I'm in week 2 of my PA UC claim being "under review" and just came across this thread while researching what happens if you find work before approval - this has been SO helpful! Reading everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and frustrating. Reassuring because it's clear that PA UC will pay backpay for legitimate unemployment weeks even if you're working when the claim gets approved. Frustrating because it seems like their processing delays are so bad that this timing issue happens to almost everyone! The advice about continuing to file weekly certifications even after starting work seems to be the most important takeaway. I definitely would have assumed I should stop filing once employed, which apparently would have been a costly mistake based on all these stories. I have a promising interview next week and was worried about potentially "messing up" my claim by finding work too soon. But now I feel confident pursuing the opportunity knowing that I'll still get paid for the weeks I was legitimately unemployed, as long as I follow the process correctly. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - this kind of practical guidance is exactly what people need but can never find on the official UC website! 🙏

Week 2 is still early in the process, so hopefully you won't have to wait too much longer! You're absolutely right that this thread has been a goldmine of practical information that you just can't find anywhere else. The weekly filing advice really is crucial - I made a similar assumption initially that you'd stop filing once you got a job, but everyone's experiences here make it clear that's the one mistake that could actually cost you your backpay. Good luck with your interview next week! It's great that you can pursue it with confidence now knowing that the timing won't hurt your eligibility for those weeks you were legitimately unemployed. Just make sure to document everything carefully - your exact start date, wages, etc. - to make the reporting process smooth when the time comes. The fact that so many people have dealt with this exact timing issue really highlights how broken PA UC's processing system is, but at least we know the outcome will be fair eventually. Keep filing those weekly certifications religiously and you'll be all set! 💪

This has been such an invaluable thread to read through! I'm currently on UC benefits and just started interviewing, so having this detailed roadmap ahead of time is incredibly reassuring. The step-by-step process everyone outlined is crystal clear: keep filing your weekly certifications until you actually begin working, then mark that you've returned to full-time employment on that final week's certification. What really struck me were all the warnings about people who just stopped filing and ended up with "irregular closure" flags on their accounts - that sounds like a bureaucratic nightmare I definitely want to avoid! I'm taking notes on all the pro tips too: keeping screenshots of submissions, setting phone reminders for that crucial final filing week, and even being aware that orientation days count as work. The bonus tip about employer tax incentives was completely unexpected but really smart. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - this community knowledge is so much more comprehensive than anything on the official PA UC site!

This thread has been such a goldmine of practical information! I'm currently on UC benefits and have been dreading the confusion around properly ending my claim when I find work, but now I feel so much more confident about the process. The clear consensus from everyone's experiences - keep filing until you actually start work, then mark your return to employment on that final certification - takes away all the guesswork. What really caught my attention were the multiple stories about "irregular closures" causing problems months later. I definitely don't want to deal with that headache! I'm bookmarking this thread and already planning to follow all the documentation tips (screenshots, confirmation emails) and set that phone reminder for my first week of work. The bonus insight about employer tax incentives was completely new to me too - definitely something I'll mention during onboarding when the time comes. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and created such a comprehensive guide. This is exactly why community knowledge is so valuable for navigating these complex government systems!

I'm currently going through this exact same situation! Had my PA UC appeal hearing just yesterday and my former employer was also a complete no-show. The referee waited about 25 minutes and tried calling them twice before proceeding without them. Reading through everyone's experiences here is incredibly reassuring! It's amazing to see how common employer no-shows actually are and how consistently they seem to work out in the claimant's favor. The timeline everyone's sharing (that 2-3 week window) gives me so much hope compared to some of the horror stories you hear about PA UC taking forever. I made sure to answer all the referee's questions thoroughly and brought all my documentation, even though there was no one there to challenge it. The referee seemed pretty frustrated that we all had to wait around for nothing, which I'm taking as a good sign. I'm definitely going to follow everyone's advice about watching my mailbox instead of obsessively checking the online portal, and I'll keep filing my weekly claims. The waiting is already driving me crazy and it's only been one day, but seeing all these success stories from employer no-shows is giving me hope that this will work out. Will definitely update everyone once I get my decision - hopefully it'll be another positive outcome to add to this thread! This community support is honestly a lifesaver when you're going through this stressful process.

I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now! Had my PA UC appeal hearing about 10 days ago and my former employer was also a complete no-show. The referee waited around 20 minutes and tried calling them multiple times before proceeding with just my testimony. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly helpful and reassuring! It's amazing to see how common employer no-shows actually are in PA UC appeals - I thought it was going to be some weird situation but apparently it happens all the time. The consistent timeline everyone's sharing (mostly 18-24 days) is giving me so much hope compared to some of the nightmare delays you hear about. I made sure to bring all my documentation and answer every question thoroughly during the hearing, even though there was no one there to challenge my testimony. The referee seemed pretty annoyed that my employer wasted everyone's time by not showing up, which I'm taking as a positive sign for my case. I've been following everyone's advice about keeping up with weekly claims and watching my mailbox instead of obsessively checking the online portal. The waiting is absolutely brutal when you're stressed about rent and bills, but seeing all these success stories from people who had employer no-shows is keeping me optimistic. Will definitely come back and update everyone once I get my decision - hopefully it'll be another positive outcome to add to this thread! This community has been such a lifesaver during this stressful process. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and timelines!

Hey Lauren, I went through almost the exact same thing last year! Got denied for Section 402(h) even though I was clearly a W-2 employee at a local diner. The problem is PA's system automatically flags anyone with significant tip income as potentially self-employed. Here's what worked for me: when you file your appeal, be very specific that you were an employee receiving tips as part of your wages, not operating as an independent contractor. I also included a copy of my employee handbook that showed the tip reporting policy. The hearing referee was actually really understanding once I explained the situation clearly. One tip - if you have any old schedules or time clock records, bring those too. They help prove you were working set shifts as an employee rather than coming and going as you please like a contractor would. Good luck with your appeal!

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the stress of waiting 10 weeks with no income and then getting a confusing denial letter is just awful. From what everyone else has explained, it sounds like PA's system made an error classifying you as self-employed because of your tip income. This seems to be a really common problem for restaurant workers who properly report their tips. I'd definitely recommend filing that appeal ASAP since you only have 15 days. Based on what others have shared, it sounds like these appeals are usually successful when you can prove you were a W-2 employee. Make sure to keep filing your weekly claims too while waiting for the appeal decision - if you win, you'll get backpay for all those weeks. Hang in there! It's frustrating that the system works this way, but it sounds like there's a good chance this will get resolved in your favor once you get in front of a referee who can actually look at your case properly.

I'm going through something similar right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a work search appeal too and was dreading having to drive 3+ hours roundtrip for an in-person hearing. Reading everyone's experiences with phone hearings has given me so much hope. I'm definitely calling tomorrow to request the phone option due to transportation hardship. One thing I'm curious about - for those who had work search appeals specifically, did the referee focus more on the quantity of applications or the quality/types of jobs you applied for? I've been applying to everything remotely related to my field but I'm worried they might think some positions weren't "suitable" even though I was trying to cast a wide net. Also, has anyone had success appealing when some of their work search activities were things like networking events or job fairs rather than direct applications? I have documentation for those too but I'm not sure if they count the same way.

I can't believe how helpful this thread has been! I was literally panicking about my appeal hearing yesterday and now I feel like I actually have a plan. It's so reassuring to see that multiple people have successfully gotten phone hearings approved for transportation issues. I'm definitely calling first thing Monday morning to request the phone option - I live about 90 minutes away from the office and taking a whole day off from job searching would really set me back. One thing that's giving me confidence is seeing how organized everyone has been with their documentation. I've been keeping detailed records in a notebook but after reading this I'm going to transfer everything to a spreadsheet like some of you mentioned. Having it all digital will probably make it easier to submit as evidence too. The advice about testing phone reception ahead of time is genius - I never would have thought of that! My apartment has some dead spots so I'll definitely scout out the best location beforehand. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and taking the fear out of this process. This community is amazing! 🙏