They sent me a letter with the interview date/time about 2 weeks after my claim got flagged. The whole thing took about 5-6 weeks to resolve completely. And yes, I still had to call in to do the interview - they don't call you, you have to call them at the scheduled time using a special number they give you in the letter.

UPDATE: I finally got through to PA UC today! Used the Claimyr service someone mentioned and it worked great. The agent was actually really understanding. She said this happens a lot and is considered a "non-willful" error since I genuinely didn't know I had to report unpaid work. They're sending me a questionnaire about the 2-day position that I need to fill out and return. My benefits are on hold until that's processed, but she said as long as I get it back quickly, I should only have a small overpayment for those 2 days I worked (about $82) that I'll need to pay back. Thank you everyone for the help and for calming me down! I was seriously panicking thinking I'd lose everything or get charged with fraud over an honest mistake.

anyone else think its weird that they make these hearings at such specific times but dont have any flexibility for real life? like some of us have kids and jobs and traffic exists lol. 9 minutes is nothing, they should have still let you in. the whole system feels like its designed to deny as many people as possible.

UPDATE: I filed the Request for Reopening form today and also used Claimyr to get through to an actual UC rep! The rep confirmed they received my written statement from yesterday and said they would attach it to my file. She said the referee will likely issue a decision on my original case within 7-10 days, but I should still be prepared to appeal if it goes against me. Thanks everyone for the help - will post another update when I hear something!

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!

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED they make it impossible on purpose so people give up!! been through this 3 times now and its always something different

UPDATE: I finally got through this morning after calling around 20 times! The claims rep said my payments were on hold because they needed to verify my last employer's information, even though nothing showed up online about this. She released all three weeks of payments while I was on the phone, and said they should be on my card within 2-3 business days. Keep trying to call!

btw i forgot to mention, when i won my appeal they sent all the backpay at once to my Money Network card. it was like $8,400 for my 12 weeks! but be prepared that it might take another 2-3 weeks AFTER u win before the payments actually hit ur account. at least thats what happened to me

One more important point: make sure to thoroughly review the referee handbook before your hearing. You can find it on the PA UC website. It explains the hearing process and your rights. Since your case involves misconduct vs. position elimination, the burden of proof is on your employer to prove misconduct. If they don't appear at the hearing or don't provide sufficient evidence, that significantly strengthens your case. Also, if you win, don't be alarmed if you see "overpayment" notices in your account before the backpay arrives. This is a common system quirk that happens when they're processing large backdated payments and generally resolves itself.