After your hearing, regardless of the outcome, make sure you continue filing your weekly claims. Many claimants stop filing during the appeal process, which is a mistake. If you win, you'll only be paid for weeks you actually filed claims.

I went through a similar hearing last year where my employer tried to claim I was fired for cause when I was actually laid off due to budget cuts. The key thing that helped me was having ANY kind of documentation from around the time of termination - even informal stuff counts. Do you have any emails you sent to family/friends right after being fired? Screenshots of job search activity that started immediately after your termination date? Even your unemployment application date can help establish the timeline. The fact that they paid you after you stopped working is HUGE - employers don't typically pay people who quit or abandon their jobs. Also, during the hearing, if your employer contradicts themselves or changes their story from what they initially reported to UC, the referee will definitely notice. Stay consistent with your version of events and don't let them rattle you. You've got this!

Update: I just checked my portal again and now it says "Appeal Under Review" instead of "Hearing Not Requested" - progress! Thanks everyone for the help and explanations. I'll update again when I get a determination.

Great to see the progress with your status update! Just wanted to add that when you do get your determination, make sure to check if they also corrected your weekly benefit amount based on the correct wage information. Sometimes they'll approve the appeal for the factual errors but you might need to follow up separately to get your benefit calculation updated to reflect the higher hourly wage ($17.75 vs $14.25). That wage difference could mean significantly more money per week for you.

I mailed mine with certified mail so I had proof of delivery. I don't think there's a way to submit it electronically, unfortunately. Make sure to make copies of EVERYTHING you send them. And write your claim number on every page!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! My advice is to submit the UC-53 form right away, but also keep detailed records of when you submit it. I had to follow up twice because they "lost" my first submission. One thing that really helped me was creating a timeline document showing exactly when I worked at the missing employer and what quarters those wages should count toward. I included the employer's name, address, and EIN number from my W-2. The UC office told me having all that info upfront made their investigation much faster. Also, don't worry about them stopping your current payments - they legally have to continue paying your approved amount while they investigate. Good luck!

UPDATE: Just got back from my hearing and I WON!!! The employer did show up, but they had ZERO documentation of any unprofessional behavior. The referee kept asking them for specific incidents with dates and they couldn't provide anything concrete. When I showed my termination paper with "no reason given" plus my recent positive performance review, the referee seemed really convinced. She even commented on how unusual it was to pay someone for days not worked if misconduct was involved. Thank you all SO MUCH for your advice - it truly made all the difference! Now I'm just wondering how long until I actually see payments? The referee said I should receive a written decision within 10-14 days, but didn't say when payments would start.

Congratulations Michael! That's fantastic news! 🎉 Your case is a perfect example of why it's so important to appeal these bogus denials. Regarding payment timing - in PA, once you receive the favorable written decision, payments typically start within 1-2 weeks. Since you've been filing your weekly claims during the appeal (great job listening to that advice!), you should receive retroactive payments back to your original claim date. Just make sure to keep filing your weekly claims until you see the payments hit your account. Sometimes there can be a brief processing delay even after the decision is issued. Your victory gives me hope for others facing similar situations. Employers really can't just make up misconduct after the fact without documentation - the system does work when you come prepared with evidence like you did!

Quick update for anyone dealing with the IDme verification loop: PA UC just posted a notice about this issue on their website yesterday. They're aware of the problem and working on a fix. In the meantime, they recommend: 1. Clear your browser cache completely 2. Wait at least 24 hours between verification attempts 3. Make sure your name/DOB on IDme exactly matches what's in UC records 4. Try using the mobile app instead of the website They've also temporarily added staff to handle these specific technical issues. The special technical support line is 888-313-7284, but it's only open from 8am-11am on weekdays.

UPDATE: I finally got through! For anyone else dealing with this issue, here's what worked for me: I used that special technical support line that @helpful_person mentioned at exactly 8:01am, and only had to wait about 20 minutes. The rep was able to see that my IDme verification HAD actually gone through but wasn't properly linked to my UC account. She manually fixed it on her end and I was able to file for my back weeks right after. They're going to be in "pending" status for a few days while they review, but at least I'm back in the system now. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help!