I had a completely different experience at my appointment. My case was pretty similar - got laid off when my restaurant downsized in January, couldn't get through the system for weeks. When I finally got an appointment, they barely looked at my documents. The rep just asked a few questions, typed stuff into the computer for 15 minutes, and said "you're all set." My backdated payments showed up three days later. Guess it really depends on who you get!

One more important tip: if they say they can't backdate your claim during the appointment, ask them to document in their notes that you requested backdating and provide you with information about the appeal process. Sometimes the frontline staff can't approve certain things, but you can appeal the decision and often win. Also, many people don't realize that PA UC has a "Request for Backdating" form (UC-496) that you can fill out. While it's better to handle this in person at your appointment, having this form with you as backup isn't a bad idea. You can download it from the PA UC website under Forms.

I had same problem last year when I got laid off my job at the warehouse. Couldn't get nobody to pick up the phone for 3 weeks!!! My cousin told me to just go to the CareerLink office in person. They can't help directly with claims but the lady there helped me write an email to some special address they have for urgent cases. Got a call back the next day from UC.

Just wanted to check back - were you able to get through to someone? Did any of these suggestions help?

While we're discussing unemployment and taxes, I wanted to mention something that helped me when I had issues with my claim earlier this year. I couldn't get through to anyone at PA UC for weeks about my missing payments before filing taxes. Someone told me about Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they connected me directly to a UC agent without waiting on hold for hours. They have a video demo that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. It saved me so much time and frustration when I needed to get my 1099-G corrected before filing.

Back to the tax question - make sure you also see if you qualify for the Tax Forgiveness program in PA. If your total income is below certain thresholds (which vary based on number of dependents), you might not owe any state tax on your UC benefits. This is especially important if unemployment was your main source of income last year. You'll need to fill out Schedule SP with your PA return to claim this benefit. The income limits are fairly generous.

I got my final determination 3 weeks ago and STILL nothing. Called 63 times yesterday. This system is broken.

To summarize what everyone's saying: 1. Final monetary determination just establishes your eligibility and benefit amount 2. Switching payment methods typically causes a 7-10 day processing delay 3. Your "payment in process" status means money is coming, likely in 2-3 business days 4. After the first direct deposit, future payments should be more predictable The PA UC system doesn't communicate these details well, but it sounds like you're on track to receive your payment soon. If it doesn't arrive by Monday, then you'll need to contact them directly.

UPDATE: The money hit my account this morning! All 3 weeks worth of benefits came at once. Thanks everyone for your help and advice. For anyone finding this post later, it took exactly 4 business days from receiving the approval letter to getting the funds deposited.

That's great news! Just remember to keep filing your weekly certifications every Sunday for continued payments. And make sure you're keeping track of your work search activities - you need to complete at least 2 per week and document them in your UC account. They do random audits and if they ask for proof and you don't have it, you could end up with an overpayment issue.

UPDATE: For anyone finding this thread later - the system came back online around 4:30 PM. Looks like all scheduled payments processed normally during the outage. I called Money Network customer service and they said it was scheduled maintenance that took longer than expected, but they admitted they should have notified cardholders in advance. They suggested signing up for text alerts for future maintenance notices.

This happened to me last month when I was trying to buy groceries! Card got declined at the register and I couldn't check my balance. So embarrassing! Had to put everything back and come home to find out the system was just down for maintenance. They really need to warn us before doing these updates. BTW has anyone had problems with the Money Network ATMs at Sheetz? Last two times I tried, they were out of cash!

Update: I've been trying to call for two days with no luck - just busy signals or the automated message saying call volume is too high. Going to try that Claimyr service tomorrow if I still can't get through. Will update again when I have news. Thanks everyone for your help!

Final update: Used Claimyr this morning and got through to UC in about 25 minutes! The rep was actually really helpful. She cleared the 6x WBA issue immediately after checking my wages. For the employer issue, since they're making the same arguments as before, she's escalating it to a supervisor for review instead of sending me to another hearing! Said I should hear back within 5 business days. Such a relief - thanks again everyone for your advice!

OK so I just filed my new claim after my benefit year ended. The system is showing "pending" right now. I'm still so nervous about what's going to happen. I really appreciate everyone's help and advice here. I'll update once I hear something back from UC about whether I'm approved or denied for a new benefit year.

When my benefit year ended last month, I had major problems with my new application because the system didn't recognize my employer's business ID correctly. I ended up getting a denial letter with incorrect information. After trying to call for three days straight and never getting through, I found out about claimyr.com from a friend. They connected me to a PA UC agent who fixed everything in one call. My new claim went from denied to approved in 48 hours after they corrected the employer information. Just sharing in case anyone else runs into similar issues.

THEY DO THIS ON PURPOSE!!!! Make the system impossible to use so people give up and don't file claims. Saves them millions in benefits they don't have to pay out. I worked for the state (not UC dept) and heard people talking about it. The glitches aren't accidents!!

For what it's worth, I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above when I had a similar issue last month and it actually did get me through to a real person who fixed my claim. Felt kinda weird paying to reach a government service I should be able to access for free, but after wasting 3 days trying to get through, it was worth it to me. The rep was able to see my partial applications and complete my claim over the phone.

To answer the original question directly: The ideal timing to contact your state representative is after you've made at least 3-4 documented attempts to resolve the issue through normal PA UC channels over a 2-3 week period. This shows you've done your due diligence. When you contact them, be sure to mention exactly what steps you've already taken (dates of calls, emails, etc.) and provide them with all relevant claim information. For those wondering about jurisdiction, contact the representative for your home address district, not your work location. And to clarify something mentioned above - state representatives can help with ALL types of claims, including regular UC, Trade, and UC Connect claims.

I'm actually dealing with something similar right now... My benefits have been pending for 3 weeks and I can't get through to anyone. How exactly did you contact your state rep? Did you call their office or email them? Did you have to provide any specific info about your claim? Sorry for all the questions but I'm getting desperate here! My landlord isn't going to wait much longer...