You're correct about how Pennsylvania unemployment benefits work! Your benefit year is indeed 52 weeks, but you can only receive payments for a maximum of 26 weeks within that year. If you pick up per diem work, you can absolutely skip filing for benefits during weeks you work (or when your earnings would disqualify you), and then resume claiming during weeks when you're not working or have reduced hours. This is a common situation and won't affect your overall eligibility as long as you're within your 52-week benefit year. A few important things to know: - When working part-time or per diem, you must report all earnings when filing your weekly claims - Pennsylvania has a partial benefit credit - you can earn up to 30% of your weekly benefit amount without reduction (this is called the "earnings allowance") - If you earn more than your allowance but less than your weekly benefit amount plus the allowance, you'll receive reduced benefits that week - If you earn more than your weekly benefit amount plus the allowance, you won't receive benefits for that week, but you won't lose weeks of eligibility Make sure to accurately report all earnings during any week you file a claim. The system will calculate if you qualify for full benefits, partial benefits, or no benefits that week. If you have specific questions about your situation, you can contact the PA UC service center at 1-888-313-7284 or check your benefit details in your online account at www.uc.pa.gov.

This is really helpful information! I'm in a similar situation and had been wondering about this exact scenario. Just to clarify - when you say we need to report earnings during weeks we file claims, does that include if I work just one day that week? And is there a minimum amount that needs to be reported, or do we report everything no matter how small? Also, I noticed you mentioned the 30% earnings allowance - is that calculated based on the gross pay or net pay from the per diem work? I want to make sure I understand this correctly before I start taking on any temporary work. Thanks for breaking this down so clearly!

glad u got it figured out! make sure u activate the new card right away cuz sometimes they lock it if u dont do it fast enough

This is such a relief to see you got it sorted out! The Money Network card expiration issue catches SO many people off guard. I went through something similar last year and spent weeks thinking it was a UC processing problem when it was actually just my card. For anyone else reading this thread - definitely save that Money Network number (888-233-5916) in your phone. Their customer service is actually pretty good compared to trying to reach UC directly. And like Romeo said, activate that new card ASAP when it arrives! Hope your rent stress is resolved now that you know the payment is actually there waiting for you!

Good luck with your application! You're taking the right approach by being honest and exploring all your options. Just wanted to add that when you do apply, make sure to mention any tips you received at the bar job if you reported them on past tax returns - sometimes people forget that tip income can count toward eligibility if it was properly reported. Also, keep records of all your contacts with the Department of Labor about the misclassification issue, as this could be helpful if they do investigate your employer. The fact that you're being proactive about reporting the situation properly shows you're handling this the right way despite your employer's poor practices.

I went through something similar a few years ago working at a pizza place. The owner paid everyone cash and when I got fired, I was in the same boat. What I learned is that even though you can't get UC benefits for the under-the-table work, you might still qualify for other assistance programs like SNAP (food stamps) or emergency rental assistance through your county. I know it's not the same as unemployment, but it can help bridge the gap while you're looking for new work. Also, don't feel bad about not knowing the tax implications - a lot of employers in the service industry take advantage of workers who don't realize they're being screwed over. You're doing the right thing by asking questions and trying to handle this properly now.

o yeah i forgot to mention when i had my hearing the employer didnt even have any proof of the misconduct they claimed. the ref asked them for documentation and they just had like one writeup from months b4 i was fired that had nothing to do with why they fired me. if ur employer is lying they probably dont have good records to back it up

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Filed my appeal about 2 weeks ago and still waiting to hear back. Reading all these responses is both helpful and terrifying - some people waited 3 weeks, others waited 11 weeks?! One thing I'm wondering about - should I be gathering character references from coworkers who can vouch that I wasn't fired for misconduct? Or is that overkill? I have a few former colleagues who would be willing to write statements or even testify if needed. Also, has anyone had success reaching out to their state representative's office for help with UC issues? I heard they sometimes have staff who can help expedite things or at least get answers when you can't reach anyone directly. The stress of potentially owing thousands back is really getting to me, especially since I know I did nothing wrong. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - it helps to know I'm not alone in this mess!

UPDATE: First check finally arrived today (Friday)! So that was 4 business days from when they said they mailed it. Still waiting on the second one that was supposedly mailed Tuesday. Going to call on Monday to switch to that ReliaCard option - this is too stressful to deal with every week. Thanks everyone for your help and for sharing your experiences!

So glad your first check finally showed up! 4 business days isn't too bad considering all the horror stories. Definitely get that ReliaCard set up ASAP - I made the switch last year after dealing with similar delays and it's been a game changer. You'll get your money so much faster and won't have to stress about mail delivery anymore. Hope your second check comes through soon too!