Update: I talked to my WIOA counselor and she was super helpful! Turns out this happens all the time. She's giving me a letter confirming my training program is approved and helping me with the appeal. She also suggested I try calling UC directly to speed things up since sometimes they can fix it right away once they see you're in approved training. Will keep you all posted on what happens. Thanks for all the advice!

I went through something similar when I was doing my HVAC certification through WIOA last year. The key thing that helped me was getting my counselor to send the UC-1599 form directly to UC rather than just giving it to me to submit. For some reason, when it comes from the WIOA office directly, it seems to carry more weight with the UC system. Also, if you do end up using one of those callback services like Claimyr that someone mentioned, make sure you have all your paperwork ready before the call - your WIOA enrollment letter, training schedule, and the dates you reported the training on your claims. The UC reps can usually fix it on the spot if they have all the info. Don't stress too much - this really is a common glitch in their system and once a human looks at your case, it should get resolved quickly. The CDL program is worth sticking with even through this hassle!

That's such a relief to hear! Gives me hope that mine might resolve without me having to spend days trying to get through on the phone. I'll keep certifying weekly and hope for the best. Thanks for sharing your experience!

Hey Mei Lin! I went through almost the exact same situation about 6 months ago when I got laid off from my job in Pittsburgh. The eligibility question issue is SO frustrating - I also couldn't find a clear "laid off" option and ended up selecting something that didn't quite fit. Here's what worked for me: I called the PA UC line using the callback feature on their website (avoid calling first thing Monday morning - huge wait times). When I finally got through, the agent explained that "lack of work" is actually the closest option to being laid off, even though it's not obvious. She said "other; restricted hours" can sometimes trigger additional review because it suggests you might still be partially employed. For CareerLink - don't stress too much about what it's tracking. I kept a simple Google Doc with columns for Date, Company, Position, Method (Indeed/LinkedIn/etc), and Status. Never got audited, but having that backup documentation gave me peace of mind. One tip: if your claim stays stuck for more than 2 weeks, definitely call. Sometimes these things need a human touch to get unstuck. Good luck and hang in there!

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the stress of exhausting UC benefits while still actively job searching is absolutely devastating, especially with kids and a mortgage to worry about. Reading through all the excellent advice here, I wanted to add a few thoughts that might help: Have you considered reaching out to medical billing companies that specialize in workers' compensation or personal injury law firms? These are often overlooked niches that pay well and value experienced billers. Companies like MedRisk or CorVel frequently hire remote workers, and PI law firms often need billers who understand medical terminology. Also, while you're applying for emergency assistance, check if your mortgage servicer participates in any federal forbearance programs - even outside of the COVID programs, some lenders have hardship options that can pause or reduce payments temporarily. One thing that helped me during a similar period was setting up Google alerts for "medical billing jobs Pittsburgh" and "remote medical billing" - sometimes positions get posted on smaller company websites that don't show up on the major job boards. The fact that you're getting zero callbacks with 8+ years of experience really drives home how broken the current job market is. This absolutely isn't a reflection of your skills or work ethic. Keep pushing forward and don't hesitate to lean on every resource available - you and your family deserve that support. You're going to get through this! ❤️

I'm really sorry you're facing this situation - hitting that 26-week wall is absolutely terrifying, especially with kids and a mortgage depending on you. Reading through this thread, I'm struck by how many people are dealing with the same nightmare right now. One thing I wanted to add that I haven't seen mentioned yet - have you checked if any local credit unions offer emergency hardship loans? Some of them have programs specifically for people who've exhausted unemployment benefits and are actively job searching. The rates are usually much better than payday loans or credit cards, and they sometimes work with you on flexible repayment terms. Also, for medical billing specifically, you might want to look into dental billing as well. A lot of dental practices are struggling to find experienced billers right now, and your medical background would transfer over pretty easily. The billing software is different but the fundamental skills are the same. Don't give up hope - your 8+ years of experience is valuable, and this job market is just brutal right now. The fact that you're getting zero callbacks says everything about the current economy and nothing about your qualifications. Keep fighting, and please don't hesitate to use every resource available to you. You and your family deserve that support! 💪

Great to see this got resolved! For future reference, I've also found that using an incognito/private browsing window can help with these ID.me verification loops since it eliminates any cached data conflicts between the two systems. The 24-hour waiting period mentioned by @Harmony Love is crucial - PA's system architecture apparently needs that time to properly sync the verification status between ID.me and their UC database. Definitely bookmark that official troubleshooting page too, it's surprisingly comprehensive once you find it!

Just wanted to add another potential solution that worked for me when I had a similar loop issue last year. If you're still having problems after trying the browser/cache clearing methods, check if you have any VPN or ad blockers running. ID.me is really sensitive to these and will sometimes reject the verification if it detects them. I had to disable my VPN completely and whitelist both the PA UC site and ID.me in my ad blocker settings. Also, make sure you're doing the verification during business hours (9am-5pm EST) as their system seems more stable then. The weekend/evening servers can be glitchy and cause these loops more frequently.

update?? did u ever get this fixed? im having the same issue now and worried

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Been stuck in that work history loop for 4 days and it's driving me crazy. The system just won't save anything I enter. I saw you mentioned Claimyr - is that a legitimate service? I'm hesitant to use third-party services for unemployment stuff but I'm getting desperate. Also wondering if anyone knows roughly how much they charge? At this point I'd rather pay something than waste more days trying to get through on my own.