I'm in almost the exact same boat as you! Had my PA UC appeal hearing 5 days ago and the waiting is absolutely brutal. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful though - I had no idea about some of these tips like setting up USPS informed delivery or checking the dashboard more frequently for status updates. The one thing that's giving me hope is that pretty much everyone who felt their hearing went well ended up getting approved. My referee was also very thorough and professional, asking detailed questions but staying completely neutral. I was worried that all the questions meant something bad, but it sounds like that's totally normal. Definitely taking everyone's advice about continuing to file weekly claims - almost made that mistake myself! Also starting a detailed log of everything like some people suggested. The whole process is so stressful when you're already dealing with financial uncertainty, but at least we're not going through it alone. Fingers crossed we both get good news soon!

Going through this exact same waiting period right now! Had my appeal hearing 10 days ago and checking my mailbox has become an obsession. The referee was super thorough, asked tons of questions to both me and my former employer, but stayed completely neutral the whole time. Reading everyone's experiences here is honestly keeping me sane - it's so reassuring to know this anxiety and uncertainty is totally normal. Definitely learned some great tips from this thread like setting up USPS informed delivery (just did that!) and checking the dashboard more frequently. Almost made the huge mistake of not filing my weekly claims but caught myself after reading Mae's warning. The whole system feels designed to stress us out, but at least we're all going through it together. Really hoping we all get favorable decisions soon - the financial stress combined with not knowing is just brutal. Thanks to everyone for sharing their timelines and experiences, it really helps to know what to expect!

This has been such an invaluable thread to read through! I'm currently on UC benefits and just started interviewing, so having this detailed roadmap ahead of time is incredibly reassuring. The step-by-step process everyone outlined is crystal clear: keep filing your weekly certifications until you actually begin working, then mark that you've returned to full-time employment on that final week's certification. What really struck me were all the warnings about people who just stopped filing and ended up with "irregular closure" flags on their accounts - that sounds like a bureaucratic nightmare I definitely want to avoid! I'm taking notes on all the pro tips too: keeping screenshots of submissions, setting phone reminders for that crucial final filing week, and even being aware that orientation days count as work. The bonus tip about employer tax incentives was completely unexpected but really smart. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - this community knowledge is so much more comprehensive than anything on the official PA UC site!

This thread has been such a goldmine of practical information! I'm currently on UC benefits and have been dreading the confusion around properly ending my claim when I find work, but now I feel so much more confident about the process. The clear consensus from everyone's experiences - keep filing until you actually start work, then mark your return to employment on that final certification - takes away all the guesswork. What really caught my attention were the multiple stories about "irregular closures" causing problems months later. I definitely don't want to deal with that headache! I'm bookmarking this thread and already planning to follow all the documentation tips (screenshots, confirmation emails) and set that phone reminder for my first week of work. The bonus insight about employer tax incentives was completely new to me too - definitely something I'll mention during onboarding when the time comes. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and created such a comprehensive guide. This is exactly why community knowledge is so valuable for navigating these complex government systems!

I'm currently going through this exact same situation! Had my PA UC appeal hearing just yesterday and my former employer was also a complete no-show. The referee waited about 25 minutes and tried calling them twice before proceeding without them. Reading through everyone's experiences here is incredibly reassuring! It's amazing to see how common employer no-shows actually are and how consistently they seem to work out in the claimant's favor. The timeline everyone's sharing (that 2-3 week window) gives me so much hope compared to some of the horror stories you hear about PA UC taking forever. I made sure to answer all the referee's questions thoroughly and brought all my documentation, even though there was no one there to challenge it. The referee seemed pretty frustrated that we all had to wait around for nothing, which I'm taking as a good sign. I'm definitely going to follow everyone's advice about watching my mailbox instead of obsessively checking the online portal, and I'll keep filing my weekly claims. The waiting is already driving me crazy and it's only been one day, but seeing all these success stories from employer no-shows is giving me hope that this will work out. Will definitely update everyone once I get my decision - hopefully it'll be another positive outcome to add to this thread! This community support is honestly a lifesaver when you're going through this stressful process.

I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now! Had my PA UC appeal hearing about 10 days ago and my former employer was also a complete no-show. The referee waited around 20 minutes and tried calling them multiple times before proceeding with just my testimony. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly helpful and reassuring! It's amazing to see how common employer no-shows actually are in PA UC appeals - I thought it was going to be some weird situation but apparently it happens all the time. The consistent timeline everyone's sharing (mostly 18-24 days) is giving me so much hope compared to some of the nightmare delays you hear about. I made sure to bring all my documentation and answer every question thoroughly during the hearing, even though there was no one there to challenge my testimony. The referee seemed pretty annoyed that my employer wasted everyone's time by not showing up, which I'm taking as a positive sign for my case. I've been following everyone's advice about keeping up with weekly claims and watching my mailbox instead of obsessively checking the online portal. The waiting is absolutely brutal when you're stressed about rent and bills, but seeing all these success stories from people who had employer no-shows is keeping me optimistic. Will definitely come back and update everyone once I get my decision - hopefully it'll be another positive outcome to add to this thread! This community has been such a lifesaver during this stressful process. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and timelines!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago in PA. Here's what I learned: definitely file the new claim even if you're worried about the earnings requirement. The worst that happens is you get denied, but sometimes there are programs or exceptions you don't know about. When I filed mine, I actually qualified under an alternative base period calculation that used wages from further back. Also, make sure you keep filing your weekly certifications even while the new claim is being processed - there can be delays and you don't want gaps in your documentation. The manufacturing sector has been tough but I've seen more postings lately, especially for skilled positions. Have you tried reaching out to temp agencies that specialize in manufacturing? They sometimes have connections to companies that aren't posting publicly yet.

I'm dealing with something similar right now - my benefit year expires in two weeks and I'm terrified about what happens next. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful, especially learning about the alternative base period calculation and the fact that PA now automatically checks for other programs before denying claims. It's frustrating that the system is so confusing and we have to rely on each other to figure out what our own government websites should be explaining clearly. I've been putting off filing my new claim because I was scared of getting rejected, but after seeing everyone's advice here I'm going to do it this week. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community really helps when you feel like you're navigating this mess alone.

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now too! Got my initial denial about 10 days ago because my employer claimed I was terminated for insubordination (completely false - I was laid off when they eliminated my position due to budget cuts), and just received the "determination vacated" message this morning. Like everyone else here, I was totally panicked thinking it meant something terrible happened to my claim! But reading through all these responses has been such a huge relief - it's amazing how this seems to be a common experience and actually indicates the system is working to catch employer misrepresentations. I have my official layoff letter that specifically mentions the position elimination and budget constraints, plus some emails from my supervisor discussing the departmental restructuring. Based on everyone's stories here, it sounds like having solid documentation that contradicts the employer's false narrative usually leads to a favorable new determination. The waiting and uncertainty is definitely the most stressful part, but I'm feeling so much more hopeful now knowing this is actually a positive development. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been infinitely more helpful than anything on the official PA UC website!

I'm currently going through this exact same situation! Got denied initially because my employer falsely claimed I was fired for poor performance when I was actually laid off as part of a company-wide workforce reduction. Just received the "determination vacated" message two days ago and was completely confused about what it meant - I thought it was bad news! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring. It's amazing how common this seems to be and how many employers apparently provide false information to avoid UC costs. I have my official layoff notice that clearly states it was due to workforce reduction affecting multiple departments, plus some internal communications about the company's restructuring plans. Based on all the positive outcomes shared in this thread, I'm feeling much more optimistic now that the new determination will be in my favor. The "determination vacated" status really does seem to be the system working correctly to catch these discrepancies rather than something to panic about. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories - this community support has been way more helpful than trying to navigate the confusing official UC resources! Keeping my fingers crossed that we all get our favorable new determinations soon.