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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.
This is SO helpful. I've been stressing about how to present my case. I did search for backup childcare and I have screenshots of conversations with other potential sitters who couldn't help on those days. I'll definitely organize all of this for the hearing. Do they record these hearings? I'm nervous about speaking clearly when I'm anxious.
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
That's not always true though. My brother won his appeal but only got backpay for some weeks because he missed filing two weeks during the appeal period. They're super strict about the weekly claims even during appeals.
My friend just went through the appeal process last month and she said to make sure you call and confirm they received your mailed documents at least once a week. They kept saying they didn't have her stuff but suddenly "found it" after she called for the third time. She ended up winning her appeal and got backpay for all 6 weeks.
THIS! They conveniently "lose" documentation ALL THE TIME. I had to send the SAME DOCUMENTS three separate times for my appeal last year. ALWAYS get the name of whoever you talk to on the phone too!!!
One additional thing to note about PA UC appeals: if you win your appeal, be prepared for a delay of 2-3 weeks before any back payments are processed. It's a separate department that handles payment after appeals, and they're still working through backlogs. You may need to proactively contact them after receiving your favorable decision. Also, be sure to continue certifying for benefits every week during the entire appeal process, even though you won't receive payment until after a decision is made.
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.
EXACTLY! The system isn't "broken" - it's working EXACTLY as designed. They save millions by denying valid claims through bureaucratic black holes. ALWAYS FIGHT FOR YOUR BACKPAY! You earned those benefits!
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!
Congrats!! So happy it worked out for you! The relief must be incredible. Thanks for updating us!
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.
Good point! I just checked and my payment history shows nothing since the lump sum. Still set to direct deposit to Money Network card. I think I need to talk to someone at UC to figure out what's going on.
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.
thx for updating! glad u got it fixed. UC system is so broken it's crazy
Avery Saint
Actually, I think there IS a minimum weekly benefit amount in PA - isn't it like $68 or something? So maybe you won't get that $11 after all? The system is probably just showing your remaining balance.
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Sarah Ali
•That's not quite right. The minimum weekly benefit amount of $68 applies to how your claim is initially calculated, not to your final payment. Your final payment can be for any amount less than your weekly benefit rate. The system will pay whatever remaining balance you have, even if it's just $1.
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Keith Davidson
By the way, make sure you're using your reference number when filing that final claim. I know it sounds obvious, but I accidentally used my old reference number from a previous benefit year when filing my last claim and it caused a huge mess. Double-check all your info before submitting!
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Megan D'Acosta
•Good point - I'll double check everything. With my luck, one wrong entry would probably delay things by weeks!
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