does ur brother have kids? theres a dependent allowance he should be getting if he does

I went through a layoff from a manufacturing company in PA last fall and got my first payment exactly 3 weeks after filing my initial claim. The key thing that helped me was setting up direct deposit right away - it seemed to process faster than waiting for the debit card. Also, make sure your brother's employer has responded to PA UC's request for separation information. Sometimes employers take their time getting back to UC, which can delay everything. He can check his claim status online to see if there are any "open issues" that might be holding things up. If his status shows no issues and he's filed two weekly claims already, payment should be coming very soon!

Just an update - I saw your question about whether to email or call your state rep. Definitely do BOTH. Call their office first thing in the morning, and also send a detailed email. The more information you provide, the better they can help you. Include: 1. Your full name as it appears on your claim 2. The last 4 digits of your SSN 3. Your contact information (phone and email) 4. Your claim confirmation number (if you have it) 5. The date you filed 6. How many weeks you've been waiting 7. That you're pregnant and in financial hardship State representatives have staff specifically designated to handle UC issues. They can often get results within 5-10 business days for urgent cases.

I'm so sorry you're going through this, especially while pregnant. The stress must be overwhelming. I went through a similar situation last year - 8 weeks of waiting with my dashboard showing an open issue despite being told everything was fine. What finally worked for me was being very specific about what I needed when I called. Instead of just asking "what's wrong with my claim," I started asking "what is the exact issue code and what documentation do you need from me to resolve it?" This forced them to actually look deeper into my file. Also, when you do contact your state rep, mention that you're pregnant and in financial hardship - they prioritize cases involving pregnancy and children. Keep filing those weekly claims no matter what! You WILL get all that back pay once this is resolved. Hang in there mama, you've got this!

my cousin works for unemployment and she told me they're actually planning to phase out the Money Network cards completely by end of 2025, going all direct deposit. not officially announced yet tho

Just wanted to add that if you're having trouble finding your routing and account numbers, they're usually printed at the bottom of your checks - the routing number is the first 9 digits, and your account number comes after that. If you don't have checks, you can also find these numbers by logging into your online banking or calling your bank directly. Most banks also have this info listed on their mobile apps under account details. Make sure you're using a checking account for direct deposit, not a savings account, as some banks charge fees for ACH transfers to savings accounts.

Just following up - did you ever receive your payment? If you're still having issues, there might be something else going on with your claim. Sometimes there can be payment holds that aren't immediately visible in your account dashboard.

Glad to hear you finally got your payment! This is exactly what I've experienced too - the changing dates are nerve-wracking but the money does come through eventually. For anyone else dealing with this, I've found that once you see transaction numbers, it's really just a waiting game. The PA UC system isn't great at communicating the exact timeline, but 2-3 business days after the final benefit paid date seems to be the norm. Just keep checking your Money Network card balance rather than obsessing over the system dates!

Update??? Did your payments start? I'm in a similar situation and waiting to see what happens with yours before I reopen mine...

Great to hear your payment came through! For anyone else reading this thread who might be in a similar situation - I reopened my claim about 6 months ago after a seasonal layoff and had a smooth experience. The key things that helped me were: 1) I uploaded my layoff notice immediately when I reopened, 2) I kept detailed records of my work search activities (even saved screenshots of job applications), and 3) I made sure to certify every week even while it was pending. The whole process took about 10 days from reopening to first payment. Don't let the horror stories scare you - most reopened claims go through just fine if you have legitimate separation reasons and follow the requirements.