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 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!

Congratulations on getting your payment! This is such a helpful thread for anyone going through the PA UC approval process. It's good to see that the 3 business day timeline is pretty reliable once you're truly approved with no outstanding issues. For future reference for anyone reading this - it sounds like the key things to watch out for are: making sure there are no hidden issues in your determination letters, keeping up with weekly certifications even during approval delays, and having your payment method properly set up. Thanks for updating us on the outcome!

This is such a great success story! I'm currently in week 2 of waiting for my verification issues to be resolved, so seeing that you got approved and received payment within 3 business days gives me hope. I've been stressing about my bills piling up while waiting. Quick question - when you say you had "verification issues" for 3 weeks, what kind of documents did they end up needing from you? I'm wondering if I'm missing something that could speed up my process. Thanks for sharing your experience and congrats on getting it sorted out!

Just wanted to add my recent experience for anyone else going through this - I got my determination letter last week and the payment hit my Money Network card after 3 business days. One thing I noticed that might help others is to check the "Payment History" section in your dashboard (not just the main claim status) because mine showed "Payment Issued" there a full day before the money actually appeared on my card. Also, if you're like me and obsessively checking your card balance, the payments usually post overnight between 2-4 AM from what I could tell. Hope this helps someone!

For anyone still following this thread, I wanted to share my timeline since I just went through this process. Got my determination letter on a Wednesday, and the payment showed up on my Money Network card the following Tuesday - so 4 business days total. What really helped was calling the Money Network customer service line (not PA UC) to verify my card was properly set up and there were no blocks on it. They were actually helpful and could see that a deposit was "pending" even before it showed up in my PA UC dashboard. If you're waiting and getting anxious, that might be worth a try since their hold times are way shorter than trying to reach PA UC directly.

I just wanted to share some hope with everyone here - I was in a similar situation last year and it did eventually get resolved! I waited 15 weeks total (including 4 weeks after they said it was "expedited"). What finally worked for me was calling first thing Monday morning at exactly 8:00 AM and asking to speak with a claims examiner about a "review status inquiry." I also mentioned I was facing financial hardship due to the delay. The examiner found that my file had been sitting in the wrong queue and was able to process it immediately. Got my backpay for all 15 weeks within 3 days. I know it's incredibly stressful and feels hopeless, but keep fighting and don't let them brush you off with generic responses. Document everything and be persistent! @Yuki Kobayashi - based on your timeline, I'd definitely try the hardship prioritization route that @Zoe Stavros mentioned. Hang in there!

Wow, reading through all these stories makes me realize I'm not alone in this frustrating situation! I'm currently at week 8 myself and just had a rep tell me they were "expediting" my claim yesterday. Based on what everyone is sharing here, it sounds like I should temper my expectations and prepare for several more weeks of waiting. The advice about asking specifically what TYPE of review and requesting a claims examiner instead of just any rep is incredibly valuable - I had no idea there was a difference! I'm going to try calling Monday at 8 AM sharp like @Emma Taylor suggested and use that exact phrase "review status inquiry." It's honestly ridiculous that we need to become experts in navigating their broken system just to get benefits we're entitled to, but this community is a lifesaver for sharing these insider tips. Thanks everyone for being so detailed about what worked (and didn't work) - it gives me hope and a much better game plan than just calling and hoping for the best.