This is such a frustrating situation but unfortunately pretty common in PA. I went through something similar where an old employer from my base period contested my claim months after I'd been laid off from a different job. The key thing to remember is that you have rights in this process - don't let them intimidate you into giving up. When you get your hearing scheduled, make sure to have all your documentation ready: termination letter, final pay stub, any emails or texts about being let go, employment contract if you had one. Also, if you have any coworkers who witnessed your layoff or can vouch for your employment status, their contact info might be helpful. The hearing officers are usually pretty good at seeing through bogus employer claims if you come prepared with facts. Hang in there!

This is such a common issue and it's really frustrating that PA doesn't explain this better to claimants upfront. I work in HR and see this happen all the time - employers from your base period absolutely can contest claims even if they're not your most recent employer. What many people don't realize is that all base period employers pay unemployment taxes that fund your benefits, so they have skin in the game financially. The good news is that if they're claiming you quit voluntarily, they need to provide documentation proving that - it's not just your word against theirs. Make sure you respond to every single piece of correspondence within the deadlines they give you, and start gathering any evidence you have about being let go (emails, texts, termination letter, final pay stub, etc). Don't let them wear you down - you earned these benefits!

Ben, congratulations on landing the job after 6 months! That's such a huge win and shows incredible persistence on your part. I actually went through this exact same situation about 9 months ago when I started working at a local bank that only paid monthly. The wait for that first paycheck was absolutely brutal - I totally get the stress you're feeling right now. Unfortunately, the tough reality is that you'll need to report your work hours each week based on when you actually perform the work, not when you get paid. With 38 hours per week, you'll likely be considered fully employed and lose UC eligibility during those unpaid weeks. I know it's frustrating when you're not seeing any income yet, but that's how the system works. Here's what helped me survive that gap: - Asked my new employer about advance pay options during my first week - turned out they had a policy they didn't really advertise - Called 2-1-1 immediately to find emergency assistance programs in my area (seriously, call them first thing tomorrow!) - Signed up for gig work apps like DoorDash and Instacart for evening/weekend income - Reached out to my landlord right away to explain the work transition situation - they were way more understanding than I expected - Connected with local food banks and community organizations to stretch my budget The most important thing is being proactive about asking for help BEFORE your bills are due. Most people are surprisingly understanding when you explain you're transitioning back to work rather than unemployed. You've already proven you can handle financial uncertainty by job searching for 6 months. These next 3 weeks will be tough, but knowing you have a guaranteed paycheck coming May 28th makes it totally different from the past uncertainty. You're almost at the finish line! Just make sure to report everything honestly to UC to avoid any overpayment issues later. You've got this!

Ben, congratulations on the new job! That's amazing after 6 months of searching - you should be really proud of your persistence paying off. I went through this exact situation about 2 years ago when I started at a nonprofit that paid monthly. The 3+ week gap before my first paycheck was absolutely terrifying, especially coming off months of unemployment. Here's the hard truth: you'll need to report your work hours each week based on when you actually work them, not when you get paid. At 38 hours/week, you'll almost certainly lose UC eligibility once you start, even during those unpaid weeks. I know it's incredibly frustrating. But you CAN get through this! Here's what saved me: - Asked HR about emergency advance policies on day 2 (they had one but didn't advertise it!) - Called 2-1-1 for local emergency assistance - found programs I never knew existed - Signed up for same-day pay gig apps (Uber Eats worked great in the evenings after work) - Contacted my landlord immediately to explain the work transition - they gave me a 2-week extension - Used local food pantries to stretch every dollar The key is being proactive and asking for help BEFORE bills are due. Most people are understanding when you explain you're transitioning back to work rather than unemployed. You've already survived 6 months of uncertainty - these 3 weeks will fly by knowing you have guaranteed income coming May 28th. You're literally at the finish line! Report everything honestly to UC and reach out for help tomorrow. You've got this!

This whole thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm bookmarking this for sure. @James Maki thank you so much for those step-by-step instructions - they should honestly put those right on the PA CareerLink homepage since this seems to be such a common issue. I went through RESEA about 8 months ago and had the exact same problem finding where to schedule it. Back then I ended up calling and waiting on hold for literally 4 hours before someone could help me locate it in the system. For anyone still struggling with this, I'd also suggest clearing your browser cache before trying to navigate to the RESEA activity - sometimes the CareerLink site gets glitchy and doesn't display all the options properly. And definitely use Chrome or Edge like @James Maki mentioned. I was using Safari initially and half the buttons didn't even work. @Aisha Jackson so glad you got it sorted out! The actual RESEA interview is really not bad at all - much more helpful than intimidating. They'll probably ask about your job search methods and might suggest some resources you haven't tried yet. Just be honest about what you've been doing and they're usually pretty supportive.

Wow, this thread is a goldmine of information! I just got selected for RESEA this week and was about to panic trying to figure out where to find it. @James Maki your step-by-step instructions are absolutely perfect - I just followed them and found my RESEA activity right where you said it would be under Services > Recommended Services. Seriously, you should write a guide or something because this is way clearer than anything on the official PA CareerLink help pages! It's honestly mind-boggling how they can make a mandatory requirement so hard to locate on their own website. I was clicking around for over an hour before I found this thread. @Aisha Jackson glad you got yours scheduled - gives me confidence that the actual interview won't be as stressful as trying to find where to sign up for it! For anyone else dealing with this, I'd also recommend taking screenshots once you find the RESEA section, just in case you need to navigate back there later. The PA unemployment system has taught me to document everything because you never know when something might mysteriously disappear or stop working. Thanks again everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is so much more helpful than the official support channels!

Hey Jayden, I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! My employer also completely ignored all the UC office calls for weeks. What really helped me was documenting every single interaction - I kept a log of when I called UC, who I spoke with, and what they told me. After about 5 weeks of pending status, I called and asked to speak with a supervisor specifically about the "non-responsive employer delay." The supervisor was actually able to expedite my case for review since they could see the employer had been contacted multiple times with no response. Got my determination letter 3 days later and all my back payments hit my account that same week. Don't give up - the system is slow but it does eventually work in your favor when employers don't cooperate!

I'm dealing with something similar right now - been pending for 3 weeks because my former employer isn't responding to UC's calls either. It's so stressful when you're counting on that money to pay bills! From what I've read in this thread, it sounds like most people eventually get approved when the employer doesn't respond, but the waiting is brutal. I'm going to try some of the suggestions here like calling early morning and asking for a status escalation. Hang in there - sounds like you're doing everything right by filing weekly and staying on top of it!

Glad to see your payment came through on time! For future reference, I've found that Money Network deposits usually hit between midnight and 2am on the pay date, but there can be occasional delays during high-volume periods (like holidays or when lots of claims get processed at once). One tip - if you ever need to access your money before the card deposit hits, you can sometimes do a balance transfer to your personal bank account through the Money Network app, though there might be a small fee. The consistency does get better once you're in the regular payment cycle!

This thread is super helpful! I'm in a similar situation - just got approved for UC benefits and waiting on my first payment to the Money Network card. Based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like the midnight-2am window is pretty reliable for most people. Really appreciate all the detailed info about the app notifications and the pending deposits feature - definitely going to set that up right away. It's reassuring to hear that while there can be some variation in timing, the system generally works as advertised. Thanks for sharing your experience and glad your payment came through on time!