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PA UC withholding benefits due to RESEA meeting I already completed - got overpayment notice too!
I'm at my wits end with PA unemployment! I just got TWO letters today - one saying they're withholding my benefits because I didn't attend a RESEA appointment from 2 months ago, and another claiming I have an overpayment on my account. Here's the crazy part - I DID attend the RESEA meeting! Yes, I rescheduled it late, but I completed the phone call 2 months ago with the career counselor who went through all my job search activities. We were on the phone for almost an hour! She even told me everything looked good at the end of our call. Now out of nowhere, they're cutting off my money AND saying I owe them for an overpayment? How does that make any sense? I've been filing every week, doing all my work searches, uploading everything to the portal. I have records of the RESEA call - even wrote down the counselor's name and employee ID. Has anyone dealt with this kind of mess before? I'm guessing I need to file an appeal, but how long is that going to take? I have bills due next week and was counting on this payment. The whole system is a nightmare. At this point I'd rather work at McDonald's than deal with PA UC for one more week!
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PA UC hearing after employer's appeal was 'quashed' - do I need to attend in person?
So my situation is weird and I'm freaking out. I was let go from my job about 15 months ago for what my boss called "dishonesty" (it was total BS - she basically didn't like that I documented everything in emails). I applied for PA unemployment, was approved, and collected benefits for almost a year without issues. Here's where it gets crazy - my ex-employer filed an appeal A FULL YEAR after I started collecting! The UC office reviewed everything including my email documentation and ruled in my favor, stating her reason for firing me wasn't intentional misconduct based on "substantial evidence." The decision literally said her claim was "hereby quashed." But now, just 3 days after that decision, I got notice she's filed ANOTHER appeal and they're scheduling a hearing. Is she allowed to keep appealing forever?? The thing is, I absolutely cannot handle seeing this woman face-to-face. She made my life hell and I've been in therapy because of her. Do I HAVE to physically attend this hearing? Can I do it by phone? What happens if I just don't show up? I really don't want to risk losing my benefits, but the thought of being in the same room with her makes me physically ill.
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i dont get why ur stressing so much. just go to the hearing and tell the truth. if you didn't do anything wrong you'll be fine. i've been through 3 of these hearings and won each time. the refs are actually pretty fair.
The issue isn't about telling the truth - I'm happy to do that. The problem is my severe anxiety about being in the same room with my former employer who was emotionally abusive. That's why I'm asking specifically about phone options.
oh my bad, didn't read carefully. yeah definitely ask for phone then, they do that all the time now. i had my last one over the phone in january
I went through something very similar about 6 months ago - toxic boss, documented everything, won the first appeal, then she filed for reconsideration. The good news is that since you already won once with substantial evidence, you're in a strong position. Here's what worked for me: - Called the UC office immediately and requested a phone hearing due to "workplace harassment trauma" - they approved it same day - Organized all my emails chronologically and made a simple timeline - Practiced explaining the situation calmly in 2-3 minutes max - Had a friend listen to me rehearse so I wouldn't ramble during the hearing The reconsideration hearing was actually shorter than the original appeal because the referee already had the full case file. I just had to reaffirm my previous testimony and answer a few follow-up questions. Won again and my ex-boss finally gave up. You've got this! The documentation you mentioned is your strongest asset. Don't let her intimidate you into not participating - she's clearly hoping you'll just give up.
Has anyone successfully won a PA UC appeal against a referee's decision?
I just got my referee decision in the mail yesterday and I'm completely shocked. They denied my PA UC benefits saying I didn't have 'good cause' for leaving my job, but my employer literally cut my hours from 40 to 15 per week! I couldn't pay my bills on that! The referee claimed this wasn't a 'substantial' change in working conditions. I have 15 days to file an appeal to the UC Board of Review but I'm wondering if it's even worth it? Has anyone here actually succeeded in overturning a referee's decision on appeal? What kind of evidence helped your case? I'm so stressed about this - I've got about $8,400 riding on this decision and don't know what to do next.
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One more important thing - if you haven't already, request a copy of the "Record of Testimony" from your referee hearing ASAP. You'll need to review it to identify any factual errors or misstatements in your appeal. You can request it by calling the UC Service Center or the referee's office directly. If the referee misunderstood any facts or your employer said something inaccurate, this is your chance to point it out to the Board of Review.
Thank you! I'll call tomorrow to request that transcript. The referee definitely got some facts wrong about my specific situation - like saying I "agreed" to the reduced hours when I actually told my manager I couldn't survive on them but had no choice in the short term.
I'm going through something similar right now - my hours got cut from 32 to 18 per week and I'm waiting on my referee decision. Reading through all these responses gives me hope that there might be options even if the referee denies me initially. The advice about calculating the exact percentage reduction and having documentation ready is really helpful. @Zara Shah - definitely sounds like you have a strong case with that 62.5% reduction! That's way more than the typical 30% threshold everyone's mentioning. I'm keeping track of this thread to see how your appeal goes. Good luck with everything!
7 months waiting for PA UC decision after hearing - need urgent contact info
I'm at my wits end with PA unemployment! Filed back in Oct 2024 and here we are in May 2025 - SEVEN MONTHS later and still nothing. They put me through a whole hearing process about a month ago (had to explain why I was let go from my retail job) and I haven't heard a single word since. My dashboard just says 'pending hearing decision' and nothing happens. I've called the regular UC number literally 80+ times but either get disconnected or it just rings forever. Does anyone know any actual working phone numbers to reach a real human? I've got bills piling up and this whole thing feels like a sick joke at this point. Any advice appreciated because I honestly don't know what else to do.
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One more important thing - if your financial situation is dire while waiting, you may qualify for emergency assistance through your county assistance office. This won't impact your unemployment claim and can help with basic needs while your case is pending. You can apply online through COMPASS.
Thank you - I didn't know about this option. Things are definitely getting tight financially so I'll look into this too. Appreciate all the help everyone has offered here.
I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! Filed my claim in November 2024, had my hearing in March, and it's now been 6 weeks with absolutely nothing. The worst part is my dashboard still shows "pending hearing decision" but when I try to call, I either get hung up on or told they can't give me any timeline updates. I've been trying the 8am calling strategy but haven't gotten through yet. Reading all these responses gives me some hope that I'm not alone in this mess. I'm definitely going to try contacting my state rep tomorrow and maybe look into that Claimyr service too. This whole system is beyond broken when people are waiting 7+ months for basic unemployment benefits!
PA UC holding ALL benefits because of my small Uber Eats earnings - two weeks without pay!
Is anyone else dealing with PA UC holding ALL your payments because of minimal gig work? I started doing Uber Eats deliveries in January to make SOME extra cash while job hunting. Earned $82 last week and reported it on my weekly claim like you're supposed to. Now my ENTIRE benefit payment is "pending review" and has been for 9 days! Called yesterday and waited 2.5 hours to speak with someone who just said "we need to verify your earnings" and that it would take "additional time." Meanwhile I'm falling behind on EVERYTHING. I thought we could earn up to $195 weekly without reduction? Why is $82 of Uber Eats causing them to withhold EVERYTHING? Makes me feel like they punish you for trying to work. Anyone have experience with this or know how to get it resolved? Rent is due next week and I'm starting to panic.
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UPDATE: Finally got this resolved! Called again using the advice here and specifically asked for an "earnings verification interview" like someone suggested. Got transferred to a claims examiner who reviewed my Uber Eats earnings on the spot. She verified my hours (only 4.5 total for the week) and confirmed I'm still available for full-time work. All my held payments should be released within 48 hours! She also noted my account that future Uber Eats earnings under the threshold shouldn't trigger a hold as long as I keep documenting my work search efforts. Thanks everyone for your help!
That's great news! Glad you got it sorted out. For future reference, keep documenting everything meticulously. I actually take screenshots of my gig work earnings every week now and upload them proactively before they even ask, and I haven't had any more payment delays.
Congrats on getting it resolved! This is such valuable info for others dealing with the same issue. I'm currently going through something similar with my Grubhub earnings - been waiting 12 days now for them to review a $95 week. Going to call tomorrow and specifically ask for that "earnings verification interview" you mentioned. Did they ask you for any specific documentation during the call, or was it just verbal verification of your hours and job search activities?
Melody Miles
Hey just wondering did u get this resolved? Im having similar issues with PA UC and getting nowhere fast
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Sophia Carter
AuthorYes! Finally got it fixed! I used that Claimyr service to get through to someone yesterday and explained the whole situation. The rep was actually really helpful once I got them on the phone. She confirmed I did complete the RESEA meeting and put a note on my account. My payment was released this morning! The overpayment is still under appeal but at least my current benefits are coming through again. Such a relief after dealing with this stress for days!
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Luca Greco
I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation right now - got a letter saying I didn't attend my RESEA meeting even though I completed it over the phone 3 weeks ago. The counselor even sent me a follow-up email confirming everything was good to go. Now they're threatening to cut my benefits and I'm panicking because I have car payments due next week. Reading through all these responses gives me hope that this can actually be resolved. I'm going to file my appeal tonight and try that Claimyr service tomorrow if I can't get through by calling directly. It's insane that we have to jump through all these hoops when we're already doing everything they require. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know I'm not alone in this mess!
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