Great to hear this worked out for you! Your experience is a perfect example of how the PA partial benefits system is supposed to work. For anyone else reading this thread, the key takeaway is that Pennsylvania's 30% earnings deduction (which was $127.50 in your case with a $425 WBA) acts as a buffer to protect your benefits when you work part-time. As long as your weekly earnings stay below that threshold, you keep your full UC payment AND your work income. It's actually a really worker-friendly policy compared to some other states that have much stricter rules about working while on unemployment.

This thread is so helpful! I'm in a similar situation where I've been scared to take any part-time work because I thought it would mess up my benefits. Reading about the 30% earnings deduction rule is eye-opening - I had no idea PA actually protects you from losing money when you work small amounts. My WBA is $380, so that means I could earn up to about $114 without any benefit reduction? That actually opens up some opportunities I've been avoiding. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and explanations!

UPDATE: My PIN came in the mail today! You all were right about it being in a separate letter. Looks like it took exactly 5 business days after my confirmation letter. Thanks to everyone who helped calm me down! Now I just need to figure out how this weekly certification thing works...

Congrats on getting your PIN! Just wanted to add a tip for the weekly certifications - make sure you keep track of all your job search activities throughout the week (where you applied, when, contact info) because they sometimes audit claims and ask for proof. I learned this the hard way when they requested documentation for my job searches from several weeks back. Also, if you worked ANY hours during a week, even just a few, make sure to report those earnings accurately. Better to be overly detailed than risk any issues later!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who dealt with this exact situation in PA last year. My husband's manufacturing job went to a 4-day schedule (no Fridays) for about 6 months, and filing for partial UC was definitely worth it. He got around $180/week which really helped cover the lost wages. A few tips that made the process smoother: - File your initial claim online on Sunday night or early Monday morning - the system is less busy then - For work search activities, I found that registering on PA CareerLink and updating his profile counted as one activity, and doing skills assessments on there counted as another - Keep a simple spreadsheet with dates worked and gross earnings for each week - makes the weekly certifications much faster The one-day Tuesday thing probably isn't worth the hassle, but if the Friday shutdowns are really going to be ongoing, I'd file ASAP since there's that waiting week. The key is being super consistent with reporting earnings accurately every week. Good luck!

Hey there! I just went through a similar situation with my job doing rolling 3-day weeks for about 2 months. Definitely file for the ongoing Friday shutdowns - it's absolutely worth it! I was getting around $160/week which made a huge difference. A couple things that helped me: First, make sure your husband keeps all his pay stubs and writes down exact hours worked each week. The PA system sometimes glitches and you might need to prove your earnings later. Second, for the work search requirements (yes, you still have to do them even with partial unemployment), I found that attending virtual workshops through the local workforce development board counted as activities, plus updating my LinkedIn profile and doing those career assessments on PA CareerLink. The single Tuesday probably isn't worth the hassle - I tried filing for just one random day once and spent more time on paperwork than the benefit was worth. But ongoing reduced hours? Definitely file ASAP because of that waiting week. And be prepared for some frustration with the phone system if you need to call - I recommend trying early morning around 8 AM for the best chance of getting through. Good luck! The system isn't perfect but the extra money really does help when you're dealing with reduced hours.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar payment delay issue - been waiting 6 weeks for back benefits after they approved my claim. The main UC number is completely useless, just like everyone else has experienced. I'm definitely going to try the Money Network number (877-704-8144) first thing Monday morning based on your success story. It's amazing that there are different numbers for different types of issues and they don't publicize this anywhere obvious. For anyone else reading this, I also wanted to add that I found out you can check the status of your state representative online at legis.state.pa.us - just enter your address and it shows you who represents your district. Some of them have UC liaison staff specifically for unemployment issues, which I didn't know until I started digging around their websites. The fact that we all have to become experts in navigating this broken system just to get our own money is absolutely ridiculous, but at least we can help each other out. Thanks for sharing what worked!

Just wanted to add another tip that worked for me when I was dealing with a similar payment delay issue last year. If you have access to email, try reaching out directly to your local CareerLink office via their contact form on the PA CareerLink website. Many people don't realize that CareerLink offices often have UC staff who work there part-time or can at least escalate your case internally. When I did this, I got a response within 48 hours from a UC representative who was able to look into my case and identify the issue (turned out to be a similar system flag like yours). They couldn't fix it directly, but they were able to put in a priority request that got my case reviewed much faster than the normal queue. The key is to be very specific in your email - include your SSN, claim number, the exact dates of the issue, and reference any determination letters you received. Also mention how long you've been trying to reach someone by phone. They seem to prioritize cases where people have made multiple unsuccessful contact attempts. It's worth trying alongside the Money Network number approach since different methods work for different people depending on the specific type of issue they're dealing with.

I just wanted to share my experience to hopefully ease some anxiety for anyone still worried about their RESEA appointment! I had mine about 6 weeks ago and was absolutely terrified beforehand - I kept imagining they'd find every little mistake in my job search and cut off my benefits immediately. But my counselor Marcus was incredibly professional and supportive. I brought a pretty disorganized collection of materials: some screenshots of online applications, a few email confirmations, and honestly just a notebook where I'd been jotting down jobs I'd applied to. He didn't criticize my record-keeping at all! Instead, he praised me for at least trying to track my efforts and then spent time helping me create a simple spreadsheet system that's been so much easier to maintain. We also went over my resume and he suggested some formatting changes that have already gotten me more callbacks. The appointment lasted about 50 minutes and I genuinely felt like I had a coach in my corner afterward. For anyone still nervous: remember that these counselors see people in your exact situation every single day. They know unemployment is stressful and that perfect record-keeping isn't realistic for everyone. Just bring what you can and be ready to talk about your job search honestly. You might be amazed at how much they can help!

I had my RESEA appointment about 8 weeks ago and completely understand your stress! I was losing sleep over it because I thought they'd interrogate me about every single job application. But my counselor Angela was wonderful - she immediately put me at ease by explaining that the whole point is to help people like us succeed, not to find reasons to deny benefits. I brought a mixed bag of documentation: some printed applications, email screenshots, and yes, even some handwritten notes where I'd scribbled down company names. She actually complimented me on keeping ANY records at all and said most people come in with way less! We spent the full hour going through job search strategies, and she introduced me to industry-specific job boards I'd never found on my own. She even role-played interview scenarios with me, which boosted my confidence so much. The best part? She gave me her direct email to send updates on my progress and ask questions if I get stuck. I walked out feeling like I finally had a real game plan instead of just randomly applying places. For everyone still worried: these people genuinely care about getting you back to work. Bring whatever you have, be honest about your efforts, and prepare to actually learn something useful!