UPDATE: Finally got through to someone at UC after calling repeatedly this morning! Turns out there was an overpayment of $1,450 from when I started my part-time job. They say I reported my start date incorrectly (though I'm 99% sure I didn't). The good news is I was able to set up a payment plan - $60/month which I can manage. They're sending me all the paperwork so I can review exactly what happened. The person I spoke with said I can still file an appeal if I have documentation showing I reported correctly. Thanks everyone for your advice! Definitely don't ignore these notices like I almost did.

So glad you got through and got it sorted out! $60/month is definitely manageable. Definitely get that "record of claim" document Emma mentioned - I had a similar situation where I was 100% sure I reported correctly, and the record showed I was right. Ended up getting the overpayment reversed completely after my appeal. Keep copies of EVERYTHING they send you, and if you do decide to appeal, don't let the payment plan stop you from fighting it if you truly believe you reported correctly. You can maintain the payment plan while the appeal is pending. Good luck!

As another newcomer who just started filing bi-weekly claims, I wanted to share what worked for me! I'm in the operating engineers union and was also super nervous about messing up after all the ID.me drama. Here's what I did that helped: Before my first filing, I called my union hall and asked them to email me a simple letter stating that I'm a member in good standing and that all my work comes through their dispatch system. When I filed my bi-weekly claim, I answered YES to the work search question and uploaded that letter as supporting documentation just to be extra safe. The whole process actually went smoothly and I got my payment without any issues. The questions are definitely confusing at first but everyone's advice here is right on - your union registration absolutely counts as work search activity. One small tip: I set a reminder on my phone to file every Sunday morning so I don't forget or miss the deadline. It's become part of my routine now and only takes a few minutes once you know what you're doing. Hang in there - you've got this!

I'm also new to PA UC and just went through my first bi-weekly filing last week as a union member (sheet metal workers). All the advice here is spot on! The work search question definitely confused me at first, but answering YES because union hall registration counts as your search activity is absolutely correct. One thing that really helped me was printing out the PA UC handbook section about union members before I filed - it clearly states that being registered with a hiring hall satisfies the work search requirement. Having that reference made me feel more confident about my answers. Also, just want to echo what others said about being consistent with your answers week to week. The system flags unusual changes, so if you're available Monday through Friday one week, don't randomly change it the next week unless your actual availability changed. The whole process is much less scary once you do it the first time. After dealing with ID.me verification (what a nightmare!), filing bi-weekly claims feels easy in comparison. You've already survived the worst part of this whole system!

I'm going through almost the exact same thing right now! I was a substitute teacher last year and got the reasonable assurance letter in June. They scheduled me for an interview in early August, then called the day before to postpone it "indefinitely." I've called HR three times since then and keep getting told someone will call me back, but nobody ever does. School starts next week and I still don't know if I have a job! Reading through all these responses is giving me hope that I might actually qualify for UC despite the letter. I was so worried that having that letter meant I was automatically disqualified no matter what happened after. It sounds like their failure to follow through on the hiring process and complete lack of communication basically invalidates the reasonable assurance they originally gave us. I'm definitely going to file tomorrow and document everything - all the unreturned calls, the postponed interview, the whole mess. It's crazy that school districts can just leave people hanging like this with no consequences. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and advice!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation as a paraprofessional! Got my reasonable assurance letter in May, then they sent an email in July asking me to update my application and be ready for potential interviews. I submitted everything they requested but haven't heard a peep since then - it's been over a month now. School starts in less than two weeks and I'm in the same boat with bills piling up. Reading through everyone's experiences here is giving me confidence that I should file for UC too. It seems like once they start asking for new applications or interviews, they're essentially admitting the original letter wasn't a guarantee. The complete radio silence after requesting updated materials shows they're not maintaining any kind of reasonable assurance. For anyone else in this situation - I think the key is documenting that WE did everything they asked (applied, interviewed, followed up) but THEY failed to complete their hiring process or communicate effectively. It's not our fault they're disorganized and leave people hanging without clear answers about employment status. Filing my claim today and keeping my fingers crossed. This whole system really needs to change - schools shouldn't be able to send out mass reasonable assurance letters just to avoid unemployment costs when they don't actually have positions secured for everyone.

I'm also completely new to PA unemployment and just filed my claim yesterday - this thread has been absolutely amazing! Like so many others here, I was having a total meltdown about the work search requirements after registering with CareerLink. The job listings there are absolutely terrible for my field (I'm in data analysis) - mostly warehouse, retail, and food service jobs that pay a fraction of what I need to cover my bills. I was genuinely panicking that I'd have to start applying to completely irrelevant positions just to meet the weekly requirements, which felt so defeating on top of already dealing with unemployment stress. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such an enormous relief! I had no idea that applications through Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and company career pages would count toward the work search requirements. I've actually been using those platforms exclusively this week since that's where all the actual data analyst positions are posted, but I was terrified none of it would be accepted by PA UC. I'm setting up my documentation spreadsheet tonight with all the details everyone mentioned - dates, company names, positions, application methods, confirmation screenshots, etc. It's honestly shocking how much clearer this one community thread is compared to hours of trying to understand the confusing official PA UC website. They really need to spell out that ANY legitimate job search activity counts! Thank you all so much for sharing your real-world experiences and making this whole intimidating process way more manageable for newcomers like me.

I'm also brand new to PA unemployment and just filed my claim this week - this thread has been such a lifesaver! I was completely panicking about the work search requirements after registering with CareerLink. Like everyone else here, I found that most of the job listings were totally irrelevant to my background (I'm in nonprofit program management) - mostly retail and warehouse positions that don't match my experience at all. I was seriously stressing that I'd have to apply to random jobs just to meet the weekly requirements, which felt so discouraging when I'm already dealing with the unemployment situation. Reading through all of your experiences has given me such peace of mind! I had no idea that applications through Indeed, Idealist, nonprofit job boards, and direct applications to organizations would count toward my work search requirements. I've been applying through those platforms since that's where the actual nonprofit management positions are posted, but I was worried it wouldn't be accepted. I'm going to start my documentation spreadsheet today with all the details you all mentioned - this community has provided so much more clarity than anything I found on the official PA UC website. Thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences and making this process way less overwhelming for newcomers like me!

Glad you got it resolved! This is exactly the kind of minor discrepancy that trips up the system all the time. And for future reference, you can actually request an IDme profile reset once per year if needed - though it's easier to just have UC modify their records to match as you did.

So glad you got this sorted out! This is exactly why I always tell people to keep detailed records of how their name appears in different systems. It's amazing how something as small as "Michael" vs "Mike" can cause such a headache. For anyone else dealing with this - definitely try Claimyr if you're stuck. I used it last year when I had a similar issue with my quarterly filing and it saved me weeks of frustration. The small fee was totally worth it compared to losing benefits while trying to get through on the phone. Also, @Miguel Silva - you might want to screenshot or write down exactly how your husband's name appears in both systems now that it's fixed. That way if this happens again next year, you'll know exactly what format to use!