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One more thing - document EVERYTHING. Each time you call, who you speak with, confirmation numbers, etc. If your appeal is delayed beyond 6 months, you can actually file a complaint with the Department of Labor and Industry Office of Integrity. Also, when you finally do get your hearing notice, make sure you're fully prepared with all documentation proving you were laid off rather than quit. The referee will need specific evidence.
Update for anyone following this thread - I used Claimyr this morning and finally got through to someone at PA UC! Turns out my appeal WAS stuck in the system. The agent put a priority flag on it and said I should receive my hearing notice within 10 business days. Such a relief to finally have answers. Will update again when I get my hearing date.
Just to add to my earlier comment - if your husband filed online, he should verify that his ID.me verification went through properly. Many claims get stuck because of ID verification issues. Also, having him continue to file weekly will ensure he gets all back pay once approved, and it keeps his claim active in the system.
After seeing all these responses, I highly recommend your husband try to speak directly with an agent. That's the fastest way to find out if there's a specific issue or if it's just in the normal queue. When I finally got through, they found a simple issue that was holding everything up. It's worth the effort to make contact rather than just waiting and hoping.
You're right, I think he needs to be more proactive about this. He's tried calling a few times but gives up after being on hold. I'll let him know about the Claimyr option you mentioned. At this point, we just need some answers.
I'm dealing with a similar situation and now I'm completely confused. Some people are saying report when paid, others saying report when the work was done. Which is it?? The PA UC website isn't clear at all about this. I've been reporting everything the week I get paid but now I'm worried I've been doing it wrong this whole time!
It depends on the type of work. For regular W-2 employment, you report when paid. For self-employment/freelance work, you report when the work was performed. This is directly from the PA UC handbook. If you've been reporting self-employment income incorrectly, you should contact UC to make corrections to avoid potential overpayment issues later.
Thanks everyone for the advice! I went ahead and looked at my records and split the commission payment based on the hours I worked each week. I reported about $483 for each of the past three weeks (had to call in to correct the previous two weeks). The agent was actually really understanding once I explained I just learned about how to properly report self-employment income. My benefits will be reduced but not eliminated for each week, which is a much better outcome than getting nothing for one week! Definitely learned my lesson about how PA UC handles self-employment income.
Update: FINALLY got through to Money Network! Was on hold for 45 min but the rep was actually helpful. Turns out my card got flagged because I made a large purchase yesterday and then tried using it at a store I've never used before today. They call it "unusual pattern" or something. They verified my identity and unblocked it right away. For anyone else who has this happen - definitely call the number on the back of your card asap. They asked for my SSN (last 4 digits), birthdate, and to confirm my last transaction amount. Card is working again now! Thanks everyone for your help!
Glad you got it resolved! Still ridiculous they put us through this stress on weekends when we're just trying to live our lives. But at least you can get your groceries now!
This is kinda off topic but does anyone know when they load the cards each week? I just started getting PA unemployment and my first payment was supposed to be today but nothing's there yet. Is it always late on weekends or should I be worried?
Anastasia Popov
this is EXACTLY why i tell everyone to record every conversation with UC!! they make "mistakes" all the time and then we have to jump through hoops to fix THEIR errors. the whole system is designed to wear us down until we give up
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Nia Davis
•Is it legal to record calls with UC representatives in Pennsylvania? I thought PA was a two-party consent state where both people need to know they're being recorded.
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Sean Murphy
One final piece of advice: if the Commonwealth Court rules in your favor, it's often a remand back to the UC authorities with instructions to correct the procedural errors. This doesn't automatically mean you'll receive benefits - it usually means you get a new, properly conducted hearing. So be prepared for that possibility and don't assume a win at this level means immediate payment.
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Diego Vargas
•That makes sense. At this point I'd be happy just to get a fair hearing where they're actually looking at MY information instead of mixing it up with other people's claims. Thanks for setting realistic expectations.
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