I just went through this exact same confusion a couple weeks ago when I started collecting! That $20 difference had me really worried that something was wrong with my claim. Like everyone else has explained, it's definitely the federal tax withholding you selected when you first applied. What really helped me understand it was going to the Payment History section in my UC dashboard - you can see exactly how they break down your payment there. It shows your gross benefit amount, then the tax deduction, then your net payment. I was doing the math trying to figure out why it wasn't exactly 10% of my benefit amount, but apparently PA rounds to convenient dollar amounts instead of calculating precise percentages. I decided to keep the withholding active since unemployment benefits are fully taxable and I'd rather pay as I go than get hit with a big tax bill next year. The UC system really could do a better job explaining this upfront though - seems like almost everyone goes through this same moment of panic when they first notice the difference!

I had this exact same confusion when I first started collecting UC about 8 months ago! That $20 difference is definitely federal tax withholding - when you applied, there was a question asking if you wanted federal taxes withheld from your benefits and you must have selected yes (which is actually the smart choice!). PA's system uses flat dollar amounts instead of calculating exact percentages, so instead of taking exactly 10% ($49.30), they round it to something like $20. You can see the full breakdown by logging into your UC dashboard and going to "Payment History" - it'll show your $493 gross benefit, the -$20 federal tax deduction, and your $473 net payment. I'd recommend keeping the withholding since unemployment benefits are 100% taxable income. Better to have it taken out now than deal with a huge tax bill next April! The system really should explain this more clearly upfront instead of leaving everyone to figure it out through panic and confusion.

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently in my second week of benefits after completing my waiting week, and I can confirm that following the advice here worked perfectly for me. I worked about 8 hours at a local grocery store during my waiting week, reported exactly $96 in gross earnings, and had zero issues with my claim processing. A couple of additional tips from my recent experience: 1. When you report earnings, the system will ask for your employer's name and address - have this info ready even for temporary/one-off jobs. I had to scramble to get the grocery store's full business address when filing. 2. If you're working multiple small jobs in one week, you report the TOTAL earnings for that week, not separate entries for each employer. I learned this from calling the UC office (got through on my 4th try!). 3. Keep your pay stubs in a dedicated folder - both physical and digital copies. I scan everything to my phone immediately now. The waiting week earnings truly don't affect your future benefit payments since that week is unpaid anyway, but accurate reporting is crucial for avoiding investigations later. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge here - this community support made navigating PA UC so much less stressful!

This thread has been an absolute lifesaver! I'm actually in a very similar boat - just got laid off from my manufacturing job last week and filed for PA UC. I've been offered some weekend shifts at a warehouse through a temp agency during my waiting week, and I was terrified of messing up my claim right from the start. Reading through everyone's experiences has given me so much clarity. The key takeaways I'm getting are: report every penny earned during waiting week even though it's unpaid, keep meticulous records with screenshots and pay stubs, and remember that the 30% partial benefit credit calculation doesn't really matter for waiting week since you don't get paid anyway - it's just about accurate reporting. One question I have for anyone who's dealt with temp agencies specifically - do they usually handle the tax documentation properly, or should I be extra careful about getting official pay stubs? I don't want to run into issues like some folks mentioned with informal work arrangements. Thanks to @Gabriel Freeman for asking the original question that sparked all this incredibly helpful discussion, and thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences and practical tips. This is exactly the kind of community support that makes dealing with government bureaucracy bearable!

That's awesome news Sean! So happy you got it resolved quickly. This is a perfect example of why it's worth trying different approaches to reach UC - sometimes the information is already there and just needs someone to process it. Hopefully your experience helps other people in similar situations know that there are options beyond just waiting for scheduled interviews. Thanks for updating us on how it turned out!

@Sean Flanagan Congratulations on getting your claim resolved! Your story is really encouraging for others dealing with similar issues. It's also a great reminder that persistence pays off - you kept filing weekly, gathered advice from the community, and took action to get through to UC. For anyone else reading this with separation issues, Sean's experience shows that even when things look stuck, there are often solutions available if you know where to look. The combination of community support and using services like Claimyr can really make a difference when you're navigating the UC system.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my experience since I'm currently going through something very similar. I was terminated from my job at a marketing agency in November for what they called "failure to meet project deadlines" but really it was because they kept piling on unrealistic workloads without proper resources or support. I initially won my UC benefits but my employer just filed an appeal and I have a referee hearing scheduled for next week. Reading through this entire thread has been incredibly educational and honestly given me so much hope. I had no idea about the UCBR appeal option or the fault overpayment waiver - those seem like crucial safety nets that most people don't know about. Diego, your situation with the lack of documentation sounds really promising for your UCBR appeal. It seems like these cases often come down to whether employers can prove actual "willful misconduct" versus just performance struggles. The advice everyone's given about documenting everything and requesting employer policies is gold. I'm going to make sure I have all of that ready regardless of how my referee hearing goes. It's so reassuring to see multiple success stories at the UCBR level from people who lost their initial appeals. This community has been more helpful than any official resource I've found. Sending good vibes to everyone fighting these battles!

I'm new to this community but wanted to reach out because I'm currently dealing with a very similar situation. I was terminated from my retail job last month for what they called "poor customer service" but really it was just me struggling to handle difficult customers without proper training or management support. I initially won my UC benefits, but now my employer is appealing and I have a referee hearing coming up in two weeks. Reading through this entire thread has been incredibly eye-opening and honestly has given me so much hope when I was starting to panic. I had absolutely no idea about the UCBR appeal option or the fault overpayment waiver - these seem like crucial protections that most people never hear about until it's too late. Diego, your situation with the complete lack of documentation from your employer sounds really promising for your UCBR appeal based on all the success stories people have shared here. The advice everyone's given about documenting everything, requesting employer policies, and focusing on the legal distinction between performance issues versus actual "willful misconduct" is incredibly valuable. I'm going to make sure I have all of that prepared regardless of how my referee hearing goes. It's so reassuring to read multiple success stories from people who won at the UCBR level after losing their initial appeals. This community has honestly been more helpful than any official PA UC resource I've tried to find. The fact that you all share real experiences and practical advice makes such a huge difference when you're feeling lost in this complicated system. Sending positive thoughts to everyone fighting these battles - we've got to stick together!

I went through this exact same nightmare about 6 months ago! Accidentally reported 30 hours instead of 20 and it completely locked me out of filing my next claim. The panic is real - I thought I had messed up my entire unemployment claim permanently. But like everyone else has said, you absolutely cannot edit or delete a submitted weekly claim. The only way is to get a human on the phone. I tried calling for almost 2 weeks straight and finally got through using the 7:55am strategy that others mentioned. The rep was actually super helpful once I explained it was an honest mistake. She fixed it in about 10 minutes and released my held payment. The key is having your actual pay stub ready and being able to clearly explain what you meant to report versus what you accidentally entered. Don't give up - these mistakes happen way more often than you'd think and they know the difference between honest errors and fraud attempts!

I'm new to this community but dealing with a very similar issue right now! I accidentally reported 28 hours instead of 18 on my weekly certification and now I can't file my current week's claim. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly reassuring - I was honestly terrified that I had permanently ruined my unemployment benefits. It's amazing to see how many people have gone through the exact same thing and that the reps are generally understanding about honest mistakes. I'm definitely going to try the 7:55am calling strategy tomorrow morning with my pay stub ready. Thank you all for sharing your stories and tips - this community is a lifesaver when you're dealing with the stress and confusion of the PA UC system!