Congrats on finally getting approved! That 7-week wait sounds absolutely brutal. I went through something similar about 6 months ago - got approved on a Thursday and my direct deposit hit the following Tuesday (3 business days). Since you got approved Friday, you should see something by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest. The lump sum for all your back weeks is going to feel amazing after surviving on credit cards! Just keep checking that Payment History section in your dashboard and make sure to stay current with your weekly certifications and work searches while you wait. You've made it through the worst part - hang in there just a little longer!

Hey Kolton! First off, congrats on finally getting approved after that nightmare 7-week wait! I can't imagine how stressful that must have been with bills piling up and surviving on credit cards. I went through this exact same situation about 4 months ago and remember that anxious feeling of being SO close to relief but still waiting for the actual money to show up. In my case, I got approved on a Monday and the payment hit my account Wednesday morning (2 business days via direct deposit). Since you got approved Friday, I'd expect to see something by Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest. The great news is that all 7 weeks of back pay should come as one beautiful lump sum - after what you've been through, that's going to feel incredible! Keep obsessively checking that Payment History section in your dashboard (we've all been there!) and make sure your banking info is exactly correct in the system. Also definitely keep up with those weekly certifications and work search activities while you wait - you're so close, don't let anything mess it up now! You've survived the absolute worst part of this whole process. Just a few more days and you'll finally have that relief you've been fighting for!

I just went through this exact same situation a few weeks ago! That $20 difference is definitely federal tax withholding. When you first applied for UC, there was a question about whether you wanted federal taxes withheld from your benefits - sounds like you selected yes (which is actually the smart move!). What confused me at first is that PA doesn't calculate exactly 10% like they say - they use flat dollar amounts instead. So instead of taking $49.30 (which would be 10% of $493), they take a rounded $20. You can see the breakdown by logging into your UC dashboard and going to "Payment History" - it'll show your gross $493, the -$20 federal tax withholding, and your net $473 payment. I'd definitely recommend keeping the withholding active since unemployment benefits are 100% taxable income. Trust me, it's way better to have it taken out now than get hit with a surprise tax bill next April! The UC system really should explain this stuff more clearly upfront instead of leaving everyone to panic about "missing" money.

I went through this exact same confusion about 6 months ago! That $20 is definitely federal tax withholding from when you selected that option during your initial application. What threw me off at first is that PA doesn't actually calculate exactly 10% - they use flat dollar amounts instead, which is why you're seeing $20 rather than $49.30 (10% of $493). You can confirm this by going to your UC dashboard and checking "Payment History" - it'll show your gross benefit of $493, then the -$20 federal tax deduction, then your net payment of $473. I'd honestly recommend keeping the withholding active since unemployment benefits are fully taxable and you'll owe those taxes anyway when you file next year. Much better to pay as you go than get hit with a surprise tax bill in April! The UC system really could do a better job explaining this upfront instead of leaving everyone to panic about where their money went. You're definitely not alone in this confusion - seems like it's one of the most common issues new UC recipients face!

Thanks everyone for the info! At least now I understand what's happening. Still annoyed I have to wait so long for that first week payment, but at least I know I'll get it eventually. I'll keep claiming my weeks and hope the second week payment comes through soon.

I went through the same thing when I first started claiming! That "Not Applicable" status is definitely confusing - I thought there was an error with my claim too. Just to add to what others have said, make sure you keep track of when your benefit year started because that waiting week payment will come exactly one year later (or when you exhaust benefits if that happens first). I set a reminder in my phone so I wouldn't forget about it. Also, your second week should process normally and you should see that payment within a few days if there are no other issues with your claim.

I've been collecting UC for about 8 months now and holiday weeks always throw me off too! One thing I learned is that if you set up text alerts through the UC portal, they'll actually send you a notification when your payment is processed, which usually happens the day before it hits your account. It's saved me a lot of anxiety checking my bank balance constantly. The alerts are free and you can turn them on in your profile settings.

I'm dealing with this same situation right now! Filed my weekly claim Sunday night and then realized Monday was a holiday. It's stressful when you're counting on that money for bills. From what I'm reading here, it sounds like Thursday is the most likely day for direct deposit, which is what I have. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences - it helps knowing what to expect instead of just worrying about it. Going to set up those text alerts that @Harmony Love mentioned too, that sounds super helpful for future weeks!

I'm so sorry you're going through this stress! I was in almost the exact same situation last month - filed for unemployment after a position elimination and got stuck with an "active issue" for 5 weeks with zero explanation. The anxiety about bills piling up while waiting for answers is absolutely brutal. Here's what finally worked for me: I called exactly at 7:59 AM (set multiple alarms!) and got through on my third try that way. Turns out my issue was also employer-related - they needed to verify the circumstances of my separation. The good news is once I got through, they scheduled a phone interview within a week and I had my payments (including all back pay) two weeks later. Keep filing your weekly claims religiously even while waiting - you don't want to lose those weeks! Also check your physical mailbox daily, not just email - some notices only come via regular mail. The waiting is horrible but hang in there - legitimate claims do get resolved eventually with full back pay!

I'm dealing with the exact same nightmare right now - filed 3 weeks ago and stuck with an "active issue" with absolutely zero explanation. The complete lack of transparency from PA UC is maddening! This thread has been incredibly helpful though - finally getting real advice from people who've actually been through this instead of the useless official website. I'm definitely going to try that 7:59 AM calling strategy since I've had zero luck during regular hours. Also planning to contact my state representative's office after seeing the success stories here. @Nora Bennett - huge congrats on finally getting through and finding out about the employer contest! That gives me hope that persistence really pays off. I'm going to start keeping a detailed log of all my attempts and get my employment documentation organized so I'm ready when I eventually get through. The waiting while bills pile up is brutal, but seeing everyone's eventual success stories helps me stay hopeful that this broken system will eventually work itself out!