I just went through this exact process and won my Board appeal after losing at the referee level! It took about 4.5 months but it was absolutely worth it. My situation was similar - employer claimed misconduct but I had legitimate reasons. The Board really does look at whether the law was applied correctly, not just the facts. A few things that helped me: I kept detailed records of everything, continued filing weekly claims (even though it felt pointless), and focused my appeal letter on the legal errors rather than rehashing my story. The wait is brutal financially but don't give up! The statistics show people do win these appeals regularly. Also, definitely keep doing your work searches during the appeal - I almost messed that up and would have lost weeks of back pay. You've got this!

I'm in a similar boat - just got denied at my referee hearing last month and filed my Board appeal two weeks ago. Reading through all these responses is really encouraging, especially hearing from people who actually won their appeals after losing at the referee level. My case also involves attendance issues due to medical problems (chronic migraines), and like you, I had documentation but the referee seemed to focus more on the company's policy than the medical necessity of my absences. The whole hearing felt like the referee had already made up their mind before I even spoke. I'm definitely going to take the advice here about focusing on legal errors in my appeal rather than just repeating my story. It sounds like the Board really does look at whether the law was properly applied, which gives me hope since I feel like the referee completely ignored the medical exemptions in PA law. Thanks for posting this question - it's exactly what I needed to read today. We've got to stick together and not let this broken system defeat us!

UPDATE: The money just hit my card this morning! That's about 3 business days from the payment date. Thanks everyone for your help!

That's awesome news! So glad you finally got your payment after all that waiting. For future reference, the 3 business day timeline seems pretty standard for Money Network cards. Just a heads up - since you mentioned you've been surviving on credit cards, make sure to keep track of all your UC payments for tax purposes. The state will send you a 1099-G form, but it's good to have your own records too. Hope things get easier for you from here on out!

This happened to me too - went from 6 open issues down to 1 over about 3 weeks back in January. What really helped me was calling the customer service line early in the morning (like right at 8am when they open) to get through faster. The rep was able to tell me exactly what each resolved issue was and gave me a realistic timeline for the remaining ones. The decrease is definitely a positive sign! It means they're making actual progress on your case. Just make sure you're checking both your email AND the messages in your dashboard - sometimes they only post updates in one place. And definitely keep filing those weekly certifications religiously. When mine finally got approved, I got a lump sum for all the weeks I'd been waiting. Stay strong, you're almost there!

I'm dealing with something very similar right now! My open issues went from 6 down to 2 over the past two weeks, and like you, I didn't get any direct notifications about the resolved ones. It's been such a rollercoaster of emotions - one day feeling hopeful when I see progress, the next day panicking that something might be wrong. What's helped me is creating a simple spreadsheet to track the changes I see on my dashboard each day, along with any messages or emails I receive. That way I have a clear timeline if I need to reference it later. I've also been religious about filing my weekly certifications even though no money is coming through yet - everyone here emphasizes how important that is for getting backpay. The waiting is absolutely brutal when you're stressed about bills and expenses. But reading through all these responses is giving me hope that we're both on the right track. Sounds like 2-3 weeks total processing time is pretty normal once they start actively working through the issues. Fingers crossed we both see those remaining issues disappear soon!

Has anyone had success getting a waiver? My mom got a non-fault overpayment for $4100 and she's on fixed income (disability). Wondering if that qualifies for hardship waiver??

Update: I called today (after trying for 2 days straight) and finally got through! They approved me for a $90/month payment plan based on my current income. They didn't even ask for documentation, just asked about my monthly expenses and income. Thanks everyone for the advice - such a relief to have this figured out!

New to UC benefits here and this thread has been a lifesaver! I literally just submitted my second weekly certification this morning and had been wondering why my CareerLink applications weren't showing up anywhere. I thought there was a glitch in the system or something was wrong with my account. Reading through everyone's experiences, I realize I need to go back and manually enter all my applications from the past two weeks. I've been keeping notes in a notebook but clearly need to step up my documentation game with screenshots and confirmation emails. Quick question for those who've been through audits - do they typically audit randomly or is there something specific that triggers it? I want to make sure I'm doing everything right from the beginning. Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge!

Just want to echo what everyone else is saying here - this is such a common confusion point for new UC recipients! I made the exact same mistake when I first started collecting benefits. The lack of integration between CareerLink and the UC system is really frustrating, especially since they're both state systems. What helped me stay organized was creating a weekly routine: every Sunday I review all my job applications from the previous week, make sure I have screenshots/confirmations saved, and then enter everything when I file my weekly claim on Monday. I also keep a backup spreadsheet with all the details just in case the UC system glitches or I need to reference something later. The extra documentation might seem like overkill, but after reading about people getting audited and nearly losing benefits, it's definitely worth the peace of mind. Keep doing what you're doing with the detailed record-keeping - you're on the right track!