Interesting thread. I actually wrote an appeal letter last year for my husband when he got hit with a $5,300 overpayment notice from his 2020 claim. We won the appeal but never thought to ask about getting the remaining funds. Now I'm curious if we missed out on something! Btw @profile1 I used that Claimyr thing you mentioned when we were dealing with the appeal. It actually worked - got through to someone in like 15 minutes when we'd been trying for weeks.

I'm dealing with a similar overpayment situation right now and this thread has been really helpful! Just wanted to add that I called PA UC last week about my waiver status and the rep specifically told me that even if approved, expired benefit years can't be reopened - which matches what most people are saying here. The confusing part is that some reps seem to give different information, but the consensus seems to be that waiver approval = no repayment required, but doesn't restore access to unused benefits from years ago. @Ashley Simian at least you got that huge relief of not having to pay back $4,200! That's still a major win.

Thanks everyone for the advice! I'm definitely going to keep filing my weekly claims even with the $0 balance. Seems like there's really no downside to it and potentially some upside if any extensions come through. I'll also check out PA 211 and LIHEAP as suggested. Really appreciate all the help during this stressful time.

I went through this exact same situation in 2023 - exhausted my regular UC benefits but kept filing weekly claims for about 3 months. Even though I wasn't getting paid, when a small federal extension program became available later that year, I was automatically enrolled and got retroactive payments for all those weeks I kept filing. It literally saved me from losing my apartment. The key is to keep doing your work searches and document everything properly. Also, don't forget to check if you qualify for any state programs like emergency rental assistance or food banks in your area while you're job hunting. Hang in there!

hope ur claim gets fixed soon @brief_reaction. mine took 8 weeks to get sorted and backpaid. hang in there

Just wanted to add another resource that might help - you can also check the PA Department of Revenue website directly for confirmation about unemployment tax exemptions. They have a specific section about what income is excluded from PA taxes, and unemployment compensation is clearly listed there. It's always good to have multiple official sources when dealing with tax questions. Also, if you end up owing any local taxes on your UC benefits, many townships will work with you on payment plans if needed - don't panic if you get hit with an unexpected bill.

Just wanted to update everyone - I was able to get through around 3:30pm and successfully filed my weekly claim! For anyone still having issues, try clearing your browser cache or using a different browser. I was stuck on Chrome but it worked immediately when I switched to Firefox. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it really helped calm my nerves knowing this was a system-wide issue and not something wrong with my account!

Same thing happened to me around 8am this morning! I was panicking because I've never had to deal with a system outage on my filing day before. Really glad to see from the comments that the system is back up and running now. Just successfully filed my claim after reading everyone's advice about trying different browsers. The Firefox tip from Ava really worked for me too - Chrome kept timing out but Firefox went right through. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and keeping each other updated throughout the day!

UPDATE: I finally got through using that Claimyr service someone recommended! It actually worked - got me through to a real person at PA UC in about 20 minutes instead of calling for days. The agent was super helpful and did everything in one call: updated my address, scheduled my RESEA appointment for next Tuesday, and noted in my file that I never received the original notice due to the address issue. She said my payments should resume after I complete the RESEA appointment. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help with this nightmare situation.

So glad to see your update about getting through with Claimyr! I've been following your situation and was really worried about how stressed you were. That's exactly what I was hoping would happen - getting everything handled in one call is such a huge relief when you're dealing with this mess. Just a heads up for your RESEA appointment next Tuesday: bring printed copies of EVERYTHING. Job applications, emails from employers, your work search log, and definitely those emails proving your employer terminated you (not resigned). The counselors love documentation and it shows you've been taking the requirements seriously. Also, since your payments should resume after the appointment, make sure to keep filing those weekly claims like others mentioned. I learned that lesson the hard way during my own UC nightmare last year. Hope your attorney gets some movement on the appeal soon too. Employers lying about termination reasons when FMLA is involved usually backfires on them pretty badly once it gets to a hearing!