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This is such a common source of confusion! I went through the exact same thing when I first started collecting. The determination letter really should be clearer about showing both gross and net amounts. For anyone else reading this thread - when you log into your UC dashboard, look for the "Payment History" section and it'll break down every deduction. Also, just FYI, you can actually change your tax withholding elections at any time if you decide you want more or less taken out. Glad you got it sorted out!
Thank you for mentioning that you can change the tax withholding elections! I didn't know that was possible. I'm new to unemployment and this whole thread has been incredibly helpful. It's reassuring to know so many people have had the same confusion - makes me feel less silly about not understanding the tax withholding right away. The PA UC system could definitely do a better job explaining these details upfront!
This thread is so helpful! I just started collecting UC benefits last month and was wondering about the same thing. My weekly amount seemed lower than what I expected but I wasn't sure if it was normal. Reading through all these responses really clarifies the tax withholding confusion. It's frustrating that the determination letter doesn't spell this out more clearly - they could save everyone a lot of stress by just showing "Gross: $XXX, Federal Tax: $XX, Net: $XXX" right on the letter. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially for explaining how to find the payment breakdown in the dashboard!
Congrats on getting it resolved! 8 business days is actually pretty reasonable for PA UC. This gives me hope for my own pending examiner review. Did you have to call back at all during those 8 days or did you just wait it out? And did they send you any notification when it was cleared or did you just notice it on your dashboard?
I didn't call back during those 8 days - just waited it out like some of the advice here suggested. I checked my dashboard every morning and evening though! No notification was sent - I just noticed the "open issue" status disappeared from my dashboard and then saw all the pending payments had been released. The examiner's note showed up in my correspondence section explaining why it was cleared. Honestly, waiting was torture but calling probably would have just wasted more time since it was already with an examiner.
This thread is so helpful! I'm dealing with a similar RESEA issue right now - got flagged even though I submitted job search documentation. It's reassuring to see that Dylan's case got resolved in 8 business days without needing to call back constantly. I think I'll follow the advice here about being patient but documenting everything, and checking my dashboard twice daily. The fact that no notification was sent when it cleared is good to know - I would have been waiting for an email that never comes!
Update: I filed my claim yesterday and answered everything truthfully. When it asked for reason for separation, I selected "discharged" and explained that I was terminated based on unfounded hearsay without any evidence, documentation or prior warnings. Now just waiting to see what happens. Thanks everyone for the advice and encouragement!
Good job filing promptly! Expect to wait 2-3 weeks for an initial determination. Your employer has 7 days to respond to the claim. If they don't contest it, you'll likely be approved automatically. If they do contest it, you'll probably get a phone interview scheduled. Just stick to the facts and remain calm during that call. Keep us posted!
Good luck with your claim! I went through something similar about 6 months ago - got fired for allegedly "violating company policy" but they never showed me any evidence or gave me a chance to explain. Filed for UC benefits and initially got denied because my employer claimed it was misconduct. I appealed and won because they couldn't provide any actual documentation during the hearing - just he-said-she-said stuff. The hearing officer said that without concrete evidence, it doesn't meet the standard for willful misconduct in PA. Keep all your documentation and don't give up if you get an initial denial!
My sister works for the unemployment office (not in PA though). She says their systems are ancient and often send out emails in the wrong order or duplicate notifications. The important thing is what your dashboard shows. If it shows a weekly benefit amount, you're at least monetarily eligible. But yeah deffinetly File weekly claims! Otherwise when everythings fixed youll have lost all those weeks.
This exact same thing happened to my cousin in December! The PA UC system is notorious for sending conflicting automated emails. What matters most is that you received a monetary determination with your weekly benefit amount ($487) - that's the real approval. The second email is likely just an automated trigger for some background verification (could be identity verification, employer response, etc.) that doesn't affect your monetary eligibility. Definitely start filing your weekly claims immediately! Even if there are pending issues, you MUST file weekly to preserve those benefit weeks. The system will hold your payments until everything clears, but you can't get those weeks back if you don't file them. Don't worry about fraud - it's actually required to keep filing even while issues are being resolved. Check your online dashboard for any "open issues" to see what specifically they're still reviewing. Usually it's just routine verification stuff that takes a few weeks to process in the background.
This is so reassuring to hear! I was literally losing sleep over this thinking I did something wrong. Just to confirm - when you say "file weekly claims immediately" - do I need to wait for a specific day of the week or can I start filing right away? I'm worried about messing up the timing since I'm new to all this. Also, should I be concerned that it's been 3 weeks already since I first applied?
Sean O'Donnell
Great to hear you finally got through! I've been dealing with a similar issue trying to update my direct deposit info. The password reset thing causing account flags is something they really should warn people about - who would have thought that would lock you out of basic account functions? I'm definitely going to try the 7:30am call strategy based on your success. Thanks for updating us on what worked!
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Jackson Carter
•Seriously, that password reset flag thing is such a hidden trap! I bet tons of people get stuck because of that without realizing. Definitely try the early morning calls - seems like that's the golden window when you can actually get through to a human. Good luck with your direct deposit update!
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Paolo Bianchi
This is such a relief to see Connor got it resolved! I'm dealing with the exact same thing right now - moved two weeks ago and the website keeps erroring out when I try to update my address. I had no idea that multiple password reset attempts could flag your account like that. I definitely did that last week when I was getting frustrated with the login process. Going to try calling at 7:30am sharp tomorrow morning. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here - at least now I know I'm not the only one struggling with this broken system!
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