Update us when you hear back about your reconsideration request! It'll help other students in the same situation to know how it went.

I'm a social worker who helps clients navigate benefits appeals, and I wanted to add that you should also consider requesting an expedited review if you're experiencing food insecurity. PA has provisions for expediting SNAP reconsiderations when there's immediate hardship. When you call or visit your county office, specifically ask about expedited processing due to financial hardship - they can sometimes process these cases in 7-10 days instead of the full 30. Also, keep copies of everything you submit and get confirmation numbers. Document every phone call with dates and who you spoke with. This creates a paper trail that can be helpful if you need to escalate further. Good luck with your reconsideration!

This happened to me last month when I was trying to buy groceries! Card got declined at the register and I couldn't check my balance. So embarrassing! Had to put everything back and come home to find out the system was just down for maintenance. They really need to warn us before doing these updates. BTW has anyone had problems with the Money Network ATMs at Sheetz? Last two times I tried, they were out of cash!

This is exactly why I always keep a small amount of cash on me now after going through this nightmare multiple times! The Money Network outages are getting ridiculous - it's like they don't understand people depend on this money for basic necessities like rent and groceries. I've started taking screenshots of my balance when the system IS working so I at least know roughly how much I have during outages. Also pro tip - if you have a credit union nearby, some of them let you withdraw cash from your unemployment card without fees at their ATMs, which can be super helpful during these situations.

UPDATE: They actually came through! Just got my decision letter today - APPROVED!!! After 14+ months of waiting, they reversed the denial and I should be getting the back payments within 2 weeks. If you're still waiting, don't give up hope and definitely try calling that number. Now I just need to figure out how to deal with the credit card debt I racked up while waiting...

Congratulations Vanessa! This gives me so much hope. I've been waiting 11 months for my review board decision after being denied for "voluntary quit" when I actually left due to unsafe working conditions that my employer refused to address. I tried calling 717-787-5122 yesterday but got a busy signal - probably because of this post! I'll keep trying though. Did they end up paying any interest on the delayed payments or just the original amount you were owed?

lol lets be real both optins suck but direct deposit sucks LESS... PA unemployment system is stuck in 1995 no matter how u get paid 🤣

Sorry to hear about the layoff right before the holidays - that's rough timing! I went through PA unemployment earlier this year and definitely recommend direct deposit. I made the mistake of choosing the Money Network card initially and regretted it almost immediately. The card took 12 days to arrive (they said 7-10 but it was longer), and when it finally came, I had issues using it at certain ATMs. Plus there are fees for basically everything - checking your balance, using out-of-network ATMs, even transferring money to your real bank account. I switched to direct deposit after my second payment and wished I had done it from the start. Just triple-check your routing and account numbers before submitting - I wrote them down from a check rather than trying to remember them. Good luck with everything!

Just a quick update that might help others - I just spoke with my tax preparer who said PA is experiencing significant delays this year, especially for returns filed in February. Apparently their system was updated in March and returns filed before that are taking longer to process. So it might not be related to your UC situation at all, just bad timing with when you filed.

I'm in a similar boat - filed electronically on February 12th and still showing "processing" for my PA state refund. I also had unemployment income on my return from a brief period last year. It's reassuring to hear that the system update in March might be causing delays for February filers rather than something specific to our UC situations. I've been hesitant to call since I know how backed up everything is, but maybe I'll try that 1-888-PATAXES number if I don't see movement in the next week or two. The waiting is definitely stressful when you're already dealing with UC claim issues on top of it!