Good luck with your claim! One more thing to keep in mind - if you run into any issues or delays, you can also try contacting your local CareerLink office. They sometimes have direct contacts at the UC office and can help escalate stuck claims. I had to use this route when my claim got flagged for a "fact-finding interview" that never got scheduled. The CareerLink counselor was able to get it moving again within a week. Also, keep all your severance documentation handy (offer letter, severance agreement, pay stubs) because they might request it even months later during an audit.

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who recently went through this process - make sure you also understand how they calculate your weekly benefit amount with severance. PA divides your total severance by your normal weekly wage to determine how many "weeks" of severance you received. So if you got $10,000 in severance and your weekly wage was $1,000, they consider that 10 weeks of severance regardless of how long you were actually on payroll. This matters because it affects when your UC benefits will actually start paying out. Also, if you had any unused vacation or PTO that was paid out with your severance, that counts toward the total severance amount too. The whole system is pretty complex but being thorough upfront will save you headaches later!

Update: Just wanted to thank everyone for the help! I claimed my first week yesterday and got confirmation that payment has been processed - no waiting week required! Such a relief. For anyone in a similar situation, just make sure you definitely hit "reopen" rather than starting a new claim, and double-check that your benefit year start date hasn't changed. Thanks again for all the advice!

So glad to hear everything worked out! I'm actually in a similar boat - had to stop claiming for a few weeks due to a medical issue and was dreading having to serve another waiting week. Your experience gives me hope that reopening will go smoothly. Quick question though - how long did it take between when you reopened and when you got the payment confirmation? I'm trying to plan my budget accordingly.

I'm also brand new to PA unemployment and just stumbled across this thread - thank you everyone for such detailed responses! I literally filed my claim yesterday and was already panicking about the work search requirements after registering with CareerLink. Like so many others here, I was dismayed to find that most of the job listings had nothing to do with my background (I'm in software development). I was genuinely worried I'd have to start applying to warehouse jobs just to meet the weekly requirements, which felt so defeating. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly reassuring - I had no idea that applications through GitHub Jobs, Stack Overflow Jobs, and company career pages would count toward the work search requirements! I've been using those platforms exclusively since they're where the actual tech jobs are posted. I'm going to immediately start the detailed documentation system that everyone recommended - spreadsheet with dates, company names, positions, application methods, plus screenshots of confirmations. It's honestly shocking how poorly the official PA UC website explains these requirements. They really should clarify that ANY legitimate job search activity counts, not just CareerLink applications. This community is providing way clearer guidance than anything I could find through official channels. Thanks for making this whole confusing process much more manageable for newcomers like me!

I'm also completely new to PA unemployment and this thread has been absolutely incredible! I just filed my claim this week and was having a total panic attack about the work search requirements. Like everyone else, I registered with CareerLink but was horrified to see that 90% of the listings were retail, food service, or warehouse jobs that pay half what I made in my previous role (I'm in HR consulting). I was literally losing sleep thinking I'd have to apply to jobs at McDonald's just to keep my benefits! Reading through all of your experiences has been such a massive relief - I had no idea that LinkedIn, Indeed, and direct company applications would count! I've actually been applying through those platforms all week because that's where the actual professional HR jobs are posted, but I was terrified none of it would count toward my work search. I'm starting my documentation spreadsheet tonight with all the details everyone mentioned - this community has taught me more in one thread than hours of trying to decipher the confusing official PA UC website. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences and saving newcomers like me from unnecessary stress and confusion!

I've been on PA UC for about 4 months now and can share some insights on the timing. For me, payments typically hit my Money Network card exactly 2 business days after filing, usually around 4-5am. I always file on Sunday evenings and consistently see the money on Tuesday morning. One thing I learned early on is to make sure you file your weekly claim as early as possible in the week - I noticed when I filed later (like Thursday or Friday), it seemed to take the full 3 business days instead of just 2. Also, if you're ever worried about a delay, you can log into the PA UC dashboard and check your payment history - it will show when the payment was "issued" versus when it actually hits your card. The Money Network app is definitely worth downloading for the notifications. Once you get through your first few payments, you'll develop a good sense of the timing and it becomes much less stressful!

I've been on PA UC for about 2 months and wanted to share my experience with payment timing. Like others have mentioned, the 2-3 business day window is pretty accurate, but I've noticed a few patterns. I always file on Sunday mornings around 8am and my payments consistently hit the Money Network card on Tuesday between 2-4am. The Money Network app notifications are a lifesaver - definitely download it! One tip that helped me: if you're anxious about timing, remember that PA processes claims in batches, so filing earlier in the day or week doesn't necessarily mean faster processing. What matters more is making sure you answer all the weekly questions correctly and don't have any flags on your account. Also, keep your work search log detailed and accurate - even small mistakes can cause delays. The first payment might take the full 3 days, but after that it becomes very predictable. Hang in there - once you get through a few cycles, you'll know exactly when to expect your money!

I'm so grateful to have found this thread! I just started my UC claim two weeks ago and ran into this exact same issue yesterday - got several dashboard messages with PDF attachments that absolutely refuse to open on my Android phone. I was honestly starting to panic, thinking maybe I had done something wrong with my application or that my phone was somehow blocking important UC communications. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge relief - knowing this is just a widespread technical issue with PA's system and not user error makes me feel so much better! I'm definitely planning to head to my local library tomorrow morning armed with my ID and login credentials. Based on all the helpful advice in this thread, I'm going to try to get there right when they open to avoid the computer rush. It's really reassuring to see that so many people have successfully resolved this by using desktop computers, and I love the suggestion about asking the librarians for help if needed - I bet they're practically UC tech experts at this point! This community is incredible for providing real solutions and emotional support during what's already a stressful time. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and making this feel less overwhelming for newcomers like me!

I just want to echo what everyone else is saying - this PDF attachment issue is absolutely maddening! I've been dealing with PA UC for about 6 months now and this problem comes up constantly. What's really frustrating is that they'll send you these urgent-looking messages and then make it nearly impossible to actually read them on the devices most people use every day. One thing I'd add to all the great library advice here is to maybe screenshot or take photos of the important parts of your documents once you get them open, so you have them saved on your phone for reference later. I started doing this after getting burned by not being able to re-access something I needed while I was out and about. Also, if anyone from PA UC is somehow reading this thread - PLEASE fix your mobile compatibility! It's ridiculous that in 2025 we're all having to hunt down desktop computers just to access basic government services. The number of people in this thread alone shows how widespread this problem is. We're already dealing with the stress of unemployment - we shouldn't have to jump through technical hoops just to read our own benefit information. Thanks to everyone for sharing their solutions and making this less isolating. This community really is a lifeline when dealing with PA UC's technical disasters!