I went thru this last winter. I got assigned an examiner for a voluntary quit situation. Had electric shutoff notice too. What worked for me: 1. Called my state representative's office - they have special contacts at UC and submitted an inquiry that got my claim expedited 2. Applied for crisis assistance through the county assistance office 3. Continued filing weekly claims It took 12 days after examiner assignment to get the phone interview, then 3 more days for approval. Had my money on my Money Network card 2 days after that. The voluntary quit issue is the most important - make sure you have GOOD documentation of why you left and that it meets their standards for "necessitous and compelling."

Just checking back - were you able to get any emergency assistance for your electric bill? If you still need help, the PA Customer Assistance Program (CAP) through your utility company might be another option. Also, did you have any luck contacting UC?

my friend had this same problem!!! they accidentally put the wrong start date for unemployment and had to wait FOREVER to get it fixed. the system is so broke its not even funny

UPDATE: Success! I used the Claimyr service that someone suggested above and actually got through to a PA UC representative. After explaining the situation, she transferred me to the claims correction department. They confirmed I had accidentally filed for benefits during months I was employed. The good news is they're processing an adjustment to my claim RIGHT NOW to correct the dates, and I should receive benefits for May-present within 5-7 business days! No waiting until October! Make sure you're super clear about your employment dates when filing, folks. One mistake can cause months of delays!

Been on PA UC 3 times and lemme tell you something - they ALWAYS side with employers. Always. Good luck but don't hold your breath waiting for that money!!!

Update: I got a doctor's appointment for tomorrow and explained the situation. He said he'd write up documentation about my back condition and work restrictions. I also filed my claim today and selected "quit" and then "health reasons" like you all suggested. Now showing "open issue" on my dashboard. Going to upload the doctor's note as soon as I get it. Fingers crossed!

My neighbor works for PA UC (dont tell anyone lol) and she says this happens ALL THE TIME with their system. The computer doesnt know how to handle multiple employers in one benefit year properly. She said always appeal these decisions cause a human reviewer will almost always fix it when they see the timeline. Just make sure you have your dates super clear in your appeal letter!!!

quick question - did u get a financial determination letter for your second claim? that would tell u if they're actually processing it as a new claim or just continuing the old one. might help with your appeal to reference the financial determination letter numbers.

I just got through to someone!!! They said there was a system-wide issue with direct deposits in the last batch and about 15% of claimants were affected. They're sending checks to everyone who was impacted. The person said checks are being mailed in batches and most should arrive within 7-14 days but they always say 3-4 weeks just in case of postal delays. Hope this helps people here!

UPDATE: My check arrived today - exactly 11 days after the status changed to processed! Much faster than the 3-4 weeks they quoted. For anyone else dealing with this, make sure your address is up to date in the system. Thanks everyone for the helpful advice and support!

hey just wonderin did u ever get that direct deposit setup?? way better than checks trust me

If your employer is challenging a layoff vs. quit determination and you already won at the examiner level, you're in a strong position. The burden of proof shifts to them during the appeal. Make sure you have written documentation of the layoff if possible (emails, texts, termination letter, etc). Also, in my experience, many employers file appeals automatically but then don't show up for the hearing - if that happens, you basically win by default. And yes, your benefits WILL continue during this process, that's the law in PA.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - check if you qualify for an overpayment waiver specifically for PUA. The Department of L&I announced a few months ago that they would be waiving certain non-fraud PUA overpayments, especially those resulting from documentation issues or misunderstandings during the pandemic. You may qualify depending on when you received benefits and why they determined there was an overpayment. Worth looking into in addition to the other options.

my brother had his wage garnished for unemployment overpayment so watch out for that too if u have a job

@concerned_claimant Yes, you absolutely must continue to complete your work search activities while appealing! The law requires you to complete at least 2 work search activities each week regardless of your appeal status. If you win your appeal but didn't do your work search, you'll still be disqualified for those weeks. Document everything!

UPDATE: I submitted my appeal online and took screenshots of everything. Now waiting for my appeal date. I also managed to get through to someone on the phone after using that Claimyr service someone suggested. The agent confirmed it was likely a system error and added notes to my case. She said to expect about 3-4 weeks for the appeal hearing but to keep filing weekly claims. Thanks everyone for your help - will update when I hear about my hearing date!

my cousin works for the fire dept and says hotels can get shut down for this!!! u might not even have a job soon if they get inspected lol

To answer your follow-up question: Yes, if the Fire Marshal closes the hotel and you're laid off as a result, that would be considered a lack of work situation, which is much more straightforward for UC benefits. You wouldn't have the burden of proving good cause for quitting since you didn't quit. However, if you're in management, make sure you document that you reported the issue and weren't responsible for the non-compliance, as that could potentially affect eligibility if you were deemed to have control over the situation that led to the closure.

dont they ask why he got fired on the application? make sure he answers that carefully, cuz if they think he was fired for misconduct they might deny benefits. my cousin got denied cuz of that but won on appeal.

To summarize what everyone has said and add a bit more information: 1. File weekly claims every week starting the first Sunday after application 2. Be prepared for a 3-6 week wait, potentially longer if there's an employer dispute 3. Register with PA CareerLink immediately (this is required within 30 days of filing) 4. Complete and log 2 work search activities each week (applications, interviews, etc.) 5. If your husband has a specific skill set, make sure to accurately describe it for proper job matching The base year calculation should include both jobs since it uses the last 18 months of work history. This works in your favor for eligibility and benefit amount calculations.