UPDATE: Just finished my hearing and I think it went well! The referee was actually pretty nice and seemed to understand my situation. It only took about 25 minutes. I explained my work search activities in detail and she seemed satisfied with my evidence. She said I should receive a decision in 7-10 days. Fingers crossed! Thank you all for the advice - it really helped calm my nerves.

Glad to hear your hearing went well! That's such a relief after all the stress you've been through. The fact that the referee seemed satisfied with your evidence is definitely a positive sign. I went through something similar last year and when the referee was engaged and asking detailed questions about my job search (rather than seeming dismissive), I knew it was going in the right direction. The 7-10 day wait is tough but try to stay optimistic. Make sure to keep filing your weekly claims like others mentioned - that's crucial even while waiting for the appeal decision. Also, if by chance you don't hear anything after 10 business days, don't panic. Sometimes it takes a bit longer but that doesn't mean it's bad news. Really hoping you get that favorable decision and backpay soon. You've been through enough stress these past 14 weeks. Keep us posted when you hear back!

One additional point to consider: if you file a new claim after this one ends, make absolutely sure during the application process that you clearly indicate you no longer have any self-employment income. The PA UC system sometimes carries over information from previous claims, and you don't want this $74/week assumption to continue into your next benefit year. When you get to the income reporting section, explicitly state that the business ended and provide an approximate end date.

I had something similar happen but with a different twist - PA UC kept assuming I was still getting income from a freelance writing gig that had dried up months earlier. The frustrating part is they never actually asked me to verify if I was still earning that money, they just kept it in the system. In my case, I did end up filing the appeal (Request for Reconsideration) because I was worried it might mess up my tax documents or cause issues later. It took about 6 weeks to resolve, but they did eventually remove the phantom income from my records. The process wasn't too bad - I just had to write a letter explaining when the work ended and why I was no longer earning that income. Since you're so close to the end of your benefit year, you could honestly go either way. But if you have the energy for it, getting your records cleaned up might give you peace of mind for the future.

UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know I got my payment today!!! All 3 weeks worth of benefits showed up on my Money Network card this morning. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help and advice.

Congrats on getting your payment! This gives me hope - I'm in a similar situation where my dashboard just switched to showing my weekly benefit amount with zero issues after being stuck on "open issue" for over a month. Still no payment yet but sounds like I should see something in the next few days. Did you get any notification when the payment was processed or did it just show up on your card?

I'm dealing with a similar sideline business issue right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! One thing I want to add - make sure you have documentation showing you're registered to work in Pennsylvania and that your business doesn't conflict with any licensing requirements in your main field. I also recommend bringing a written statement explaining how your Etsy shop actually demonstrates your work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit, but that full-time employment in your regular field remains your primary goal. The referee wants to see that you're genuinely seeking work and that your side business won't interfere with that. Also, if you have any correspondence with potential employers or interviews scheduled, bring that as additional proof of your active job search. Good luck Marina - sounds like you have a strong case!

I successfully appealed a very similar sideline business denial last year! Here's what made the difference in my case: I created a simple spreadsheet comparing my regular job income vs. side business income over the past 2 years - this visual really drove home how minimal the side income was. I also printed screenshots from my state's job search website showing all my applications since becoming unemployed, with timestamps proving I was spending way more time job hunting than on my business. During the hearing, I made sure to mention specific examples of how I'd adjusted my business schedule around job interviews (like declining custom orders when I had interviews scheduled). The referee seemed most concerned about whether I would turn down a good job offer to focus on my business, so I directly addressed that by explaining my business was more of a creative outlet that I could easily scale back or pause entirely for the right full-time opportunity. You sound like you have an even stronger case than I did - $2,900 annual income and only 5 hours per week is clearly supplemental, not primary employment!

One more important tip: if they say they can't backdate your claim during the appointment, ask them to document in their notes that you requested backdating and provide you with information about the appeal process. Sometimes the frontline staff can't approve certain things, but you can appeal the decision and often win. Also, many people don't realize that PA UC has a "Request for Backdating" form (UC-496) that you can fill out. While it's better to handle this in person at your appointment, having this form with you as backup isn't a bad idea. You can download it from the PA UC website under Forms.

Best of luck with your appointment! You're definitely going in well-prepared. One thing that helped me was arriving about 15 minutes early and using that time to organize all my documents in the order I planned to present them. Also, if you run into any issues after your appointment or need to follow up, don't hesitate to reach out here - this community has been super helpful for navigating the PA UC maze. Fingers crossed they get your backdating sorted out quickly!