@OP glad you got this sorted but BE CAREFUL - they told me the same thing about "investigating" and then did NOTHING for 2 months! Keep calling every week until they actually fix it in writing. Don't trust anything they say over the phone unless you get it in writing too!!!

Just wanted to share my experience since I went through this exact same thing about 6 months ago. Got an overpayment notice for $6,200 when I had only received $4,100 total. Turned out they had flagged some of my part-time work as "unreported" even though I had reported it correctly every single week. The problem was their system didn't properly match my employer's quarterly wage report with my weekly certifications. It took about 3 months to get fully resolved, but they eventually waived the entire overpayment once I provided all my documentation. Key things that helped: 1) I kept copies of EVERY weekly certification I filed showing my reported earnings, 2) Got my employer to provide a letter confirming the dates and amounts I worked, and 3) Printed out all my bank deposits to show the timeline. Don't give up - these notices are wrong more often than they're right!

I'm so sorry to hear about your mother's emergency surgery - what an incredibly stressful situation to be dealing with while you're already managing the challenges of unemployment and your recent appeal win. After reading through all the responses here, it's absolutely clear that you should NOT file claims while you're abroad, even for such a legitimate family emergency. The experiences shared by others about fraud investigations, overpayment penalties, and the strict enforcement of this rule really drive home how serious PA UC is about this requirement. A couple of additional thoughts that might help: - Since you just won your appeal after 6 weeks of fighting, make sure you have digital copies of all that documentation backed up somewhere safe before you travel - you don't want to risk losing any of that hard-earned paperwork - Consider reaching out to any local Mexican-American community organizations in your area before you leave - they sometimes have resources or emergency funds specifically to help families dealing with medical emergencies abroad - When you return, you might want to have a brief written summary of your travel dates and the reason for your absence ready, just to make the restart process as smooth as possible The three weeks without benefits will definitely be a financial challenge, especially with emergency travel costs, but you're absolutely doing the right thing by following the rules and being there for your mom during her recovery. Your claim will be waiting for you when you get back, and hopefully your restaurant job will be understanding about the family emergency. Wishing your mother a successful surgery and speedy recovery. You're being a wonderful son by prioritizing her health and wellbeing during this critical time.

I'm really sorry to hear about your mother's emergency surgery - that must be incredibly overwhelming to deal with while you're already navigating unemployment challenges. After reading through all the advice in this thread, the message is crystal clear: absolutely do NOT file claims while you're abroad, even for such a legitimate family emergency. The stories people have shared about fraud investigations and overpayment penalties really show how seriously PA UC takes this rule. I wanted to add something I haven't seen mentioned yet - since you'll be in Mexico for 3 weeks, you might want to let your bank and credit card companies know about your travel plans. This can help avoid any cards getting frozen for suspicious international activity, especially if you need to make emergency purchases for your mom's care. Also, consider downloading offline maps and translation apps before you leave, and maybe research local resources near where your mom will be recovering - knowing where hospitals, pharmacies, and other essential services are located could be really helpful if complications arise. The financial hit from missing three weeks of benefits plus emergency travel costs is going to be tough, but your mom needs you right now and your claim will definitely be waiting when you return. Document everything carefully and be honest when you resume filing - the community here has shown that transparency is always the best approach. Wishing your mother a successful surgery and smooth recovery. You're doing the right thing by being there for her during this critical time.

Just to add some clarity here - while separation determinations can take time, the PA UC system has improved somewhat since last year. The current average wait is about 5-6 weeks for contested separations. Yes, it's still too long, but not quite the 11 weeks some experienced during the peak backlogs. My advice is to: 1. File all back weeks immediately 2. Upload any documentation supporting your case 3. If you haven't heard anything after 5 weeks, try contacting them 4. Keep filing your weekly claims while waiting for the determination 5. Document all your job search activities (2 per week minimum) And don't lose hope. Many contested claims are still approved when the evidence supports the claimant's case.

I'm going through something similar right now! Filed my claim 4 weeks ago and just got approved to claim back pay for 3 weeks, but still waiting on my separation determination. My former employer is also contesting it (they're claiming misconduct when I was actually part of a department closure). From what I've read in other threads here, the back pay approval is mostly procedural - it just means the system is ready to process those weeks IF your separation gets approved. But like others said, definitely file those weekly certifications right away. I did mine yesterday and it felt good to at least make some progress while waiting. Has anyone here had success appealing if the initial determination goes against you? I'm trying to prepare for all possibilities since my employer has been pretty aggressive about fighting UC claims from our whole department.

I've been on PA UC for about 2 months now and had the exact same problem with unpredictable payments! What finally worked for me was a combination of things: 1. I switched to filing every Sunday at 9pm religiously - before that I was doing it randomly during the week and my payments were chaos 2. Set up a bank alert for deposits over my benefit amount ($275 in my case) 3. Most importantly - I created a shortcut on my phone to the UC Payment History page and check it every Tuesday morning. Like everyone else said, it shows "Paid" status 12-24 hours before your bank gets the money My payments now consistently hit Wednesday afternoons, but knowing Tuesday morning that it's been processed eliminates all the anxiety. The whole PA system really needs better notifications, but at least these workarounds make it manageable. Pro tip: if you're ever late filing (like past Tuesday), it can throw off your whole payment schedule for that week. Learned that one the hard way!

I've been dealing with this same issue for the past 8 weeks! What's helped me get some consistency is setting up a system similar to what others have mentioned, but with a slight twist. I file every Sunday night at exactly 10pm (set a phone alarm for it), then I check the UC Payment History page every Tuesday at lunch. Once it shows "Paid" status, I know the money will hit my account within 24 hours - usually by Wednesday evening or Thursday morning. For notifications, I set up a text alert through my bank app for any deposit over $250 (my weekly benefit amount). This has been way more reliable than hoping the state sends something. One thing I discovered that might help: if you have multiple bank accounts, try switching your direct deposit to a different bank. I was originally using Chase and deposits were super unpredictable. I switched to a local community bank and now my timing is much more consistent - they seem to process ACH transfers faster than the big banks. Also, make sure to check that "Issues" tab in your UC dashboard if a payment seems delayed. Sometimes there are holds or problems that they don't notify you about directly.

i had the same situation last month where i got approved but hadnt gotten my card yet. once i activated my card all my back payments were there waiting for me! just make sure you check your mail carefully, the envelope is pretty plain and I almost threw mine away thinking it was junk mail!

Congrats on finally getting approved! I went through a similar situation last year with open issues that took forever to resolve. From my experience, once you see that payment date on your dashboard, you're usually looking at 2-4 business days for Money Network cards. Since today is Monday and your payment date shows today, I'd expect to see it by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest. The good news is that once your first payment goes through, future payments are usually much faster. Hang in there - you're almost at the finish line!