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I'm absolutely furious right now. After waiting TEN WEEKS for my PA unemployment claim to process, I just got denied yesterday over something ridiculous. During this entire time, I've been religiously filing my weekly claims, calling repeatedly, and sending emails that nobody responded to. Finally got through to someone last week who asked if I had reliable transportation. I honestly told her my car was temporarily out of commission (needs a new transmission but my brother's fixing it next week). Instead of noting that this is a TEMPORARY situation, she flagged my account saying I "don't have transportation for work" - and BOOM, denied the very next day! I immediately filed an appeal online yesterday, but I'm freaking out about how to win this. The denial letter says I'm "not able and available for suitable work" because of transportation issues. But I have bus access and my car will be fixed within days! Has anyone successfully appealed something like this? What evidence should I bring to the hearing? Should I get a letter from my mechanic? This is so unfair - I lost my job through no fault of my own and now I'm being denied benefits over a temporary car problem.
My roommate got approved for PA unemployment back in January and it's now been almost 8 weeks with zero money received. The UC office claims they mailed both a check AND a Money Network card, but neither ever showed up! He's done everything right - filing weekly claims, answering their calls, etc. The problem is he can't even access his account online properly because he never got the card with his PIN. Without the PIN, he can't even check his claim status or payment history. He's called the UC service center literally 30+ times but either gets disconnected or is on hold until they close. He's behind on rent now (which affects me too) and is getting desperate. Does anybody know a special number or trick to get through to someone who can help reissue the card and payments? Is there an office he can physically go to? I'm trying to help him figure this out before he gets evicted and we both end up in a mess. Any advice would be SO appreciated!
Glad to hear your roommate got it resolved! For anyone else reading this thread with similar issues, here's a quick summary of options for payment/card problems with PA unemployment: 1. Call Money Network directly: 888-233-5916 for card issues 2. Use Claimyr to reach PA UC agents for claim/payment problems 3. Visit a local CareerLink office in person 4. Contact your state representative's office 5. Request address verification if payments are returned Also, it's good practice to set up direct deposit if possible through the PA UC portal once you have access, as it's generally more reliable than the card system.
As someone who works in social services, I want to add that if anyone is facing eviction or urgent financial hardship while waiting for UC payments, there are emergency assistance programs that can help bridge the gap. Many counties in PA have emergency rental assistance funds, and 211 (dial 2-1-1) can connect you to local resources for food banks, utility assistance, and emergency housing support. Don't wait until you're actually evicted - these programs often have waiting lists, so apply early. Also, document all your UC communication attempts as this proof of delayed benefits can sometimes help expedite emergency aid applications.
So I FINALLY won my appeal hearing yesterday after 6 weeks of fighting! The referee ruled that my employer didn't have enough evidence I violated company policy. When I checked my PA UC account this morning, I already see a payment date (3/17/2025) for around $2,450 (6 weeks of back payments), but there's no transaction number showing yet. I'm trying not to get too excited because I've heard horror stories about people seeing payment dates but then waiting months for actual payment. Is seeing a payment date a good sign? How long until I should expect to see a transaction number appear? And when will the money actually hit my Money Network card? I have bills piling up and I'm getting desperate!
UPDATE: Transaction number appeared this morning! Only took 2 business days after the payment date showed up. Thanks for all the helpful comments - definitely reduced my anxiety. My Money Network card has been inactive for so long I had to call and reset the PIN, but everything's good to go now. This feels like a huge weight off my shoulders.
Congratulations on your successful appeal! ๐ It sounds like everything is moving along perfectly - seeing both the payment date AND getting the transaction number within just 2 business days is exactly how it should work. Don't forget to check that your Money Network card is active and ready to receive the funds. Sometimes people forget their PINs after months of inactivity (sounds like you already handled that though!). You should see the money hit your card within the next 1-2 days. What a relief this must be after 6 weeks of fighting!
So frustrating! After 9 weeks of waiting, my PA unemployment was FINALLY approved last week (3/15/2025). The payment was supposed to go to a Money Network card that was 'shipped' on 3/18, but here I am a week later and nothing in my mailbox. Called the UC Service Center after a million attempts and they said they'd issue a replacement card. Has anyone else dealt with this? How long did your replacement card take to arrive? My biggest worry is whether the funds ($2,830) automatically transfer to the new card or if I'm back to square one waiting for them to reissue everything. Someone in my apartment building mentioned their card wasn't activated in time so UC ended up mailing them a paper check instead. Really need this money for April rent...
after all this happens make SURE u set up direct deposit for future payments!!! go to ur dashboard and change payment method. the cards r nothing but trouble
I'm going through the exact same situation right now! My card was supposedly shipped 5 days ago and still nothing. Reading through all these responses is both reassuring and terrifying - sounds like it could be anywhere from 8 days to 3 weeks. The fact that the money transfers automatically to the replacement card is the best news I've heard all week though. I'm definitely going to call that Money Network number tomorrow to double-check my address is correct in their system. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least now I know I'm not alone in this nightmare!
Really stressed out right now! I moved in February but forgot to update my address with unemployment until recently. The Treasury Dept sent my UC payment check to my old apartment (about $1,475) and of course I never got it. I filled out one of those payment tracker forms last week through PA Treasury and they confirmed the check was never cashed. The agent said they'd issue a replacement but couldn't tell me when I'd actually receive it. Has anyone gone through this process? How long does it typically take for PA to reissue and mail a replacement unemployment check after submitting the tracker form? My rent is due next week and I'm starting to panic...
I'm going through almost the exact same thing right now! My check was for $1,380 and got sent to my old address when I moved last month. I filed the tracker form about 10 days ago and still haven't heard anything back. Reading through all these responses is both helpful and terrifying - sounds like I'm in for a long wait! Has anyone tried calling multiple times in the same week to check status, or does that actually slow things down? I don't want to be annoying but I'm also really anxious about when this will get resolved. My landlord is already asking questions about next month's rent and I'm running out of ways to reassure him that the money is coming. Also @Nina Chan - definitely try the state rep office! I called mine yesterday and they said they'd look into it, though they warned me it might still take 2-3 weeks even with their help. But at least it felt like I was doing something proactive instead of just sitting around waiting.
@Amina Bah I m'so glad I m'not the only one dealing with this right now! It s'weirdly comforting to know someone else is in the same boat. From what I ve'read here, calling multiple times probably won t'hurt but it also won t'really speed things up since it sounds like they batch process these on specific dates. I think the key is getting through to someone who can actually put a priority note on your file like @Ali Anderson mentioned. I m planning'to try that Claimyr service tomorrow morning to see if I can actually talk to a real person at UC. Did your state rep give you any kind of timeline or reference number when you called them? I m going'to call mine today too - seems like that s the'one thing everyone recommends that might actually help!
I'm really sorry you're going through this stress - the whole PA Treasury reissue process is such a nightmare when you need the money urgently! I went through something similar about 8 months ago and here's what actually helped me get results faster: 1. Call the Treasury number (717-787-6998) first thing in the morning around 8:15 AM - that's when I had the most luck getting through to someone who could actually look up my case 2. When you do get someone, ask specifically if your replacement has been "queued for the next check run" and what date that run is scheduled for 3. If they say it hasn't been queued yet, ask what's holding it up - sometimes there are simple verification steps you can complete over the phone The state rep suggestion is GOLD - mine was able to get my replacement processed in about 2 weeks instead of the 4-6 weeks they originally quoted me. Also, since your amount is over $1,400, there's a good chance it got flagged for additional fraud verification which adds time. But the good news is that once it clears that verification, the actual check gets issued pretty quickly. Document every call with dates and names - it really helps when you need to follow up. Hang in there, the check will come!
This is exactly the kind of detailed advice I was hoping for! Thank you so much @Callum Savage. I'm definitely going to try calling that Treasury number first thing tomorrow morning at 8:15 AM like you suggested. The idea about asking specifically if it's been "queued for the next check run" is really smart - that gives me something concrete to ask about instead of just "when will I get my check?" I had no idea that amounts over $1,400 might get flagged for extra verification, but that actually makes sense given how much mine is for. At least now I know what might be causing the delay. I'm feeling a bit more hopeful that between calling Treasury directly, contacting my state rep, and maybe using that Claimyr service to get through to UC, I might be able to get this resolved faster than the worst-case scenarios I've been reading about. Really appreciate everyone's help in this thread!
Jamal Anderson
I went through something very similar about 6 months ago - got denied for "transportation issues" when my car was in the shop for a week. What really helped me win my appeal was creating a detailed timeline showing: 1. Exact dates my car broke down and when it was repaired 2. Screenshots of bus routes from my address to at least 5-10 job locations I'd applied to 3. A sworn statement that I was willing to use rideshare/public transit for work The referee seemed most interested in seeing that I had actually researched realistic transportation alternatives rather than just saying "I'll figure it out." I also brought up jobs I'd applied to that were specifically accessible by bus during that time period. The whole appeal took about 7 weeks from filing to getting the decision, but I got all my backpay eventually. Stay strong - these transportation denials are really common but very winnable if you show you were genuinely able to work despite the car issue.
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Dmitry Ivanov
I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! Got denied after being honest about temporary car trouble during a phone interview. Reading through everyone's advice here is giving me so much hope - especially seeing that multiple people have successfully won these transportation-related appeals. I'm definitely going to follow the suggestions about getting a mechanic's letter, documenting bus routes, and creating that timeline showing this was just a temporary issue. It's so frustrating that they twist honesty against you, but at least the appeal process seems more fair than dealing with the regular UC staff. Has anyone here had experience with how long it typically takes to get the hearing scheduled? I just filed my appeal yesterday and I'm worried about how long I'll be waiting without any income.
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Yara Abboud
I'm so glad this thread is helping you too! It's really reassuring to see how many people have been through this exact situation and come out successful on the other side. The timeline idea from Jamal seems like a game-changer - I'm definitely doing that to show this was just a temporary blip, not a permanent transportation issue. From what others have shared here, it sounds like hearing dates can range anywhere from 6-8 weeks, with some people waiting up to 2 months. I know that's not what either of us wants to hear when we're already struggling financially, but at least we know there's a real chance of getting all that backpay if we prepare properly. Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims during the appeal process - that was one tip I almost missed! And if you're struggling to get through to someone by phone in the meantime, a couple people mentioned that Claimyr service that helps you get connected. Might be worth trying to see if we can get this resolved without even needing the appeal hearing. Good luck with everything - hopefully we'll both have some good news to share in a few weeks!
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