This thread is incredibly helpful! I've been dealing with the same nightmare for the past 3 weeks. My claim got flagged with an "open issue" and like everyone else, I've been getting nothing but busy signals on that main 888 number. It's beyond frustrating when you're already stressed about finances and then can't even get basic help from the system that's supposed to support you. I'm definitely going to try some of these strategies tomorrow - especially the local service center number approach since multiple people have had success with that. I found my county's direct line and I'm setting my alarm for 7:45am to start calling. I also never thought about the ID.me thing - going to check that separately tonight to make sure there aren't any hidden steps I missed. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and actual solutions instead of just complaining (though the complaining is totally valid!). It's really encouraging to see that people ARE getting through and getting their issues resolved. This community has been more helpful than the actual UC website!

Reading through all these experiences really hits home - I've been in the exact same boat for the past 2.5 weeks! My claim got stuck with an "open issue" and I was starting to think I was losing my mind with all the busy signals. But seeing so many people actually get through using the local service center numbers gives me real hope. I just spent the last hour going through my dashboard with a fine-tooth comb and found my county's direct number. Planning to start calling at 7:50am sharp tomorrow. Also going to double-check my ID.me account separately like a few people suggested - never occurred to me that there might be steps not showing through the UC portal. It's honestly both frustrating and comforting to know I'm not the only one dealing with this broken system. The fact that we have to become experts at gaming a phone system just to access benefits we're entitled to is ridiculous. But this thread has been more helpful than anything I've found on the actual PA UC website. Thanks to everyone sharing real solutions and success stories - it's keeping me motivated to keep fighting through this mess!

To answer your follow-up question about weekly certifications: Yes, you should file every week, even when your bartending income exceeds your benefit amount. This keeps your claim active and prevents issues if your income drops in future weeks. For tips, you report them in the week you receive them, not when they appear on your paycheck. The UC system asks for all income earned during the week, which includes tips earned that week. Remember that the PA UC definition of a week is Sunday through Saturday. So when you certify, make sure you're reporting all earnings from that specific Sunday-Saturday period, regardless of when you actually receive your paycheck.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago when I got laid off from my marketing job but kept my weekend catering gig. Everyone here has given you solid advice - definitely use "Other" and write "Still employed part-time" for your bartending job. One thing I'll add that helped me: keep really detailed records of your bartending income week by week. I use a simple notebook to track dates worked, hours, and total earnings (including tips) for each shift. Makes filling out the weekly certifications so much easier and you won't accidentally forget to report something. Also, don't stress too much about the partial benefit calculation - the UC system handles all the math automatically once you enter your earnings. Just focus on being accurate and consistent with your reporting. Good luck with your claim!

Update: I submitted my new application yesterday and the system is showing an "open issue" already. Is this normal? Should I try calling them to find out what the issue is? I'm getting really anxious about this whole process.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My benefit year just ended last week and I'm terrified about reapplying. Reading everyone's experiences here is both helpful and scary - sounds like it really varies from person to person. I've been working part-time too (about 20 hours/week at a restaurant) so I'm hoping that's enough to qualify for a new claim. The waiting period is what's killing me though. Bills don't stop coming just because UC takes weeks to process applications! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, it helps to know I'm not alone in this stressful situation.

I'm currently stuck in this exact same IDme verification loop and it's absolutely maddening! Been trying for the past 4 hours with Chrome and Firefox with no luck. Reading through everyone's solutions here is giving me so much hope though. I'm definitely going to try the Microsoft Edge browser approach tomorrow morning around 5:30am, and the tip about waiting up to 30 minutes without refreshing is gold - I've been refreshing after just a few minutes thinking it was broken. It's such a relief to know about the phone filing backup at 888-255-4728 too, takes away some of the panic about missing my certification deadline. If the browser tricks don't work, I'll give Claimyr a try to get connected with an agent. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community support is amazing when dealing with PA UC's technical disasters!

I'm dealing with this exact same IDme timeout nightmare right now! Been stuck in that endless loop for the past 3 days and was starting to think I was going crazy. This thread is an absolute goldmine of solutions - I had no idea about trying different browsers or the early morning timing trick. Going to try Microsoft Edge tomorrow around 5:30am with a cleared cache and just let it sit for the full 30 minutes without touching anything. The phone filing backup at 888-255-4728 is such a relief to know about too - I was panicking about missing my certification deadline. If all else fails, I'll definitely look into Claimyr to get connected with an actual agent who can bypass this mess. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and specific workarounds. It's so reassuring to know this is a widespread PA UC system issue and not just my setup!

Congrats on finding work! I just went through this exact same situation a few months ago. The "disqualified" status freaked me out too but it's totally normal - it just means you earned too much that specific week to get benefits. Your back payments are completely separate and will still be processed once an examiner reviews your claim. I got all 10 weeks of back pay even after working for a month. The key is to keep filing your weekly claims until they officially close your claim or you'll forfeit those back payments. PA UC's system is confusing but you should be fine! Just be patient with the examiner review process - it sucks but they will eventually get to it.

I'm in the EXACT same boat as you! Just found a job after 3 months of searching and when I reported my first week of earnings, boom - "disqualified" status appeared and I immediately thought I lost everything. I've been waiting 7 weeks for an examiner review and desperately need those back payments. Reading everyone's experiences here is such a relief - it's clear that PA UC just uses terrible wording and "disqualified" only applies to that specific week where you earned too much, not your entire claim history. I was literally about to call and ask if I should stop filing since I'm working now, but thankfully found this thread first. Sounds like the golden rule is to keep filing weekly until they officially close your claim or you forfeit your back pay. The stress of being behind on bills while waiting is real, but at least now I know others have successfully gotten their full back payments even after starting work. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is a lifesaver when PA UC's system is so confusing!