Any update on your situation? Did you file the waiver yet?

Glad to see you're taking action! I went through something similar a few years ago and the key thing that helped me was getting everything documented properly. Since you mentioned it's about freelance work reporting, make sure you have copies of ALL your 1099s, bank deposits, and any correspondence you had with UC about reporting that income. Sometimes they have the dates wrong or misinterpret when the income was actually earned vs when it was reported. The non-fault classification is huge - that means they're acknowledging you weren't trying to deceive them. With non-fault overpayments, they're much more likely to approve waivers, especially if you can show genuine financial hardship. One thing I learned is to keep detailed records of every phone call, form submission, and letter. Get confirmation numbers for everything. The $25/month payment plan was smart - shows good faith while protecting you from garnishment. Best of luck with the waiver process!

Just wanted to jump in as someone who's been dealing with PA UC for the past 3 months - all the advice here is spot on! I've been using Indeed, LinkedIn Jobs, and company career pages exclusively (CareerLink is honestly terrible). A few additional tips that have helped me stay organized: - I use a simple Google Sheets template with columns for Date, Company, Position, Source (Indeed/LinkedIn/etc), Application Method, and Status - For screenshots, I save the application confirmation AND the original job posting in case the posting gets taken down later - I set aside 2-3 hours every Monday to do all my applications for the week, then update my tracking sheet immediately after each one The weekly certification really is just a yes/no question - takes like 30 seconds. I've never been audited but I know my records are solid if it happens. The most important thing is just being consistent with whatever system works for you. One thing that surprised me: PA UC actually encourages using multiple job sites because it shows you're making a "good faith effort" to find work. So definitely don't feel like you need to stick to CareerLink!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I just filed my first PA UC claim last week and was completely lost about the job search requirements. This conversation has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. Based on everything I've read here, it sounds like the key takeaways are: - 3 work search activities per week (not necessarily just job applications) - You can use Indeed, LinkedIn, or any legitimate job site instead of CareerLink - Keep detailed records but you only report yes/no on weekly certifications - Download the UC-304 form from the PA UC website for easy tracking - Take screenshots of everything and save confirmation emails I'm planning to set up a simple tracking system this weekend using the suggestions here - probably a combination of the official UC-304 form plus a digital folder for screenshots. It's such a relief to know that so many people have successfully navigated this process without using CareerLink! One follow-up question: does anyone know if there's a minimum time requirement for the work search activities? Like, does taking a 15-minute online course count the same as spending an hour on a job application? Just want to make sure I'm meeting the spirit of the requirement, not just the letter of it. Thanks again everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is amazing!

I just filed my claim yesterday (February 10th) and was having the exact same panic attack about this! I spent hours on Google trying to figure out if I had somehow filed incorrectly when I saw that my waiting week wouldn't be until this coming Sunday. Finding this thread has been such a lifesaver - I can't believe how many of us have gone through this identical confusion! The Sunday-Saturday rule makes total sense now that everyone has explained it so clearly, but you're absolutely right that PA should put this information front and center during the filing process. I was literally losing sleep thinking I had messed up my claim somehow. Now I understand it's just their weird calendar system and I'm not actually losing any benefits. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is amazing for helping newcomers like me understand how this whole system actually works! Going to make sure I stay consistent with my weekly certifications and keep detailed records of my job search activities from day one.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just filed my claim on February 12th (a Wednesday) and was completely confused when they told me my waiting week wouldn't start until this coming Sunday. I honestly thought I had done something wrong during the filing process and was ready to call and try to re-file! Reading through all these experiences has been such a relief - it's clear that PA's Sunday-Saturday rule trips up pretty much everyone who doesn't file on a Sunday. The train schedule analogy really helped it click for me too. It's honestly frustrating that such a simple explanation could prevent so much anxiety if PA just included it on their filing page. I was up half the night worried I was going to lose benefits! Now I understand I'm not actually missing out on anything, just dealing with their specific calendar system. Going to make sure I file all my weekly certifications consistently and keep detailed records of my work search activities. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - this thread has been a total lifesaver for understanding how this process actually works!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stressful situation! I went through something very similar about a year ago when I got terminated from my retail job for hitting their attendance limit after getting really sick with strep throat. Just like with Walmart, I had doctor's notes and followed all proper call-out procedures, but their point system treats every absence the same regardless of medical reasons. I was initially terrified to apply for UC because I thought being "fired" meant automatic denial, but Pennsylvania really does look at the whole picture. The fact that you were legitimately ill with medical documentation and followed proper procedures puts you in a strong position. Being sick isn't willful misconduct - it's completely beyond your control. I ended up getting approved after about 5 weeks, even though my employer contested it (which seems standard for big retailers). The key was being very detailed in my application about each absence and the medical reasons behind them. The appeals hearing was actually pretty straightforward - I just had to show my documentation and explain the circumstances. Don't panic about your rent deadline - remember that if you're approved, you'll get back pay from when you first applied. Keep documenting your job search activities (PA requires 3 per week) and don't give up if there's an initial denial. You have legitimate medical reasons and proper documentation, which is exactly what they're looking for. You've got this!

I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now! Just got terminated from my warehouse job last week for hitting their attendance point limit after missing several days due to a really bad case of bronchitis that turned into pneumonia. Even though I had medical documentation from my doctor and the ER, plus followed all their call-out procedures perfectly, their point system doesn't care about the reasons - you're just absent, period. I was absolutely terrified to apply for UC benefits because I thought being "fired" automatically meant I'd be denied, but reading through all these experiences has been such an eye-opener! It sounds like Pennsylvania really does examine the specific circumstances behind attendance-related terminations, especially when you have legitimate medical reasons like we do. I applied yesterday and made sure to be extremely detailed about each absence, the medical reasons, and included all my documentation - doctor's notes, ER discharge papers, pharmacy receipts, everything. I'm expecting my employer to contest it based on what everyone's saying, but it's really encouraging to see how many people with similar situations have been approved on appeal. The advice about starting work search activities immediately and keeping detailed logs has been super helpful - I had no idea you needed to do that even while waiting for a decision. Also the reminder about back pay covering from the application date is exactly what I needed to hear for my own rent panic! Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - it really helps to know we're not alone in dealing with these unfair point systems that treat genuine illness the same as just skipping work. Fingers crossed we all get through this okay!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! My claim was approved on Monday and it's been showing "in progress" since Tuesday. I was starting to get really worried that something went wrong, but reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief. It's amazing how many people are going through the same thing at the same time! The detailed timeline @Aliyah Debovski provided really helped me understand that this is just part of their normal processing cycle, not a sign that anything's wrong with our approvals. It's definitely nerve-wracking when you're counting on the money for rent and bills, but it sounds like we just need to be patient and wait for the next payment batch to process. From what everyone's shared, it looks like we should see our payment dates update within the next few business days. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in this waiting game!

I'm going through this exact same thing right now too! My claim was approved last Tuesday and it's been stuck on "in progress" since Wednesday. I was getting so anxious about it, especially since I have rent due next week. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - I had no idea this was just standard processing time. It's wild how many of us are all experiencing this simultaneously! The timeline breakdown from @Aliyah Debovski really helped me understand this is just how their payment batching system works. Still stressful when you're depending on the funds, but now I know to expect the payment date to show up in the next business day or two rather than panicking that something went wrong with my approval. Thanks to everyone for sharing - it really helps to know we're all in the same boat waiting for the system to process!