Ben, congratulations on the new job! That's amazing after 6 months of searching - you should be really proud of your persistence paying off. I went through this exact situation about 2 years ago when I started at a nonprofit that paid monthly. The 3+ week gap before my first paycheck was absolutely terrifying, especially coming off months of unemployment. Here's the hard truth: you'll need to report your work hours each week based on when you actually work them, not when you get paid. At 38 hours/week, you'll almost certainly lose UC eligibility once you start, even during those unpaid weeks. I know it's incredibly frustrating. But you CAN get through this! Here's what saved me: - Asked HR about emergency advance policies on day 2 (they had one but didn't advertise it!) - Called 2-1-1 for local emergency assistance - found programs I never knew existed - Signed up for same-day pay gig apps (Uber Eats worked great in the evenings after work) - Contacted my landlord immediately to explain the work transition - they gave me a 2-week extension - Used local food pantries to stretch every dollar The key is being proactive and asking for help BEFORE bills are due. Most people are understanding when you explain you're transitioning back to work rather than unemployed. You've already survived 6 months of uncertainty - these 3 weeks will fly by knowing you have guaranteed income coming May 28th. You're literally at the finish line! Report everything honestly to UC and reach out for help tomorrow. You've got this!

Ben, congratulations on landing that retail management position! What an incredible relief after 6 months of searching - you should be so proud of your persistence. I actually went through almost this exact situation when I started my job at a tech startup that had a really weird monthly pay cycle. I had to wait nearly a month for my first paycheck and was absolutely panicking about rent and bills. The reality is that you'll need to report your work hours each week during UC certification based on when you actually work, not when you get paid. At 38 hours/week, you'll likely lose eligibility once you start, regardless of the payment timing. I know it's incredibly frustrating. But here's what got me through that brutal gap: - Asked my manager about earned wage access programs (like Earnin or Branch) on my very first day - turned out they partnered with one! - Called Pennsylvania 2-1-1 immediately for emergency assistance programs in my county (this was a lifesaver) - Started doing evening food delivery gigs (DoorDash was perfect with my work schedule) - Contacted my landlord proactively to explain I was starting work but waiting for first pay - they were surprisingly understanding and gave me a short extension - Hit up local food banks and community pantries to keep grocery costs minimal The most important thing is reaching out for help BEFORE bills are due rather than waiting until you're late. When you explain you're transitioning back to work (not unemployed), people are usually much more willing to work with you. You've already proven you can handle financial stress by surviving 6 months of job searching. These next 3 weeks will be challenging but knowing you have that guaranteed May 28th paycheck makes it completely different from the uncertainty you've been living with. Make sure to report everything accurately to UC and start making those calls tomorrow. You're literally almost at the finish line - you've got this!

Wow, this thread is incredibly thorough and will definitely be a lifesaver for people dealing with this exact issue! I'm actually bookmarking this for future reference since I'm still pretty new to the whole PA UC system myself. What really stands out to me is how many different people had the same experience - it really shows that PA UC needs to do a much better job explaining the ongoing filing requirements after initial approval. Like, why isn't there a clear email or notification that says "Hey, you got approved, but now you need to file every two weeks"? The practical tips everyone shared are gold - especially the early morning calling strategy, keeping detailed work search records, and having all your info ready before calling. And huge thanks to everyone who shared their actual experiences rather than just general advice. Reading about real timelines (like payments processing within 3-5 days) and specific challenges (like needing exact dates for work searches) makes this so much more actionable. This community really shows how we can help each other navigate these frustrating bureaucratic systems when the official resources fall short!

This thread is absolutely incredible - thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions! As someone who's currently helping my sister navigate PA UC (she just got approved last week), this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that's impossible to find on the official website. What really strikes me is how this situation seems to happen to almost everyone - it's clearly a major gap in how PA UC communicates with newly approved claimants. The fact that so many people independently figured out the same solutions (early morning calling, Claimyr, keeping detailed work search records) shows these aren't just lucky breaks but actual reliable strategies. I'm sharing this thread with my sister right now and also with a local mutual aid group I'm part of - I know several people there are dealing with unemployment issues and this information could save them weeks of stress and confusion. The step-by-step advice and realistic timelines everyone provided are going to help so many people. Special shoutout to @Liam McGuire for not only asking the question but also following up with the resolution - that update is going to be the most valuable part of this thread for future searchers!

hey did anyone ever figure out if u need to keep filing the weekly claims even after benefits run out??? seems pointless but im worried about messing something up

I'm dealing with a similar situation - just exhausted my 26 weeks last month and the whole process has been so confusing! Reading through everyone's responses here has been more helpful than anything I found on the official PA website. One thing I wanted to add is that when I went to my local CareerLink office (took the advice from this thread), they helped me apply for several programs I didn't even know existed - including some emergency assistance funds that aren't well publicized. They also connected me with a job placement specialist who's been way more helpful than just applying online alone. Also wanted to confirm what others said about continuing to certify - I kept doing it for 3 weeks after my benefits ended and I'm glad I did because it helped when I applied for SNAP benefits. They wanted proof I was still actively looking for work and unemployed. Hang in there @Lilah Brooks - the healthcare job market is tough right now but there are people and resources out there to help bridge the gap!

Wow, this thread is exactly what I needed to find right now! I've been dealing with this same CareerLink/Keystone ID mess for almost 3 weeks and was starting to think I was losing my mind. Got the work registration alert on Friday and have been panicking all weekend about my benefits getting cut off. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear this is a widespread system issue and not just user error like UC makes it seem. The suggestion about old forgotten accounts really resonates - I think I might have created a CareerLink profile way back in 2017 when I was fresh out of college and completely forgot about it. I'm definitely going to try calling my local CareerLink office first thing Monday morning based on @Aisha Mahmood's success story. If that doesn't work, I'll look into the Claimyr service that @Mateo Sanchez and @AstroAce recommended. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions - this community is a lifesaver when you're dealing with these bureaucratic nightmares! I'll make sure to post an update once I get this resolved to help the next person who finds themselves in this situation.

This entire thread has been incredibly reassuring! I'm currently dealing with the exact same Keystone ID issue - been trying to register with CareerLink for about 2.5 weeks and just received the work registration alert this morning. I was absolutely panicking thinking my benefits were going to get cut off due to something completely out of my control. Reading everyone's experiences, especially @Sean Flanagan's successful resolution, gives me so much hope. It's clear this is a widespread technical problem with the system, not something we're doing wrong. I'm pretty sure I also have an old forgotten account from around 2018-2019 when I was job searching after college. I'm going to call my local CareerLink office tomorrow morning based on @Aisha Mahmood's recommendation - it sounds like going directly to them is way more effective than trying to deal with the online system or waiting for UC to respond to emails. If that doesn't work, I'll definitely look into using Claimyr to get through to a UC agent. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions. This community is amazing for helping people navigate these frustrating bureaucratic obstacles. I'll make sure to post an update once I get this resolved to help anyone else who runs into this same issue!

I went through something very similar last year! Got laid off, collected UC for about 4 months, then got a new job that only lasted 6 months before another layoff. The timing piece everyone is talking about is absolutely critical. Here's what I wish I had known: PA has this thing called a "wage inquiry" where you can call and they'll tell you exactly what wages they have on file for each quarter and whether you'd qualify. Do this BEFORE you file anything! It saved me from making a costly mistake. In my case, I had earned enough to meet the 6x rule but my new job wages mostly fell in the "lag quarter" so they wouldn't count toward my base year if I filed right away. I ended up waiting about 6 weeks until the quarter changed, which allowed more of my recent wages to count. Also, don't overlook the option to reopen your existing claim if you still have weeks and time left in your benefit year. Sometimes that's better than rushing into a new claim with insufficient wages. Your benefit year runs until October, so you might have that option if you get laid off soon. The key is having all the information before you make a decision. The UC reps can walk you through different scenarios during the wage inquiry call.

This thread has been incredibly helpful - I'm in a similar situation and had no idea about the wage inquiry option! Quick question for those who've done this: when you call for the wage inquiry, do you need any specific information ready besides just your SSN? Like do they ask for employer details or wage amounts, or do they already have all that in their system? Also, I keep seeing people mention the "lag quarter" but I'm still a bit confused about exactly which months that covers. If someone could clarify the quarters breakdown (like Q1 = Jan-Mar, Q2 = Apr-Jun, etc.) that would be super helpful for planning timing. One more thing - has anyone tried using that Claimyr service that was mentioned? I'm definitely going to try calling directly first, but curious about experiences with it as a backup if the phone lines are impossible.