Just a follow-up question - when you say your hours were cut "drastically," how many hours are you still working? For partial unemployment, most states require your hours to be reduced by at least 20%, and your current weekly earnings need to be less than your weekly benefit amount. Make sure you're actually eligible for partial before going through this whole interstate process.

With that significant reduction in hours, you should definitely qualify for partial benefits. Just to summarize what you need to do: 1. Contact NJ unemployment to file an interstate claim against your PA wages 2. Specifically mention you're a NJ resident who only worked in PA 3. Be prepared to provide all your PA employment information 4. Once your claim is accepted, file weekly claims with NJ 5. Be patient as interstate claims take longer (potentially 6-8 weeks) And keep detailed records of all your communications with both states' unemployment offices.

my buddys claim took 7 weeks last month. just keep filing ur weekly claims and ull get all the backpay. pa system is garbage right now

Update from someone who just went through this: I found out that as of April 2025, PA UC is prioritizing claims in this order: 1. First-time claims with no issues (2-3 weeks) 2. First-time claims with simple issues (4-6 weeks) 3. Reopened claims without issues (5-7 weeks) 4. Reopened claims with issues (7-10 weeks) 5. Claims with multiple issues or appeals (10+ weeks) So unfortunately, your timeline of 6 weeks for a reopened claim is actually within their current "normal" processing window. It's completely unfair, but at least you have an idea of what to expect now.

I work as an unemployment advocate (not for PA UC, but for a non-profit that helps people navigate the system). Here's what you need to know: 1. You MUST certify weekly between Sunday-Friday (not just Sunday). 2. For AirBnB income, PA has a specific "sideline business exclusion" that applies if: - You owned/operated it before becoming unemployed - You're not working more hours at it than before - It's not the cause of your unemployment 3. You should request a determination on your sideline business by submitting form UC-1487 "Questionnaire for Claimant Operating a Business." You can upload this through your dashboard or mail it. 4. Until you receive a determination, the safest approach is to report the income. If they later determine it's excluded, you'll receive any difference in benefits retroactively. 5. When reporting, use your NET income for the week (after business expenses). For AirBnB, this would be your booking revenue minus cleaning fees, supplies, etc. The inconsistent screens are a known issue with PA's system when dealing with self-employment. Document everything and keep detailed records of what you report each week.

Thank you all so much for the helpful responses! I've downloaded the UC-1487 form and will submit it today, along with documentation showing I've had the AirBnB business for 2 years before my layoff. I'll continue certifying weekly (now I know I don't have to wait for Sunday!) and will report the net income consistently while waiting for the determination. I'll also check out Claimyr to try getting through to an actual person who can maybe expedite the examiner review. This has been incredibly stressful, but I feel much better equipped now to handle it properly. Will update once I get a determination!

so did u figure it out?? did u fix ur claim?? im curious bc i might be in the same boat soon lol

Good luck with your appeal! One final suggestion - keep detailed records of all your communications with UC, including screenshots of your claim status changes and copies of any documents you submit. This documentation can be invaluable if you need to prove anything later in the process.

hey just wondering did u apply for jobs in ur field or just any random jobs? my friend said u can get in trouble if ur not applying to jobs similar to what u had before

Just to be super clear for everyone reading this thread: PA UC requires 3 work search activities EVERY WEEK, and you have to report these activities when you file your weekly certification. Many people get disqualified because they did the activities but forgot to report them. And yes, they can and DO audit people randomly!

I went through this exact situation back in January. The UC system and CareerLink don't communicate properly regarding RESEA exemptions. My payments weren't stopped, but I did have to clear up the confusion. The key is to call UC (yes, it's hard to get through) and clearly explain: 1. You registered as required 2. Your account shows you're exempt from RESEA 3. You've been completing weekly work search activities Have your screenshots ready to email while on the phone with them. In my case, they immediately removed the issue once they saw my exemption status. And definitely keep filing your weekly claims while this gets resolved.

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at UC this morning using that Claimyr service someone recommended here. The agent confirmed I AM exempt from RESEA and there was a system error. They removed the issue on the spot and said my benefits won't be affected! Such a relief. For anyone with a similar problem - definitely get screenshots of your exemption status and call UC directly. The wait to get through normally is awful but worth it to get this fixed.

i think you can also do this on the pa uc website somewhere in your dashboard. theres an option to request backdating i remember seeing it when i had to file last year but never used it

UPDATE: I just wanted to thank everyone for the advice! I filled out the UC-700 form and gathered all my documentation (layoff notice, NJ application confirmation, and denial letter). I also tried calling the PA UC service center but kept getting busy signals for two days straight. I decided to try Claimyr as someone suggested, and actually got through to a PA UC agent! The agent was super helpful and understanding of my situation. She said that since I filed in NJ promptly after becoming unemployed and only filed late with PA because of incorrect information, they should be able to backdate my claim to my original layoff date in November. She put notes in my account and said I should still submit the UC-700 form with my documentation to officially request the backdating. She mentioned it could take 2-3 weeks to process but looks promising! I'll update again when I hear back. THANK YOU all for your help!!!

just wondering does anyone know if theres any special extensions available right now? i heard something about extended benefits for certian industries???

One thing I wished I'd known earlier in my benefit year: if you find part-time work, you might still qualify for partial benefits, AND those weeks of partial benefits don't fully count against your 26 weeks. For example, if you earn enough to reduce your benefit by 60%, that week only counts as 0.4 weeks against your total. This can effectively stretch your benefit period beyond 26 calendar weeks. Might be worth considering if you can find part-time work!

i always get mine on thursdays for some reason even tho i file sundays. think it depends on your bank too

Just to follow up on your work search question - PA requires 2 work search activities per week, but you only need to provide the details if specifically requested during an audit. However, you should be keeping detailed records of: - Date of activity - Employer name and contact info - Position applied for - Method of application (online, in-person, etc.) - Any response received Acceptable activities include job applications, interviews, taking civil service tests, posting resumes on job sites, registering with placement agencies, and attending job fairs. The PA CareerLink workshops also count.

i never got mine last year and did my taxes without it lol nothing bad happened

For everyone's reference, here's what you need to know about PA UC 1099-Gs: 1) The deadline to furnish these forms is January 31st (by law) 2) Electronic filers can access them faster through the UC portal 3) Paper forms may take until mid-February to arrive by mail 4) If you don't receive it by February 7th, call the UC Tax Form services at 1-888-313-7284 5) You can request a duplicate through your online account 6) ALL unemployment compensation is taxable income and must be reported 7) PA doesn't tax UC benefits at the state level, but the federal government does Hope this helps!