Just wanted to update everyone - I followed the advice and reopened my claim today. The process took about 15 minutes and asked about my new employer, why I needed to reopen (reduced hours), and some questions about my work search. The system told me I can file my weekly certification on Sunday for this week. Thanks for all the helpful advice!

Good luck with your certification on Sunday! Just a heads up - when you report your earnings, make sure you report the gross amount (before taxes) for all hours worked this week, including Monday-Wednesday before you reopened. The system is pretty good at calculating the partial benefits automatically once you enter the correct wage info. Hope you get your payment processed quickly!

wait so did u end up quiting the commision job or what? can u update us on what happens w/ ur benefits?

Good luck with your claim! You definitely did the right thing by being completely honest about everything. I went through a similar situation last year where I had to explain a complicated employment situation to PA UC. The waiting period is nerve-wracking, but since you were legitimately laid off from your primary job due to lack of work, that's really the key factor they'll focus on. The commission job situation sounds like it falls under necessitous and compelling circumstances since you couldn't reasonably be expected to survive financially without any guaranteed income. Keep filing your weekly claims while you wait - even if there's a delay, you'll get backpay if approved. Fingers crossed you hear back soon!

For regulations, go to the PA Office of UC Benefits website and look for the "UC Law & Regulations" section. Section 402(e) covers misconduct cases. In brief, being laid off due to budget cuts is NOT misconduct and you should be eligible. Make sure your brief clearly states that the separation was due to employer's budgetary decisions, not your performance or behavior. Also, while waiting for the Board's decision, continue looking for work and documenting your job search activities. In the event you win your appeal, you'll need to show you were actively seeking work to receive backdated benefits.

I just went through this exact same situation! Lost at referee level in January for "misconduct" when I was clearly laid off due to company downsizing. Won my board appeal last month with a brief I wrote myself. Key things that helped me: - Got my hearing transcript and highlighted every contradiction in my employer's story - Found the company press release announcing layoffs (check their website/social media) - Organized everything chronologically with dates - Cited Section 402(e) like others mentioned - misconduct requires willful violation of company policy - Kept it under 8 pages, very factual and professional The hardest part was staying patient - took 12 weeks for the decision but it was worth it. I got all my back benefits plus the extra weeks I was waiting. Don't give up! Layoff cases have good success rates at the board level if you can prove it wasn't performance-related. Also seconding the legal aid suggestion - they can at least review your brief before you submit it even if they can't write it for you.

Quick update question for you - did you get your payment yet? I'm curious because processing times seem to vary a lot these days.

That's awesome news that your payment came through so quickly! Three business days is pretty standard timing. Just wanted to add for anyone else reading this - make sure you keep filing those weekly certifications even after you start getting payments. I made the mistake of thinking I could skip a week when I was sick and it caused a whole mess with my claim that took weeks to sort out. The system is automated and doesn't care about your personal circumstances, so consistency is key. Keep up the good work with your job search and congrats again on getting through the initial hurdle!

When I was on unemployment last year my payments would show up as "paid" on Tuesdays but I couldn't actually use the money until Thursday morning. My bank (M&T) told me there was nothing they could do to speed it up because it's how the ACH system works or something. Just sharing my experience!

I went through this same situation a few months ago with PA UC! Here's what I learned from experience: when it shows "paid" in the portal, that means PA has released the funds, but your bank still needs to process it. I have Wells Fargo and my first payment took 4 business days to actually be available for withdrawal even though it showed up in my account after 2 days (they put a hold on it). After that first payment though, all my weekly payments were available the next business day after showing "paid" in the system. Definitely call your bank ahead of time to ask about holds - some will waive them if you explain your situation and that you need the funds for bills. Also keep in mind that if your payment shows "paid" on a Friday, you're looking at potentially waiting until Tuesday due to weekends. Hope this helps and congrats on getting approved!