Thanks everyone for all the helpful info. Just to make sure I understand: 1. I can earn up to 30% of my WBA ($146.10) without losing any benefits 2. After that, they reduce my payment dollar for dollar 3. I'm completely ineligible if I earn more than $633.10 that week 4. I still need to do my work search activities regardless 5. I need to report my gross earnings for the WEEK I WORKED I think I'll take the work since it's only for a few days - my supervisor said it would be around $350-400 total. That means I'd still get some UC money that week too. I'll make sure to keep detailed records of exactly what days I work and how much I earn.

Just want to add one more thing that helped me when I was in a similar situation - keep really good records of everything! I made a simple spreadsheet tracking the dates I worked, hours, and gross pay for each day. Also saved all my pay stubs and took screenshots of my weekly certifications. When I had to deal with a question from UC about my partial work weeks later, having all that documentation made it so much easier to prove I reported everything correctly. Better to be over-prepared than sorry!

UPDATE: Success! I used the Claimyr service that someone suggested above and actually got through to a PA UC representative. After explaining the situation, she transferred me to the claims correction department. They confirmed I had accidentally filed for benefits during months I was employed. The good news is they're processing an adjustment to my claim RIGHT NOW to correct the dates, and I should receive benefits for May-present within 5-7 business days! No waiting until October! Make sure you're super clear about your employment dates when filing, folks. One mistake can cause months of delays!

Wow, what a relief to see your update! This is such a perfect example of why it's so important to actually get the right department on the phone. I'm dealing with a similar issue right now where my claim has been "under review" for weeks with no clear explanation. Your story gives me hope that there might be a simple fix if I can just get through to the right people. Thanks for sharing the step-by-step process - asking specifically for "claims correction department" and requesting an "adjustment correction" seems like the key. Definitely going to try the Claimyr service too since the regular phone lines have been impossible for me.

One more question - have you tried contacting Pennsylvania Unemployment through their social media channels? Sometimes their Twitter team can help escalate issues. It's not widely known but they do have staff monitoring those channels.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation and it's beyond frustrating! My claim has been stuck for 5 weeks now with zero communication from UC. I contacted my state rep 10 days ago and they said they'd reach out immediately, but like you, I haven't seen any movement or even gotten an acknowledgment email from UC. Reading through these comments is both helpful and depressing - it sounds like we're all stuck in the same broken system. I'm definitely going to try that documentation approach someone mentioned and follow up with my rep tomorrow since I haven't gotten that confirmation email either. Has anyone had luck with the PA UC Facebook page? I noticed they sometimes respond to comments there faster than other channels. Might be worth a shot along with Twitter. Hang in there - it sounds like persistence eventually pays off, even though the timeline is ridiculously long.

btw make sure ur doing ur work search activities every week even tho ur not getting paid yet! my friend forgot and when her claim finally went through they denied her first 4 weeks cuz she didnt do the job search stuff

I'm in a similar situation - filed my claim in early February and still waiting for determination after 6 weeks. The lack of transparency is killing me! I've been calling weekly and get different answers every time. One agent told me my employer hadn't responded yet, another said they were waiting on some internal review. It's like they're making it up as they go along. I haven't tried contacting my state rep yet because I was worried about exactly what happened to you - getting pushback from UC staff. But reading through these comments, it sounds like it might still be worth trying. The fact that they called you back (even rudely) shows your case is at least getting some attention now. Hang in there - I know how stressful it is when bills are piling up and you have no idea when relief is coming. At least we're both keeping up with our weekly certifications and work search requirements so we'll get backpay when this mess finally gets sorted out.

Just wanted to add that if your claim involves wages from another state (NJ in your case), the examiner will be specifically looking at the interstate wage transfer process. This is a common issue that can cause the "monetarily ineligible" status. The examiner will need to verify your NJ wages and combine them with your PA wages to determine your correct benefit amount. This process typically takes longer than standard claims, so I would set your expectations closer to 5-7 business days rather than 2 days. However, with your state rep's involvement, it should move much faster than it would otherwise.

I went through something very similar last year - also had the "monetarily ineligible" status despite having plenty of work history. My state rep's office was incredibly helpful and actually got results where months of calling UC directly got me nowhere. In my case, they told me 3-5 days and it ended up being exactly 4 business days before my claim status changed. The key thing is that once the state rep gets involved, your case gets assigned to someone who can actually make decisions rather than just the front-line staff who can only read what's on their screen. One tip: when you check your dashboard, look specifically for any new "correspondence" or document requests. Sometimes they'll ask for additional verification before approving the claim, and responding quickly to those requests can make the difference between a quick resolution and another delay. Fingers crossed for you - the state rep route really does work when everything else fails!