this is why the whole system needs to be rebuilt. its designed to frustrate people so much they give up. my buddy waited 17 weeks for benefits and by then hed already found another job so he just gave up fighting for backpay. thats what they want.

Final update: My claim was approved! All weeks were paid including backpay from when I first filed. For anyone else in the immigration verification loop - persistence is key. Call early, ask for supervisors, and document everything. Thanks again everyone for your help and advice!

One important thing to prepare for your misconduct appeal hearing: PA uses a two-part test for attendance-related misconduct: 1. Did you violate a known and reasonable employer policy? 2. Was the violation deliberate/willful or was it due to good cause? The burden of proof is initially on the employer to show there was a policy and you violated it. Then the burden shifts to you to show you had good cause. Childcare emergencies generally count as good cause, especially if you made efforts to find alternatives and communicated properly. Make sure you're prepared to clearly explain the circumstances of each absence, what you did to try to resolve it, and how you communicated with your employer. Bring any evidence showing you tried to find alternative childcare. This can make a big difference in how the referee views your case.

after my appeal got approved i got backpay for all the weeks i was waiting which was like $6200!!! make sure u keep filing every week during the wait even tho they'll all say 'appeal pending' or whatever. its a pain but worth it if u win

Quick update follow-up: If you're really in a bind with timing, remember that Money Network cards let you get cash advances from certain ATMs and bank tellers as soon as the money is on your card. Some landlords might accept a money order which you can purchase with the card at places like Walmart or grocery stores. Just trying to give you some options!

UPDATE: Payment just hit my card this morning (Friday)! Thanks everyone for the help and advice. Going to get a money order for my landlord right now.

Just wanted to follow up - were you able to get through to anyone? I'm curious what caused your issue since I might be facing the same thing soon as my company is also starting to bring people back.

After three days of trying, I finally got through! Turns out my employer submitted a form saying they were

Sometimes the issue is with the Money Network card rather than your actual UC claim. Have you checked your payment history in your online account to see if a payment was actually issued but just hasn't hit your card yet? Also, double-check that your payment method hasn't reverted to paper check for some reason - I've seen that happen after backpay is processed.

Update us when you find out what's happening. This information could help others in the same situation. In my experience, these temporary delays after backpay are usually resolved within 1-2 weeks without any action needed, but it's still worth calling to check if there's an open issue that's not visible on your account.