I'm going through something very similar right now! Got fired from my retail job after being arrested for possession charges (still pending). My employer is fighting my UC claim saying I violated their "drug-free workplace" policy even though the arrest happened at my apartment on my day off. Reading through all these responses is giving me hope though. It sounds like the key is proving the arrest was completely unrelated to work and didn't affect your job performance. The fact that you have 3 years of perfect performance records is huge in your favor. One thing I learned from calling UC multiple times - they told me that even if your employer has a policy about criminal charges, PA law still requires the misconduct to be "willful" and work-related. Getting arrested off-duty for something that doesn't impact your job duties usually doesn't meet that standard. Keep us posted on how your hearing goes! I have mine scheduled for next month and your situation sounds almost identical to mine. We got this! 💪

I'm really sorry you're going through this - it's such a stressful situation when you have kids depending on you. I went through something very similar about 18 months ago when I got arrested for a domestic dispute with my ex (charges were eventually dropped). My employer at a daycare center fired me immediately citing their "background check policy" even though I had been there 4 years with zero issues. The good news is that I won my UC case! Here are the key things that helped me: 1) I documented everything - saved all my performance reviews, attendance records, any positive feedback 2) I proved the arrest was completely unrelated to my job duties and happened during my personal time 3) I showed that other employees had been treated differently (one coworker had a DUI and kept their job) 4) I emphasized that I hadn't been convicted and the charges were still pending The referee ruled that while my employer could terminate me based on their policy, off-duty arrests that don't affect work performance aren't willful misconduct under PA law. The whole process took about 6 weeks from initial denial to getting benefits, but I got full back pay. Your 3-year perfect record is going to be your strongest weapon. Make sure you bring copies of everything to your hearing. And definitely keep filing those weekly claims no matter what - I almost lost weeks of benefits because I didn't know to keep filing during the appeal. You've got this! The law is actually on your side in these situations.

I feel for you so much - this exact same thing happened to me back in November! Mine was stuck on "assigned to examiner" for 6 weeks and I was losing my mind. What finally worked for me was a combination of things: 1. **Try the 833-255-7969 number instead of the main line** - it's specifically for claim status inquiries and I had better luck getting through on that one. 2. **Download an auto-redial app** - I used one called "Auto Redial" that kept calling for me while I did other things. Way less stressful than manually dialing 50+ times. 3. **Check for any pending correspondence** - Go to your dashboard and click on every single tab/section. Sometimes there's a questionnaire or document request buried in there that's not obvious. Mine had a "work search waiver" form I never saw that was holding everything up. 4. **Email your local UC office directly** - Each county has their own UC office with direct email addresses. Google "[your county] PA unemployment office email" and send them your claim details. The waiting is absolutely torture when you're stressed about money. I ended up getting approved on a random Tuesday with no warning - just checked my dashboard and suddenly it said "approved" with 6 weeks of backpay. Hang in there, it WILL happen! Keep filing those weekly claims no matter what.

I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! My claim has been "assigned to examiner" for 5 weeks after I got laid off from my retail management job in February. The stress of not knowing when (or if) it'll get approved is eating me alive, especially with bills piling up. Reading through everyone's suggestions here has been SO helpful though! I'm definitely going to try: - Contacting my state rep (never would have thought of that!) - Calling that 833-255-7969 number instead of the main line - Setting up an auto-redial app - Checking my dashboard more thoroughly for hidden forms It's somewhat comforting to know this is happening to so many people, even though the whole situation is completely messed up. The fact that everyone seems to eventually get approved with backpay is keeping me sane right now. @GalacticGuru hang in there - sounds like you're doing everything right by filing weekly and staying on top of it. Hopefully one of these strategies works for both of us soon! This community is a lifesaver for sharing real advice when the official system is so broken.

@Jean Ballard I totally understand your frustration! Based on all the experiences shared in this thread, here's what's been working for people: Try calling 888-313-7284 (not the automated 888-255-4728 number) at exactly 8:00am when they open. Several people have had success with this timing and only waited 10-20 minutes instead of hours. If you can't get through by phone, try filing online very late at night (10-11pm) when there's less traffic on the system. Make sure to clear your browser cache first and use Chrome or Firefox. The PA UC system has been having major issues lately affecting both online and phone filing, so you're definitely not alone in this struggle. Don't give up - document your attempts with screenshots in case you need proof later!

@Jean Ballard I just went through this exact same struggle two weeks ago! The PA UC system has been absolutely terrible lately. Here's what finally worked for me after days of frustration: Set your alarm for 7:58am and call 888-313-7284 right at 8:00am when they open - don't use the automated PAT line (888-255-4728) if you're having system issues. I got through in about 12 minutes using this method and the agent was able to file my weekly claim over the phone immediately. If the early morning call doesn't work, try filing online between 10-11pm when the system is less overloaded. Also make sure you're documenting every attempt with screenshots and noting the times you tried calling - this saved me when I had to prove I was trying to file on time. The whole system is a mess right now but persistence really does pay off!

Another strategy that's been working for me lately is using the "press 0" trick during the automated menu. Instead of following the prompts, just keep pressing 0 repeatedly until it connects you to a live operator. It doesn't work every time, but I've had success with it about 30% of the time. The operators can usually help with any type of question or transfer you to the right department. Also, if you do get disconnected while on hold, call back immediately within 5 minutes - sometimes they have a "call back" queue that prioritizes people who just got cut off. Worth a shot when you're at your wit's end!

I've been following this thread and wanted to add something that helped me recently. I work part-time at a call center so I understand phone queues pretty well. One thing I noticed with PA UC is that their system seems to reset the queue priorities around lunch time (12-1pm). I've had better luck calling right at 1:05pm when they come back from lunch break - got through twice using this timing. Also, if you're calling from a cell phone, make sure you're in an area with strong signal because even small connection hiccups can drop you from their queue. And here's something weird I discovered - if you get the busy signal, don't hang up immediately. Sometimes if you stay on the line for 30-45 seconds, it will actually connect you to the queue. Not sure why but it's worked for me 3 times now. Hope this helps someone else avoid the nightmare!

I'm new to this community but unfortunately dealing with the exact same situation! My PA UC benefits were approved about 2 weeks ago and yesterday I got the dreaded appeal notice from my former employer. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both terrifying and reassuring at the same time. I was completely panicking thinking my payments would stop immediately, so learning that benefits continue during the appeal process is such a relief. My situation is almost identical to yours - I was told it was a "company restructuring" but my supervisor had mentioned some concerns about my productivity a few weeks before the layoff. Now I'm worried they're going to try to twist that into a "fired for cause" situation. I'm definitely going to follow all the advice here about gathering documentation and creating a timeline. Does anyone know roughly how long these appeal processes typically take in PA? I'm trying to plan my finances around the uncertainty. Thank you to everyone sharing their experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in this stressful process!

I'm new to this community but unfortunately in a very similar boat! Just got my appeal notice yesterday after being approved for PA UC benefits following what my employer called a "reduction in workforce." Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea benefits continue during the appeal process, which is honestly keeping me from having a complete panic attack right now. My situation is a bit different because I was actually given a severance package when they laid me off, but now I'm wondering if that will hurt my case somehow? They told me and 6 other people in my department that our positions were being eliminated due to budget constraints, but I'm still terrified they'll try to find some way to claim misconduct. The advice about gathering documentation and creating a timeline is exactly what I needed to hear - gives me something concrete to focus on instead of just worrying. Thank you to everyone sharing their stories, both good and bad. It really helps to know there's a whole community of people who understand what this feels like!