One thing that really helped me during my 10 week wait was tracking small victories. Every job application I submitted, every networking call I made, every time I learned a new skill on YouTube - I wrote it down in a journal. It helped me see I was still moving forward even when UC was stalled. Also, be sure you're checking your spam/junk email folders! My ID verification request went to spam and I missed it for 3 weeks which delayed everything. And don't forget to check your dashboard for any Action Items - sometimes they don't send emails about those at all.

@OP - After I used that Claimyr service I mentioned, the agent told me my issue was that my former employer had contested my claim saying I quit (I was laid off). Once I explained what happened, the agent was able to make notes in the system and escalate it for review. The payments started 3 days later. Do you know if your employer might be contesting your claim?

After reading through this whole thread, I wanted to update that my sister-in-law used that Claimyr service I mentioned above yesterday and said it worked for her too. She had an issue with her benefit year ending and needed to speak to someone. Said she was connected in about 20 minutes. Might be worth trying if you keep having trouble getting through the regular way.

Make sure when you do get through that you ask them to document everything in your file. With contractor changes, sometimes they need supervisor approval to process these claims. Ask if they can flag your case for expedited review based on the documentation you've provided. And definitely keep filing those weekly claims!

UPDATE: I finally got in! System is working now but super slow. For anyone still trying, be patient after you enter your PIN - it took almost 3 minutes for the next screen to load but it eventually did. Make sure you don't refresh or you'll have to start over!

For future reference, the best times to file your weekly claim are usually Tuesday or Wednesday mornings between 9-11am. The system has the least traffic then. Sundays and Mondays are always nightmares because everyone tries to file as soon as the week opens up. Also, if you ever can't file online, remember you can use the PA UC phone filing system at 888-255-4728, though it's pretty tedious to use.

Typical PA unemployment... system always breaks right when people need it most! I've been dealing with these glitches since January and EVERY SINGLE TIME something goes wrong with my claim. Anyone notice how these "outages" always happen right when payment processing would normally occur? Pretty convenient for them to hold onto our money an extra day or two if you ask me. 🙄

I just remembered this happened to me back in December too. I panicked and tried logging in like 50 times which was dumb because then my account got flagged for suspicious activity lol. Had to reset my whole PIN and everything. So word of advice don't spam the login button like I did!!

My sister works for unemployment (not in PA but another state) and she says theyre all SUPER backlogged right now!! She said never expect anything to happen when they say it will...always add at least 2-3 weeks to whatever timeline they give you and you'll be less disappointed!! Good luck!!!!

One other recommendation - keep filing your weekly certifications even while waiting for the determination. If your claim is eventually approved, you'll get retroactive payments for all properly filed weeks. If you stop filing during this waiting period, you may lose benefits for those weeks.