One more thing - make sure you keep detailed records of all your work search activities. PA requires you to keep these records for two years, and they do random audits. For each work search activity, document: - Date of the activity - Type of activity (application, interview, job fair, etc.) - Company name and contact info - Position applied for - Result (if any) This is especially important while receiving partial benefits. Many people get caught up in the partial work and forget to keep up with their work searches, which can lead to benefit denials.

Yes, attending networking events specifically focused on employment opportunities does count as a work search activity in PA. The senior job networking group would qualify. Regarding your severance agreement, you should have it ready during your initial application. There will be questions about severance during the application process, and you may need to provide the agreement either during the initial filing or shortly after. Remember that even though you're 68, you're still eligible for your full benefit entitlement. Your claim isn't affected by your age, only by your work history, earnings, and current part-time income.

idk if this will help but i noticed if u keep calling and hanging up repeatedly for like 15-20 mins sometimes you eventually get past the busy signal. worked for me twice but took forever lol

Quick update - I actually tried calling today for a follow-up on my claim and got through on my third attempt around 2:15pm. Maybe they've fixed something in their phone system? Or perhaps it's just less busy in the middle of the week. Might be worth trying at off-peak times.

The whole PA UC payment system is a JOKE! I've had pay dates that took 3 days to actually show up on my card!!! And when you call to ask why, nobody can give you a straight answer. They just say "it takes 1-2 business days" like robots. Meanwhile bills are due and we're supposed to just wait around wondering if we'll have money to pay them. I HATE how they keep us in the dark about EXACTLY when payments will post. It's our money and we deserve to know!

hey did ur money show up yet? curious if u got it at midnight

i started a job in febuary and messed up my claim now they say i owe $840 back!! be real careful!!

One more important thing: make sure to enter the correct employment type when filing. Since you mentioned this is a regular job (not self-employment or contract work), select "Regular Employment" when prompted. If you worked any partial days, count those hours accurately. Keep documentation of your hours and earnings for at least a year. PA UC sometimes conducts random audits months later, and having records of your final weeks will protect you. Many people forget this step and face problems later. Congratulations again on the new position!

the whole pa unemployment system is rigged to deny benefits. they make it IMPOSSIBLE to follow all their stupid rules then penalize us when their broken website doesn't work!!! i had to fight for 2 months last year for similar issue and almost got evicted waiting for money i EARNED. complete nightmare honestly.

UPDATE: I wanted to thank everyone for their advice! I ended up going to my local CareerLink office in person as suggested, and the woman there was amazing. She called someone at UC directly and explained the situation. They were able to see in their system that I had tried to schedule before appointments were available. The hold was removed from my account today and my payment is now listed as "in progress"! Should get my money in 2-3 business days they said. For anyone else facing this issue, definitely try the in-person CareerLink route if possible!

dont waste ur time calling normally!!!! use that claimyr thing someone posted about or ull just get frustrated. i spent 3 DAYS trying to get through and kept getting busy signals. not worth the stress

UPDATE: I managed to get through to someone at UC this morning! They explained that the 3 weeks they didn't pay were flagged because I had reported some part-time income on one of those weeks. They need to verify my earnings with that employer before releasing payment. The rep estimated another 10-14 days for the review to be completed. At least now I know why there's a delay. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

my cousin works for unemployment office says theyll be updating more stuff all month

Quick update: The PA UC office just posted on their official Twitter account that they're aware of some minor glitches with the work search reporting section of the new website. They recommend taking screenshots of your work search activities before submitting just in case. They expect to have these issues resolved by next week. Your benefits shouldn't be delayed as long as you completed the claim and received any type of confirmation.

i tried to change my direct deposit info and the website crashed halfway thru. ended up with NO PAYMENT for 3 weeks because the system got confused. had to call 57 times before i got through to someone to fix it. make sure u have time to complete the whole process without interruption.

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I'm going to wait until after my next payment hits the Money Network card, then make the switch to Chime on a Sunday evening when the website traffic should be lower. I'll double-check all my account numbers and make sure I don't have any open issues on my claim before making changes. I appreciate all your experiences - really helped me plan this carefully!

I got my card in exactly 8 days! And yes, I have mine linked to Cash App with no issues. Been using it that way for 2 months now. As long as you activate it properly first, it works just fine. Your mileage may vary tho based on what others are saying!

Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! I think my plan now is to: 1) Wait for the card (sounds like 7-10 days is typical) 2) Activate it properly when it arrives 3) Try setting up direct deposit to my bank account 4) Use my bank account to fund Cash App instead of linking directly Appreciate all the advice and warnings. This community is awesome!

this is EXACTLY why i tell everyone to record every conversation with UC!! they make "mistakes" all the time and then we have to jump through hoops to fix THEIR errors. the whole system is designed to wear us down until we give up

One final piece of advice: if the Commonwealth Court rules in your favor, it's often a remand back to the UC authorities with instructions to correct the procedural errors. This doesn't automatically mean you'll receive benefits - it usually means you get a new, properly conducted hearing. So be prepared for that possibility and don't assume a win at this level means immediate payment.