearly. Frame it as you being a concerned, engaged employee rather than someone who was dissatisfied and wanted to quit. The distinction is important for the hearing officer. I know the financial stress is overwhelming after 3+ months without income, but based on your description of having restructuring documentation and the Board's decision to remand, you're in a really strong position. Keep filing those weekly claims and stay confident - you've got this!

I've been using Chime for my PA unemployment benefits for about 2 months now and it's been working great! Just wanted to add my experience since I see some mixed responses here. My payments come in every Tuesday morning around 9-10 AM consistently. The setup process was straightforward - just make sure you enter your routing and account numbers correctly and that your name matches exactly between accounts. I did have about a 3-4 day delay on my very first payment while the system verified everything, but after that it's been like clockwork. One thing I really appreciate about using Chime is getting that instant mobile notification when the deposit hits, which gives me peace of mind that my payment came through. If you're on the fence about it, I'd say go for it - just double-check all your info before submitting!

I've been using Chime for my PA UC benefits for about 5 months now and wanted to share my experience since there seems to be some mixed feedback here. Overall it's worked really well - payments come in every Tuesday morning between 8-9 AM consistently. The key things I learned: 1) Make sure your legal name on both accounts matches EXACTLY (I had to update my Chime account to use my full legal name instead of a shortened version), 2) Double-check those routing/account numbers multiple times before submitting, and 3) Be patient with that first payment - mine took about 4 business days to process initially, but every payment since has been right on schedule. The mobile alerts from Chime are honestly one of my favorite parts since I know immediately when the deposit hits. If you're considering it, I'd definitely recommend going for it - just take your time with the setup to avoid any delays!

wait do we have to report hours or just days worked??? i thought we just had to tell them which DAYS we worked not the actual hours???

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago! I forgot to report 8 hours of work and panicked when I realized it. I ended up calling the UC office (took forever to get through) but the rep was really understanding since I was being proactive about fixing it. They adjusted my claim for that week and I had to pay back about $60 in overpayment, but no penalties since I reported it myself. The key is to NOT wait - the longer you wait, the worse it looks. Also, definitely don't try to "fix" it by adding hours to next week's claim - that will just make things worse. Good luck getting through on the phone!