This is absolutely infuriating! Your employer submitting "new evidence" claiming misconduct AFTER you already won your appeal reeks of retaliation. The fact that you have text messages from your manager confirming it was a layoff is going to be crucial - that's exactly the kind of documentation that wins these cases. When you file your appeal, make sure to emphasize the suspicious timing. If your employer had legitimate misconduct evidence, why didn't they present it during the original hearing? The Board of Review needs to see that this is clearly an attempt to reverse a decision they didn't like. Also, try to gather any additional evidence about the restaurant's business conditions at the time - old schedules showing reduced hours, any documentation of other layoffs, social media posts about being slow, anything that supports the legitimate business reason for the layoff. You're doing everything right by getting legal aid involved and acting quickly on the appeal. Don't let this employer intimidate you with their false claims. The system may be broken in many ways, but when you have solid documentation like those texts, justice usually prevails. Keep us updated on how the Board of Review hearing goes!

I'm really glad you were able to get through to UC and figure out what's actually happening! Your employer claiming misconduct AFTER you already won your appeal is completely outrageous - that timing alone makes their claim look like pure retaliation. Those text messages from your manager are going to be your strongest evidence. When you submit your appeal, I'd suggest also including: - A timeline showing when your employer first submitted this "misconduct" claim vs. when your original hearing took place - Any other documentation from that time period (schedules, pay stubs, etc.) that shows you were a regular employee in good standing - Information about the restaurant's business conditions and any other layoffs that happened around the same time The fact that they waited until after losing to suddenly "remember" misconduct evidence is going to be a huge red flag for the Board of Review. No legitimate employer sits on misconduct evidence during an appeal hearing and then springs it afterward. You're handling this exactly right by getting legal aid involved and acting quickly on the deadline. This kind of employer behavior is exactly why the appeals process exists - to protect workers from false claims and retaliation. Keep fighting this, you have a strong case!

That's awesome that your payment came through! For anyone else reading this thread who might be in a similar situation, I just wanted to add that if you're ever concerned about whether your direct deposit info is correct in the system, you can actually verify it by logging into your PA UC dashboard and checking under "Payment Information" or "Direct Deposit Details." It will show the last 4 digits of your account and routing number. Also, keep in mind that federal holidays can add an extra day to the processing time, so if there's a holiday between your payment date and when you expect to receive it, factor that in. Glad everything worked out for you!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who's been through this process multiple times - once you see those transaction numbers, you're basically in the home stretch! The 2-3 business day timeline everyone mentioned is pretty accurate in my experience. One thing I learned the hard way is to screenshot your payment details page when the transaction numbers first appear, just in case there are any issues later and you need to reference them when calling customer service. Also, if you have mobile banking, you might get a notification as soon as the deposit hits even if it's outside normal banking hours. Fingers crossed your money comes through soon and you can get caught up on rent!

UPDATE: Thanks everyone for your help! I finally used Claimyr this morning and got through to an agent in about 30 minutes. Turns out there WAS an issue with my claim that wasn't showing on my dashboard. They had sent a request to my former employer for separation information, but it was sent to an outdated address. The agent verified my information over the phone and manually updated the status. She said I should receive all my back payments within 5-7 business days, and my Money Network card should arrive shortly after that. Such a relief to finally know what was happening! I'll update again when the money actually arrives.

Congratulations on getting this resolved! This is such a perfect example of why people shouldn't give up even when the system seems broken. Your story will definitely help others in similar situations - the fact that employer separation info was sent to the wrong address and wasn't visible in your portal shows how many hidden issues can cause delays. Really glad you found this community and got the help you needed. Looking forward to hearing when your payments actually hit your account!

This whole thread is so helpful! I'm in week 4 of trying to reach someone about my claim that's been stuck in "under review" status. I've tried calling hundreds of times with no luck. Definitely going to try the 7:59am strategy and look into Claimyr since so many people here had success with it. Also didn't know about the CareerLink offices - there's one about 15 minutes from me so I'll check that out too. It's honestly crazy that we need all these workarounds just to get help with something as basic as unemployment benefits, but I'm grateful for this community sharing real solutions. Will update if I make any progress!

Just wanted to add another tip that worked for me - if you're getting the "high call volume" message, don't hang up right away. Sometimes if you stay on the line for a few minutes, it will actually put you in a queue instead of just disconnecting. I discovered this by accident when I got distracted and left the call going, and suddenly I was talking to an agent! Also, try calling on Wednesdays or Thursdays - seems like Mondays and Fridays are the absolute worst for getting through. The system is definitely broken but don't give up!

I'm glad you got your appeal filed! One more recommendation - check your PA UC portal daily while waiting for your appeal hearing to be scheduled. They often post updates there before you receive anything in the mail, and sometimes they request additional information with tight deadlines. Also, while you're waiting, continue your job search activities and document everything. PA requires you to complete and record work search activities weekly (applying to jobs, attending job fairs, etc.). If they decide in your favor, they'll check that you've been meeting these requirements before releasing payment.

I went through almost the exact same situation last year! My employer also claimed I quit when I was actually terminated after medical leave. Here's what helped me win my appeal: 1. Organize everything chronologically - I made a folder with all documents in date order 2. Practice explaining your situation clearly and concisely - you'll need to tell your story during the hearing 3. Don't let your employer's lies rattle you during the hearing - stick to facts and your documentation 4. The hearing officer will ask both you and your employer questions, so be prepared to respond to whatever claims they make My appeal took about 6 weeks total and I did win with back pay for all the weeks I filed. The key was having that termination email - it sounds like you have solid documentation too. Stay strong and don't give up! The system is frustrating but appeals do work when you have proof like you do. Also, definitely keep filing your weekly claims like others mentioned. I almost made the mistake of stopping during my appeal and would have lost weeks of benefits.