Update: Just wanted to thank everyone for the help! I claimed my first week yesterday and got confirmation that payment has been processed - no waiting week required! Such a relief. For anyone in a similar situation, just make sure you definitely hit "reopen" rather than starting a new claim, and double-check that your benefit year start date hasn't changed. Thanks again for all the advice!

So glad to hear everything worked out! I'm actually in a similar boat - had to stop claiming for a few weeks due to a medical issue and was dreading having to serve another waiting week. Your experience gives me hope that reopening will go smoothly. Quick question though - how long did it take between when you reopened and when you got the payment confirmation? I'm trying to plan my budget accordingly.

I went through almost the exact same situation last year! Filed for 7 weeks with no payments and was getting super stressed about bills. Like others mentioned, there was definitely an open issue I didn't know about - in my case it was wage verification from a previous employer who had closed down. The key thing is to not give up calling. I know it's frustrating but once you get through to an actual person, they can usually resolve things pretty quickly. Also, make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even while waiting for the issue to be resolved, because you won't get back pay for weeks you didn't file. Sounds like you're on the right track now that you know what the issue is. Good luck with your determination interview!

I'm going through something similar right now - been waiting 6 weeks with no payments and just found out there's an "open issue" on my claim too. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful! It's crazy how common this seems to be. @Annabel Kimball I'm really glad you finally got through and found out what was holding up your claim. Employer contests are frustrating but at least now you know what you're dealing with. For anyone else in this situation, I'd definitely recommend checking for those open issues in your dashboard like everyone mentioned - I completely missed mine at first too. The system really doesn't make it obvious when there's a problem. Keep us updated on how your determination interview goes!

Thanks for sharing the follow-up @Zara Ahmed! This is really helpful for anyone else going through the same transition. It sounds like having both options worked out well in the end. For future readers - it's good to know that even if you set up direct deposit, PA still sends the Money Network card automatically, so you're not stuck waiting if there are any issues with the bank transfer. The 6-day timeline for card delivery seems pretty consistent with what others have reported too.

Just went through this exact transition last month! Can confirm PA automatically sends the Money Network card when your new claim is approved - mine took exactly 7 business days to arrive. One tip that saved me: while waiting for the card, I called Money Network customer service directly (not PA UC) and they were able to give me the card number and security info over the phone once it shipped, so I could add it to my digital wallet and start using it for purchases before the physical card arrived. Might be worth trying if you're in a time crunch with bills!

Great news! This is actually a common issue that many people encounter - old claims creating problems with new ones. Glad you got it resolved. Make sure to print out or screenshot the determination letter when you get it for your records. PA UC sometimes has system glitches where documents disappear from your dashboard.

Wow, what a relief that you finally got through and resolved it! That's exactly why I always recommend people keep trying different approaches when the regular phone lines aren't working. The old claim issue is definitely something PA UC should flag better in their system - so many people get stuck on that without realizing it. Congrats on getting it sorted out, and hopefully your determination letter comes through quickly as promised. This whole thread will probably help other people who are dealing with similar delays!

I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! Filed my last claim during COVID in 2021 and now the system is completely stuck at the SSN screen. It's been 4 days of trying and I'm starting to panic about my rent payment. One thing I discovered is that you can also try reaching out through the PA CareerLink offices - they sometimes have direct lines to UC staff that bypass the main phone system. The office locator is on the PA.gov website. I'm planning to visit mine tomorrow morning since calling hasn't worked at all. Also, does anyone know if there's a specific time during the week when the phone lines are less busy? I've been trying random times throughout the day but maybe there's a pattern to when you're more likely to get through? This whole situation is so stressful when you're already dealing with job loss. Hoping we can all get this resolved soon! 🤞

I'm having this EXACT same problem! Filed for COVID unemployment in 2020 and now the system completely freezes when I enter my SSN for a new claim. Been trying for over a week with no success. Based on what everyone's saying here, it definitely sounds like a database issue with old COVID claims. I'm going to try the CareerLink office approach - there's one about 45 minutes from me but it might be worth the drive if I can actually talk to someone in person. Has anyone had success with the early morning calling strategy? I've been calling randomly throughout the day but maybe timing matters. I'm also going to start documenting everything like @Sarah Ali suggested - screenshots, call attempts, dates, etc. in case I need to prove I've been trying to file since my layoff date. This is so frustrating when you're already stressed about losing your job. At least it's reassuring to know this is a known technical issue and not something I'm doing wrong! Hopefully PA gets their system sorted out soon.