
Pennsylvania Unemployment
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Has anyone else been stuck in appeal limbo with PA unemployment? I filed my appeal to the board of review almost 75 days ago after the referee ruled against me in October. The website claims they "attempt" to review appeals within 45-75 days, but Jan 6th will hit the 75-day mark and still nothing. I've gone 5 MONTHS with zero income because of this mess! My bills are piling up and I'm about to lose my apartment. I've tried calling multiple times but can't get through to anyone who knows anything about the board of review timeline. If you successfully got through this process, how long did your appeal actually take? And did you do anything to speed it up? I'm desperate here!
Is anyone else having problems filing an appeal on their phone? I've tried FIFTEEN TIMES to submit my appeal through the PA UC portal on my iPhone and it's making me want to throw my phone through a wall! Every single time I carefully type out my whole reason for appealing (which takes forever on a phone keyboard), I hit the Next button and boom - just get a blank screen. Nothing saves, nothing submits. I've wasted hours on this already. Do I seriously have to find a computer or is there some trick to making the mobile site actually work? This system is complete garbage.
Have you tried clearing your cache and cookies? Sometimes that helps with weird form issues. Also make sure your phone is fully updated. I had problems with the PA UC site until I updated my iOS. The appeal forms worked for me after that.
UPDATE: I finally got it working! For anyone else having this problem, the desktop site mode suggestion from @user2 worked perfectly. Had to check the 'Request Desktop Website' option in Safari and then the form submitted properly. Thank you all for the help!
So frustrated right now. My employer disputed my UC claim about 5 weeks ago (claimed I was fired for misconduct when I was actually laid off due to budget cuts). The appeal got assigned to a referee in Cambria County and I've been checking my mailbox every day waiting for my hearing notice. Nothing yet after more than a month! I sent an email to the appeals office last week and finally got a response yesterday that basically said 'we can't tell you when a hearing will be scheduled' and to just keep waiting. Meanwhile my bills are piling up and I'm applying for jobs like crazy. Has anyone dealt with Cambria County appeals before? How long did your appeal take to get scheduled? This waiting game is driving me insane.
Just wanted to add that while you're waiting, make sure you're fulfilling the PA work search requirements. You need to complete at least two work search activities each week. This is really important because even if you win your appeal, you could be disqualified for benefits for any weeks you didn't do the required work search activities. I learned this the hard way and lost out on two weeks of payments.
my appeal only took 4 weeks but that was in delaware county not cambria. maybe different counties have different wait times? anyone else notice that?
I've got an appeal hearing scheduled for March 16th and I'm stressing out big time about it. My employer reported me as a voluntary quit after I missed two shifts, but there's way more to the story. I was literally homeless during my employment (staying at shelters or friends' couches when possible) AND taking night classes to try to improve my situation. My manager knew about both these things. The days I missed were because I had to deal with shelter issues one day and had a major exam the other day. I called in for the first absence but couldn't reach anyone for the second. When I came back, they just terminated me saying I voluntarily quit by not showing up. I'm planning to explain during my appeal that these were necessities due to my housing crisis and education commitment - both of which my employer was aware of. Does anyone have experience with similar appeals? What kind of evidence should I bring? Will the referee be sympathetic to my situation? This unemployment money would literally help me get stable housing.
For your specific situation, I recommend organizing your appeal testimony in this order: 1. Begin by stating that your separation was NOT a voluntary quit but a termination after absences that were caused by necessitous and compelling reasons (homelessness and education) 2. Clearly establish the timeline: when you were hired, when you informed them of your housing/school situation, the specific dates of absence, and when/how you were terminated 3. Explain how each absence was directly related to your housing crisis or education requirements 4. Emphasize any attempts you made to notify them of absences Most importantly: appear at your hearing on time and be prepared for the employer to possibly bring attendance records or company policies about attendance. Good luck!
UGH, I'm about to lose my mind with this entire process! Currently on week 9 of my PA unemployment claim and still haven't seen a SINGLE payment. Nothing. I filed an appeal after getting denied (my employer incorrectly reported I quit when I was actually laid off due to department restructuring), but I don't even have a hearing date scheduled yet. Now they're making me fill out these detailed questionnaire forms about 2 previous jobs I had in 2023-2024. Why are they just NOW asking about these? Is this normal to take this long? My savings are practically gone and I'm starting to panic about rent next month. Has anyone else had their claim drag on this long? Any idea when I might actually see some money or at least get my appeal hearing scheduled? I check my dashboard daily but nothing changes.
anybody else notice how the UC website is always down for "maintenance" exactly when you need to file your weekly claim? happened to me like 3 times already this year
After trying that Claimyr service someone mentioned above, I actually did get through to PA UC yesterday. The rep told me they're currently working on appeals filed in early March (this is for anyone filing in late May). So there's about a 10-11 week backlog right now. He also mentioned that if you have multiple employers in your base year, the questionnaires will definitely slow things down because they have to verify with each one. Just sharing in case it helps anyone estimate their timeline.
Sean O'Donnell
When I was waiting on my board appeal I had to apply for food stamps just to survive. Might be worth looking into while you wait. The county assistance office was actually pretty helpful in my case.
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AstroAce
Based on your comments about having text messages from your supervisor approving your adjusted schedule, you absolutely should submit those to the Board ASAP. This is exactly the kind of evidence that can overturn a referee decision. Here's how to properly submit additional evidence: 1. Log into your PA UC dashboard 2. Go to the "Appeals" section 3. Select your pending Board appeal 4. Look for "Submit Additional Documentation" option 5. Upload screenshots of the text messages 6. Include a brief explanation of why these texts are relevant 7. Reference the specific finding in the referee decision that these texts contradict If you can't find this option online, you can also fax or mail copies to the Board of Review with your appeal number clearly marked on each page. This could make all the difference in your case!
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Isabella Ferreira
AuthorThank you so much for these detailed instructions! I found the upload option and just submitted the texts along with an explanation. I really hope this helps my case. This whole process has been a nightmare but I'm feeling more hopeful now thanks to everyone's advice here.
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