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For anyone still following this thread - I just saw on the PA UC website that they're adding more staff to the call centers starting next month. They're specifically addressing the backlog of identity verification issues and open issues that are holding up payments. If your claim has been stuck with an open issue for more than 21 days, there's also a special email address you can use: UCHelp@pa.gov with "Claim Delay" in the subject line. Include your full name, last 4 of SSN, and a brief description of your issue.
I've been dealing with PA UC issues for months now and wanted to share what finally worked for me. After reading through all these comments, I tried the UCHelp@pa.gov email that A Man D Mortal mentioned and actually got a response within 5 business days! They were able to identify that my claim had an identity verification hold that wasn't showing up clearly in my online account. For anyone still struggling with backpay issues - make sure to check if there are any identity verification requirements you might have missed. Sometimes the system flags accounts for additional verification but doesn't clearly communicate this to claimants. Once I submitted the required documents, my backpay was processed within 2 weeks. Also, I found that calling right at 8:00 AM on Wednesdays gave me the best success rate. Took about 6 tries but I finally got through. The key is to be persistent but also strategic about when you call. Hope this helps someone!
This is really helpful, thank you for sharing your experience! I'm definitely going to try that UCHelp email address since my claim has been stuck for way longer than 21 days. The identity verification thing makes a lot of sense - my account just shows "unresolved issue" with no details, so that could totally be what's going on. Did you have to submit documents through the portal or was there a different way to send them? And thanks for the tip about Wednesday mornings at 8 AM - I'll try that next!
UPDATE???? did u get through??? im starting to worry about my claim again cuz I got this weird letter yesterday about quarterly review or something
Yes! I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above and finally got through yesterday! Turns out there was an employer protest on my claim that never showed up in my dashboard. The agent was able to push it through to review and said I should see payments resume within 7-10 days. Such a relief!
@Gianni Serpent That s'awesome news! So glad you got it sorted out. An employer protest that doesn t'show up on the dashboard is exactly the kind of BS hidden issue that keeps people stuck for months. For your quarterly review letter - definitely don t'ignore it! Sometimes those require documentation or responses within a certain timeframe. If you can t'get through on the phone, try uploading whatever they re'asking for through the document upload section in your dashboard.
Wow, an employer protest that doesn't show up on the dashboard - that's exactly the kind of hidden issue that keeps people trapped in limbo for months! I'm so glad you finally got it resolved @Gianni Serpent. This is a perfect example of why the PA UC system is so frustrating - critical information that directly affects your payments is completely invisible to claimants. For anyone else dealing with similar issues, this really highlights how important it is to actually speak with an agent, even if it takes using a service like Claimyr or going through your state rep. The dashboard clearly can't be trusted to show you everything that's affecting your claim status. @Henry Delgado - definitely take that quarterly review letter seriously and respond ASAP if it requires any action on your part. Sometimes those have tight deadlines that aren't clearly stated.
Quick update: I took the advice about contacting my state rep and also tried Claimyr this morning. Got through to UC in about a half hour! Turns out there was an 'open issue' because my employer entered a different separation reason than I did. I said 'business closing' but they had put 'lack of work.' The rep fixed it right away and said my payments should start processing within 2-3 business days. She also mentioned they're experiencing higher than normal call volumes due to several large retail chains closing stores after the holidays. Thanks everyone for your help!
That's fantastic news! So glad Claimyr worked for you too. It's crazy how these simple mismatches between what you put and what your employer reports can hold everything up for weeks. Hopefully others reading this thread will see that persistence really does pay off - between calling early in the morning, using services like Claimyr, and contacting state reps, there are multiple ways to finally get through to someone who can help.
Congrats on getting it resolved! This whole thread is super helpful for anyone else dealing with similar issues. I'm going through something similar right now (filed in February, still pending) and was getting really discouraged. Seeing that it worked out for you gives me hope. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service and contact my state rep too. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get the benefits we're entitled to, but at least there are workarounds. Thanks for updating us with the solution!
I'm currently waiting on my Board of Review appeal too - filed in late February and it's been about 6 weeks with no updates. Reading everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and terrifying at the same time! It sounds like 10-16 weeks is the norm, which means I've got a while to go still. I'm curious - for those who won their appeals, did you feel confident about your case going in? My referee hearing felt like it could have gone either way, and I'm trying to gauge whether it's worth the mental stress of waiting or if I should just focus on finding work and move on. The financial strain is real but the uncertainty might be worse than just accepting the loss. Also @Connor Gallagher thanks for mentioning the other assistance programs - I hadn't thought about applying for those while my appeal is pending.
I can relate to that uncertainty feeling! I'm at 8+ weeks myself and it's mentally exhausting not knowing. From what I've read here, it seems like if you had any legal grounds at the referee level (like procedural errors or misapplication of law), it's worth waiting it out. The backpay stories are encouraging even if the wait times are brutal. Have you been able to get any work in the meantime or are you in full waiting mode like me?
I'm in almost the exact same situation - filed my Board appeal in early February after losing my referee hearing and I'm going on 7 weeks now with zero communication. The silence is honestly worse than getting bad news would be at this point! Reading through everyone's experiences here is giving me some hope though. It sounds like 10-16 weeks is pretty standard, which means I'm not even halfway through the typical wait time yet. The stories of people getting substantial backpay after months of waiting are keeping me motivated to stick it out. One thing I learned from my referee hearing is that I should have been more prepared with the specific UC law sections that applied to my case. If I had to do it over again, I would have cited the exact statutes like @Yara Khoury mentioned doing. For anyone else going through this - document everything and know the law inside and out before your referee hearing, because the Board review is basically your last shot and they only look at what was already presented. Hang in there @GalacticGuardian - sounds like we're all in this waiting game together!
Ruby Blake
Glad to hear you got your payment! I'm going through the exact same thing right now - switched to the Money Network card 6 days ago and still waiting for my first payment to show up. The UC dashboard says "payment issued" but my card balance is still zero. Reading through all these comments is really reassuring that this delay is normal for the first payment. Hopefully mine shows up in the next few days like yours did!
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GalacticGladiator
•Hang in there! It sounds like you're right on track based on everyone's experiences here. Day 6 is still within that normal 7-10 business day window for first payments. I was getting really anxious around day 7-8 too, but then boom - everything showed up at once. Keep checking your card balance daily and it should appear soon. The waiting is definitely the worst part!
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Malik Thomas
•@Ruby Blake - You re'definitely in the normal timeframe! I just went through this same anxiety a few weeks ago. My first Money Network payment took exactly 8 business days to show up after switching from direct deposit. The UC portal showed payment "issued for" almost a week before anything appeared on my card. Once that first payment hit though, my subsequent weekly payments have been showing up within 2 days like clockwork. Try not to stress too much - the system is just really slow for that initial setup but it does work eventually!
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Mohammed Khan
I'm in a similar boat right now - switched to the Money Network card about 5 days ago after having issues with my bank flagging the UC deposits as suspicious. My dashboard shows "payment issued" since last Wednesday but still showing $0 on the card balance. Reading everyone's experiences here is actually making me feel a lot better! Sounds like 7-10 business days is totally normal for that first payment. I was starting to worry something went wrong with the switch. Thanks for posting this question - clearly a lot of us go through this same stress when switching to the card!
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