I'm going through this exact same situation right now and it's absolutely maddening! Filed my claim in early February after getting laid off from my accounting job, and immediately got hit with the "eligibility review - prior benefits" status. I received PUA in 2020 when my previous employer had to cut hours due to COVID restrictions, but I've been working full-time since late 2020 and paying into the UC system like everyone else. What's so frustrating is that they're essentially penalizing us for using a federal program that THEY told us to use during a national emergency. I've made over 180 calls in the past month and haven't gotten through to a single person - the phone system just hangs up on you after 45 minutes of holding. I finally tried Claimyr after seeing so many recommendations here and actually got through to an agent in about 25 minutes! She confirmed this is happening to thousands of people and said to keep filing weekly claims no matter what. She also mentioned that people with clear work history between their PUA and current claim usually get processed faster. It's been 6 weeks now and I'm running out of savings fast. My landlord is being understanding but that won't last forever. The worst part is explaining to creditors that I can't pay because the state thinks using unemployment during COVID somehow makes me suspicious for needing it again during a legitimate layoff. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences here - at least we know we're not alone in this bureaucratic nightmare. Going to keep filing weekly and hope this gets resolved soon. Stay strong everyone!

This is happening to me too and it's completely insane! Filed my claim three weeks ago after being laid off from my warehouse job, and immediately got stuck in this "PUA comparison review" because I received benefits in 2020 when my previous job shut down during lockdowns. What makes this even more frustrating is that I worked steadily from 2021-2024, paid into the system, and earned my quarters fair and square. Now they're treating my legitimate use of a federal program during a PANDEMIC like some kind of red flag? It's like they're punishing us for following government guidance during the worst crisis in decades. I've been calling every single day and can't get through - the phone system is completely broken. After reading everyone's experiences here, I'm definitely going to try Claimyr since so many people have had success with it. Also going to contact my state rep's office like @Sophia Clark suggested. The financial stress is unreal - I'm already behind on my car payment and my landlord is starting to ask questions. It's humiliating having to explain that I can't pay bills because the state thinks using unemployment during COVID somehow makes me suspicious. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories - at least I know I'm not alone in this bureaucratic nightmare. Going to keep filing my weekly claims and document everything. We shouldn't have to go through this but we'll get through it together!

I'm going through something very similar right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I got terminated last month for exceeding my company's 8-point attendance system, mostly due to childcare emergencies and getting COVID twice this winter. My appeal hearing is in two weeks and I was feeling pretty hopeless until I read all these success stories. A few questions for those who won their appeals: 1. How detailed should I get about each absence? Some of mine are kind of personal (mental health days, family emergencies) 2. Did the referee ask your former employer tough questions too, or did they mainly focus on questioning you? 3. For those who had phone hearings - were you able to reference your documents effectively even though the referee couldn't see them? I'm definitely going to use the timeline/spreadsheet approach that several people mentioned. It's so reassuring to see that having legitimate reasons and following proper procedures really does matter in these cases. Omar, I'll be thinking of you at your March 14th hearing - please update us on how it goes!

I went through almost the exact same situation last year at my logistics job - hit 12 points mostly from legitimate emergencies and illness, got denied initially, but WON my appeal! To answer some of Mohammed's questions since I just went through this: 1. **Be detailed but professional** - Even for personal stuff like mental health, you can say "medical appointment for ongoing treatment" without getting too specific. The referee cares more about whether it was unavoidable than the exact details. 2. **They questioned my employer pretty hard** - The referee asked them about their policy exceptions, whether they considered my documentation, and if they followed their own procedures consistently. Don't assume they'll just take the employer's side! 3. **Phone hearings work fine** - I referenced my documents by date and description ("Looking at my doctor's note from January 15th that I submitted..."). Just have everything organized in front of you. Omar, your case sounds really strong! The combination of medical documentation, car repair bills, following call-off procedures, and 2 years of good attendance before these issues is exactly what won my case. The referee specifically said my absences were "involuntary circumstances" not "willful misconduct." One tip nobody mentioned: Practice explaining your situation out loud beforehand. I rehearsed my timeline a few times so I could present it clearly without rambling. You've got this - legitimate emergencies with proper documentation usually win these appeals!

I'm dealing with something similar right now! My former employer tried to appeal my UC determination after 14 months, claiming they had "new evidence" that I was fired for cause instead of laid off. Turns out their "new evidence" was just a different interpretation of the same disciplinary write-up they had during my original claim. The key thing that helped me was understanding that PA UC referees look very carefully at whether the evidence is actually "newly discovered" or if the employer just failed to present it properly the first time. In your cousin's case, personnel files aren't newly discovered evidence - they're records the employer always had access to. I'd also suggest your cousin request a copy of her complete personnel file from the employer before the hearing (she has a right to this under PA law). If there really was a final warning letter, it should be in there. If it's not, that's pretty strong evidence they're fabricating this claim. The referee will also want to know why the employer waited so long to bring this up. "We were reviewing our UC tax rate" isn't a valid legal reason for missing the 15-day appeal deadline, even in fraud cases.

This whole situation sounds like a textbook case of an employer trying to manipulate the UC system after the fact. I work in employment law, and I've seen this exact pattern multiple times - employers wait until their annual UC rate review, realize they're paying higher taxes due to claims, and then suddenly "discover" reasons to contest old determinations. The fact that they're claiming to have just found information in their own personnel files is particularly telling. Personnel files don't magically appear - they either existed during the original claim period or they didn't. If your cousin was truly fired for attendance issues, that information would have been immediately available when her UC claim was first processed. Here's what I'd recommend: 1. Request her complete personnel file immediately (as others mentioned) 2. Gather any emails or communications from around her termination date 3. Prepare a timeline of events leading to her layoff 4. If possible, get statements from former coworkers who were also affected by the restructuring The burden is on the employer to prove both fraud AND that this evidence couldn't have reasonably been discovered within the original 15-day appeal period. "We didn't review our files properly the first time" doesn't meet that legal standard. Your cousin should feel confident going into this hearing with her documentation.

Just to follow up on this thread - it's also worth noting that as of 2025, PA UC has updated some of their processes. You can also email a copy of your waiver request to UCOverpayments@pa.gov as a backup to your mailed submission. In the subject line, include your name and the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number. This gives you yet another record of submission.

Just wanted to add one more important tip - when you're preparing your financial hardship documentation, include a detailed monthly budget showing your income vs. expenses. I helped my sister with her waiver last year and the caseworker specifically mentioned that seeing the actual numbers laid out month by month really helped them understand why repayment would be impossible. Include things like rent/mortgage, utilities, groceries, medical bills, car payments, etc. The more detailed and realistic your budget looks, the stronger your case will be. Also, if you have any medical expenses or dependents, make sure to highlight those as they carry extra weight in the decision process.

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I've been battling this exact same CareerLink Keystone ID issue for almost 3 weeks now and was starting to feel like I was going crazy. Just got the work registration alert yesterday and have been spiraling with anxiety about losing my benefits over what's clearly a technical glitch. After reading through everyone's experiences, I'm convinced this is a massive system flaw affecting tons of people. Like many others here, I'm pretty sure I created a CareerLink account years ago (probably 2019 or 2020) and completely forgot about it when job searching. Based on all the success stories, I'm planning to call my local CareerLink office first thing tomorrow morning rather than continuing to bang my head against the wall with the online system. If that doesn't pan out, I'll definitely try the Claimyr service that several people have recommended. It's honestly infuriating that UC makes this process so difficult and then blames us when their broken systems don't work properly. But seeing @Sean Flanagan and others get this resolved gives me real hope that there's actually a solution. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and practical advice - this community is incredible for helping people navigate these bureaucratic nightmares! I'll definitely post an update once I get this sorted out to help anyone else who stumbles into this same frustrating situation.

This thread is exactly what I needed to find! I've been stuck in this same CareerLink Keystone ID nightmare for the past 2 weeks and just got that dreaded work registration alert this morning. I was absolutely panicking thinking my benefits would be suspended over something that's clearly a technical issue on their end. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's obvious this is a widespread system problem affecting tons of people. I'm almost certain I have an old forgotten account from when I was job hunting back in 2020 - probably created it and never thought about it again. I'm going to try calling my local CareerLink office tomorrow morning based on all the success stories here, especially @Sean Flanagan's update. If that doesn't work out, I'll look into using Claimyr to get through to an actual UC representative. It's so frustrating that we have to jump through all these hoops because their systems don't talk to each other properly, but at least now I know I'm not alone and there are actual solutions that work. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and advice - this community is a lifeline when dealing with these bureaucratic messes! I'll definitely post an update once I get this resolved to help the next person who finds themselves in this situation.