Interesting thread. I actually wrote an appeal letter last year for my husband when he got hit with a $5,300 overpayment notice from his 2020 claim. We won the appeal but never thought to ask about getting the remaining funds. Now I'm curious if we missed out on something! Btw @profile1 I used that Claimyr thing you mentioned when we were dealing with the appeal. It actually worked - got through to someone in like 15 minutes when we'd been trying for weeks.

I'm dealing with a similar overpayment situation right now and this thread has been really helpful! Just wanted to add that I called PA UC last week about my waiver status and the rep specifically told me that even if approved, expired benefit years can't be reopened - which matches what most people are saying here. The confusing part is that some reps seem to give different information, but the consensus seems to be that waiver approval = no repayment required, but doesn't restore access to unused benefits from years ago. @Ashley Simian at least you got that huge relief of not having to pay back $4,200! That's still a major win.

Just wanted to share my experience from when I went through this same situation about 8 months ago. I was in week 24 of my benefits and panicking about what would happen when they ran out. I spent hours researching extensions and calling the UC office (which was a nightmare). What I learned is that you really do need to plan for just the 26 weeks. I ended up having to take a temporary job that wasn't ideal, but it helped bridge the gap while I continued looking for something better in my field. It actually worked out because that temp job led to a permanent position that I'm happy with now. My advice would be to start applying for anything that could work as a bridge job - even if it's not perfect. Part-time work, temporary positions, gig work, whatever keeps some income coming in. You can always keep looking for your ideal job while you're working. The stress of potentially having no income made it much harder for me to interview well, so having some kind of backup plan really helped with my mental state during the job search.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now - week 22 of benefits and starting to really worry about what happens next. Reading through everyone's responses has been really eye-opening, especially learning that the Extended Benefits program has such specific requirements that aren't currently being met in PA. I think I've been holding onto false hope about extensions based on what I remembered from the pandemic era. It's tough to accept that those 26 weeks are really it, but I'd rather plan realistically than be caught off guard. The suggestion about PA CareerLink services sounds promising - I hadn't realized they offered free resume help and training programs. I'm also going to take the advice about considering bridge jobs seriously. I've been so focused on finding something in my exact field that I might be limiting myself unnecessarily. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge. It's stressful not knowing what to expect, but at least now I can make informed decisions about my next steps.

UPDATE: I finally got through using that Claimyr service someone recommended! It actually worked - got me through to a real person at PA UC in about 20 minutes instead of calling for days. The agent was super helpful and did everything in one call: updated my address, scheduled my RESEA appointment for next Tuesday, and noted in my file that I never received the original notice due to the address issue. She said my payments should resume after I complete the RESEA appointment. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help with this nightmare situation.

So glad to see your update about getting through with Claimyr! I've been following your situation and was really worried about how stressed you were. That's exactly what I was hoping would happen - getting everything handled in one call is such a huge relief when you're dealing with this mess. Just a heads up for your RESEA appointment next Tuesday: bring printed copies of EVERYTHING. Job applications, emails from employers, your work search log, and definitely those emails proving your employer terminated you (not resigned). The counselors love documentation and it shows you've been taking the requirements seriously. Also, since your payments should resume after the appointment, make sure to keep filing those weekly claims like others mentioned. I learned that lesson the hard way during my own UC nightmare last year. Hope your attorney gets some movement on the appeal soon too. Employers lying about termination reasons when FMLA is involved usually backfires on them pretty badly once it gets to a hearing!

I received backpay in February for a similar situation and it took exactly 8 days to appear on my Money Network card after the determination letter date (which was a Friday, so maybe that extended it). Just to prepare you though - when I called to check my card balance after a week, the automated system said I had $0, but when I spoke to a human rep, they could see the payment was pending in their system. Sometimes there's a delay between when UC processes it and when it actually hits the card. As others have said, just keep checking your card balance, and if nothing shows up after a week, that's when you should start making calls.

Congratulations on finally getting your backpay approved! I went through something similar last year where my BYE expired before my wage correction came through. The good news is that PA UC will automatically deposit the backpay to your existing Money Network card - you don't need to file any additional weekly certifications or take any action on your part. In my case, it took about 5 business days for the money to show up after the determination letter date. One tip: if you have the Money Network app, enable push notifications so you'll get alerted the moment the deposit hits. Also, don't panic if the amount is slightly less than what's on your determination letter - they'll still withhold taxes and any other deductions you had selected during your original claim. Keep us posted on when it comes through! Fingers crossed it's quick and painless for you.

Glad you got it sorted out! Just wanted to add one more tip for anyone reading this - after you register and get that confirmation email, I'd recommend bookmarking the PA CareerLink site and setting a reminder to log in every month or so. Like Andre mentioned, if you don't log in for 90 days your account goes inactive, and reactivating it can be a real hassle. I learned this the hard way when I forgot about it for a few months and then had to scramble to get everything sorted when UC asked for verification. Better to just make it part of your regular routine!

Just wanted to add my recent experience - I registered online about 2 weeks ago and it was pretty straightforward, but make sure you have all your employment history details ready before you start. The system timed me out halfway through because I had to go dig up old employer info and phone numbers. Had to start over from scratch! Also, when you upload your resume, make sure it's in PDF format - I tried uploading a Word doc first and it kept giving me error messages. The whole process took me about 45 minutes once I had everything organized. Good luck with your registration!