Thank you all for the helpful responses! I just spoke with my HR and they confirmed these are official furloughs with guaranteed return dates, so they'll code them properly. I'm going to file for both weeks as suggested and expect payment only for the March week. I'll also do the work search activities just to be safe. Really appreciate everyone's help navigating this confusing system!

Just wanted to add something important that might help others in similar situations - make sure to keep detailed records of your furlough dates and any communication from your employer about the return dates. I learned this the hard way when I had a temporary layoff situation. Having documentation can really help if there are any questions or issues with your claim later. Also, if your company does this type of scheduled furlough regularly, it might be worth asking HR if they have any specific guidance or a contact person at UC who handles their claims. Some larger employers have established relationships that can make the process smoother. Good luck with everything!

my cousin works for the unemployment office and she says your almost definitely gonna win this. employers pull this crap all the time at the end of claims to scare people. they know theyre gonna lose but they hope u miss the hearing or something so they win by default. DONT MISS THE HEARING WHATEVER U DO!!!

This sounds like a last-ditch effort by your employer to avoid paying their share of UC taxes. The timing is super suspicious - waiting 21 weeks when they had 15 days to appeal initially. I've seen this before where employers suddenly "remember" to challenge benefits right before they end, hoping people will just give up or not show up to the hearing. Since you have written proof from the county that their case is closed, you're in a really strong position. The burden of proof is on THEM to show why they waited so long and to provide evidence for their claims. Your documentation directly contradicts their appeal, so unless they have something new (which it sounds like they don't), this should be pretty straightforward. Even if the worst happened and you lost, the overpayment would likely be classified as non-fault since you were truthful in your application. But honestly, with that county letter in hand, I'd be shocked if you didn't win this. Stay calm, bring your evidence, and let them try to explain their 5-month delay to the referee.

Just wanted to add that documentation is key here! When I had to request a review for late workforce registration, they accepted hospital discharge papers for my family emergency. Make sure you have any paperwork ready - medical records, death certificates, police reports, etc. Even if you explain everything perfectly on the phone, they'll likely ask you to upload or mail supporting documents through your UC dashboard. Having everything organized beforehand will speed up the process once you get through to someone.

I'm in almost the exact same boat! I was about 2.5 weeks late completing my workforce registration because of a family crisis (had to travel out of state unexpectedly). My weeks are showing as disqualified and I've been so stressed about it. Reading through all these responses is actually giving me some hope though - it sounds like there's definitely a path to getting this fixed if you have documentation and can get through to the right person. I'm planning to try calling tomorrow morning at 8 AM sharp like Sean suggested, and I'll have all my documentation ready. If that doesn't work I might try that Claimyr service Omar mentioned since I really need to talk to someone who can actually help rather than just getting busy signals all day. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this is such a stressful situation but it helps knowing I'm not alone in dealing with this!

so glad ur dad finally got thru!! wat a nightmare tho, 3 months is insane to wait for money ur owed!! this happened to my uncle too and he almost lost his apartment. u should tell ur dad to check his payment status on the portal every day just to make sure they actually start paying him.

Wow, what a rollercoaster! I'm so relieved your dad finally got this resolved. This is exactly why I tell people to document EVERYTHING when they're laid off - get that pink slip, termination letter, whatever proves it wasn't voluntary. Employers sometimes try to contest claims to keep their unemployment insurance rates down, even when it's clearly a mass layoff situation. The fact that the entire factory closed should have made this a slam dunk case from the beginning. Glad you stuck with it and found a way through the system!

Glad to hear your payment came through! For future reference, here's what the normal process looks like: 1. You file your weekly claim (ideally Sunday) 2. PA UC processes claims (usually Monday) 3. Payment is issued to ReliaCard (typically Monday night/Tuesday morning) 4. ReliaCard processes the deposit (usually Tuesday but can take up to 2 business days) But as others have mentioned, this timing can vary based on multiple factors. If you ever see a delay of more than 2-3 days from when your payment was issued, that's when you should consider reaching out to UC directly.

I've been dealing with ReliaCard for about 6 months now and I can confirm that the deposit timing is frustratingly inconsistent. I've tracked mine and it ranges anywhere from 1am Tuesday to 8am Wednesday. The key thing is to check your PA UC dashboard first - if it shows "payment issued" then you know it's just a matter of waiting for the banking system to process it. I've learned not to stress about it unless it's been more than 48 hours since the payment was issued. The uncertainty is definitely annoying when you're budgeting around specific dates though!