Thanks everyone for the information! I'm going to file early Sunday morning and make sure all my work search requirements are perfect. I'll also talk to my landlord to see if I can get a few days extension just in case the payment is delayed. Really appreciate all the advice!

Great advice from everyone here! I went through this exact situation during Memorial Day weekend and my payment was delayed by 3 business days. One thing I'd add is to screenshot your weekly certification confirmation after you submit it on Sunday - sometimes the system glitches during high-volume periods and having that proof can save you headaches if there are any issues. Also, if you're really tight on money, some food banks and community organizations have special holiday assistance programs that can help bridge the gap during payment delays. Hope your payment comes through smoothly!

PA school employee here with some clarification. For snow days, the key factors UC considers are: 1. Whether you have "reasonable assurance" of returning to work (most school employees do) 2. If your hours/pay were reduced by at least 35% during a benefit week 3. Whether your work agreement specifically addresses snow days If you're an hourly employee with no contractual protection for snow days, AND your weekly earnings dropped significantly, file a claim for just those specific weeks. You'll need to report any earnings from days you did work that week. Many school districts have alternate policies for hourly staff during snow days - some offer makeup hours, some provide alternative duties, and some might have a limited number of paid snow days. Check your employee handbook or speak with HR before filing.

I'm in a similar situation as a substitute teacher in PA. What I've learned from my experience is that you should definitely keep detailed records of your lost hours and wages for each week. Take screenshots of your pay stubs showing the reduced hours, and document which specific days were snow days. When you file, be very clear that you're filing for "partial unemployment" due to reduced hours, not regular unemployment. Also, don't be discouraged if your first claim gets denied - you can appeal and provide more documentation. The appeals process sometimes results in different outcomes than the initial review. Good luck!

UPDATE: I was finally able to reach someone at the fraud department! After about 50 attempts over two days, I got through. The agent confirmed someone tried to file a fraudulent claim using my info in 2021. They added notes to my account about the identity theft and told me my current claim should process normally, but might take an extra week for review. They're also sending me a form to fill out to officially document the fraud. Thanks everyone for the advice and help!

So glad you were able to get through and get this resolved! 50 attempts is ridiculous but unfortunately typical for PA UC phone lines. The fact that they're proactively adding notes to your account is a good sign - it shows they're taking the identity theft seriously. That extra week of review time is totally worth it for the peace of mind. Keep us posted on how your claim progresses, and definitely follow through on that fraud documentation form. Your experience might help other people in similar situations!

I was in a very similar situation when I got laid off from my customer service job after working there for about 10 months full-time. I was making around $680/week and was so worried I wouldn't qualify because I kept seeing references to needing more work history. But it turns out I was overthinking it completely! With your 51 weeks at $785/week, you absolutely have more than enough to qualify. The PA UC system looks at whether you have at least 18 "credit weeks" where you earned $116+ per week during your base period - and you clearly have way more than that. I had less work time than you and got approved without any issues. The most important thing is to file RIGHT NOW if you haven't already. Don't wait for anything - not your final paycheck, not to "figure everything out," nothing. Every day you delay is a day you're not in the system, and PA UC is notoriously slow to process claims. I filed the same day I got laid off and it still took 3 weeks to get my first payment. Also, make sure you keep filing your weekly certifications even while your claim status shows "under review" or "pending." That was something I almost messed up because I thought I had to wait for full approval first. You've got this - your work history is solid!

I just went through this exact situation about 6 months ago! Got laid off from my logistics job after working there for 11 months full-time, making about $720/week. I had the exact same panic about not having "enough" work history because the PA UC website makes it sound so confusing with all that base period language. But here's what I learned after getting approved: with your 51 weeks at $785/week, you have WAY more than the minimum requirements. You need 18 "credit weeks" (earning at least $116/week) during your base period - you probably have like 50+ credit weeks! I had fewer weeks than you and sailed through the approval process. My advice: if you haven't filed yet, do it TODAY. Don't overthink it or wait for anything. I delayed filing for a week because I was worried about eligibility, and even though they backdated my claim, it still meant extra processing time I could have avoided. The PA UC system is already super slow, so every day counts. Also, once you file, keep doing your weekly certifications even while your claim shows "under review" - that's totally normal and can take 2-4 weeks. You can't get paid for weeks you don't certify for, even retroactively. With your solid work history, approval is pretty much guaranteed. The waiting is the hardest part!

I just went through this same nightmare last month! What worked for me was actually doing a full browser reset - not just clearing cache but completely resetting Chrome to default settings. Also, make sure you're not using any VPN services as IDme flags those as suspicious. One thing that nobody mentions is that if you have multiple IDme accounts (maybe from other government services), you need to use the EXACT same one you used before or it will create conflicts. The PA UC system doesn't handle multiple IDme accounts well at all. If all else fails, the UCIDME@pa.gov email that @Liam Mendez mentioned is legit - they helped me when I was completely stuck.

I just went through this exact same issue two weeks ago! The IDme verification has been super glitchy lately. What finally worked for me was a combination of things: first, I went directly to id.me and made sure my account was fully verified there (including uploading a photo of my driver's license). Then I used Chrome in private/incognito mode, disabled all extensions, and tried accessing the PA UC site around 6am when there's less traffic. The key was doing the IDme verification separately first - once that was complete, the PA UC integration worked immediately. Also make sure you're using the same email address for both your PA UC account and your IDme account, as mismatches can cause the endless loading screen. Hope this helps!