I'm going through the EXACT same situation right now! It's honestly both frustrating and oddly reassuring to see so many people experiencing this identical issue. I was also initially denied for the CareerLink registration, had an examiner call saying I qualified once I registered, completed everything they asked for, and now I'm stuck with "disqualifying weeks" showing up after certification. What really gets me is that there's zero transparency about WHY the weeks are disqualified when we've supposedly met all requirements. The disconnect between what the examiner verbally approved and what the system is showing is mind-boggling. I've been banging my head against the wall trying to reach someone on the regular UC phone line for over a week - nothing but busy signals and dropped calls. Based on everyone's experiences shared here, this definitely seems like a widespread system bug where manual examiner decisions aren't syncing properly with the automated claim processing. I'm convinced PA's unemployment system just can't handle these manual interventions correctly. I'm going to try Claimyr first thing tomorrow morning since so many people have had success getting through that way. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to pay a third-party service to reach our own state unemployment office, but honestly I'm at the point where I just need this resolved. Will definitely update everyone on how it goes - we're all in this together trying to figure out this broken system!

I'm experiencing this exact same problem and it's driving me absolutely insane! Got the CareerLink denial initially, examiner called last week saying I qualified after registration, completed everything they requested, and now I'm seeing those same "disqualifying weeks" with zero explanation. What's really frustrating is that the examiner was so confident on the phone that everything would be straightforward once I registered with CareerLink and reopened my claim. But clearly their system doesn't communicate with itself properly when examiners make manual approvals. I've been trying the regular UC phone line for 6 days straight - either busy signals immediately or I sit on hold for 2+ hours just to get disconnected. It's like they've designed the system to make you give up. Reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm convinced this is a widespread bug where PA's computer system can't process manual examiner interventions correctly. The pattern is too consistent across all of us to be individual mistakes. I'm definitely going to try Claimyr tomorrow morning based on all the success stories shared here. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to pay a third-party service to reach our own state unemployment office, but I'm honestly desperate at this point. My bills aren't going to wait for PA to fix their broken system. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - at least now I know I'm not losing my mind and this really is a systemic issue!

I've been doing a mix of DoorDash and UberEats while on UC for about 8 weeks now and finally have a system that works! Reading through all these responses is so validating - I thought I was the only one dealing with reps who act like they've never heard of food delivery apps before. My approach: I use Stride to auto-track miles (just turn it on when I start my first delivery and off when I'm done for the day), keep a simple Google Sheet with weekly totals, and always report NET income after the standard mileage deduction. For the UC system, I put "Self-Employed - Food Delivery Services" as employer with my home address. The absolute game-changer was learning to ask immediately for someone who handles "self-employment" cases when I call UC. Regular reps clearly aren't trained on this stuff, but the specialized ones understand it perfectly. No more 20-minute conversations trying to explain what DoorDash is! I typically aim to keep my net earnings around $240-250 per week so I stay comfortably under that $260 threshold while still getting decent partial benefits. The flexibility has been perfect for job hunting since I can easily schedule interviews without worrying about missing shifts. One tip I haven't seen mentioned - I always file my weekly certification at the exact same time each week (Sunday evenings) using the exact same format/wording. The UC system seems to really like consistency, and I haven't had any issues or audit requests in 2 months of doing this. Hang in there - once you get your system down, it's actually pretty manageable!

I've been doing DoorDash while on UC for about 3 months and went through the EXACT same confusion with reps! What finally worked for me was getting super organized and finding the right people to talk to at UC. My system: I use a simple weekly spreadsheet tracking gross earnings, total miles driven, and calculate net income after the $0.655/mile deduction. When filing weekly certifications, I always put "Self-Employed - Independent Contractor" for employer and my home address. The key is being 100% consistent with this format every single week. The breakthrough was learning to ask specifically for reps who handle "independent contractor cases" when I call UC. Regular reps genuinely don't understand gig work, but the specialized ones get it immediately. This saves SO much frustration! For staying under the $260 threshold - that's your NET income after mileage deduction, not gross. So even if you make $350 gross but drive 150 miles, you deduct $97.50 and report $252.50 net, which keeps you in partial benefits territory. Also crucial: report earnings for the week you WORKED, not when you got paid. DoorDash pays Tuesdays but if you worked over the weekend, that income goes on the previous week's certification. I've been audited once and they just wanted to see my mileage logs, which I keep in my car. Having consistent records made it a non-issue. The partial benefits really help while job hunting since you can easily schedule interviews around deliveries!

To answer your follow-up question - you don't need to submit your work search details every week. The system will just ask "Did you complete your work search activities?" and you select Yes. However, they do occasionally select people for verification where you'll need to provide the details of your activities for certain weeks. This is why keeping good records is important. Some people never get selected for verification, others might get checked multiple times. And as for your question about just doing resume uploads - while that technically counts, I wouldn't recommend doing ONLY that type of activity every week. Mix in some actual job applications too. The point of the requirement is to help you find work, after all.

Just wanted to add that PA CareerLink (www.pacareerlink.pa.gov) is a really valuable resource that many people overlook! Not only can you search and apply for jobs there (which counts as work search activities), but they also offer free workshops, career counseling, and job placement services. I attended their resume writing workshop last month and it was actually really helpful. Plus, attending any of their workshops or meetings counts as a work search activity, so it's a great way to get genuine help while meeting your requirements. They have both in-person and virtual options available.

I'm dealing with this same waiting week situation right now and I'm honestly so relieved to find this thread! Just filed my first weekly claim and saw that "waiting week" status with no explanation of what it actually means. Reading everyone's experiences here has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no clue I wouldn't get paid for that first week. It's really frustrating that PA UC doesn't clearly communicate this upfront, especially when people are already dealing with the financial stress of being unemployed. I'm definitely going to start tracking my work search activities in a spreadsheet like someone suggested, and I'm going to look into those emergency assistance programs people mentioned. Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge and making this confusing process a bit less overwhelming. This community has been way more helpful than any official PA UC resources!

I'm in the exact same situation and this thread has been a lifesaver! Just got my first "waiting week" status today and I was so confused and stressed about losing that money when rent is due next week. It's incredibly frustrating that PA UC doesn't explain this clearly anywhere during the application process - I spent hours on their website trying to figure out what "waiting week" actually meant. Reading everyone's experiences here has taught me more in 10 minutes than hours of searching official resources. I'm definitely going to start that spreadsheet for tracking work search activities right away, and I'm going to look into emergency rental assistance in my county. Thanks to everyone for sharing practical tips and making this overwhelming process feel less isolating. It's reassuring to know so many others have navigated this successfully despite the poor communication from PA UC!

Thanks everyone for the advice! I'm definitely going to keep filing my weekly claims even with the $0 balance. Seems like there's really no downside to it and potentially some upside if any extensions come through. I'll also check out PA 211 and LIHEAP as suggested. Really appreciate all the help during this stressful time.

I went through this exact same situation in 2023 - exhausted my regular UC benefits but kept filing weekly claims for about 3 months. Even though I wasn't getting paid, when a small federal extension program became available later that year, I was automatically enrolled and got retroactive payments for all those weeks I kept filing. It literally saved me from losing my apartment. The key is to keep doing your work searches and document everything properly. Also, don't forget to check if you qualify for any state programs like emergency rental assistance or food banks in your area while you're job hunting. Hang in there!