I'm dealing with the exact same IDme nightmare right now! Filed my claim last week but got stuck in verification hell for 4 days. The facial recognition kept timing out and their customer service was useless. Finally got verified yesterday but now I'm worried about the same backdating issue you had. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like the Message Center approach might be worth trying first before dealing with the phone system. Has anyone had success getting backdating approved through the online message system alone, or did everyone eventually have to call? Also @Zainab Ismail - really hoping your backdating gets processed smoothly! Keep us posted on how it goes. This whole IDme rollout has been such a disaster.

I went through something very similar earlier this year! The IDme verification system is absolutely terrible - I was locked out for almost 2 weeks because their facial recognition kept failing even though I was following all their instructions perfectly. What finally worked for me was calling during their less busy hours (around 2-3pm on weekdays) and being very specific about the "technical system failure" language when explaining the situation. The rep I spoke with said they've been getting tons of calls about IDme issues and they have a streamlined process now for backdating claims when the delay was due to their verification system problems. One tip that might help - when you do get through, ask them to put a note in your file about the IDme verification delays. This creates a paper trail showing the issue wasn't on your end, which can be helpful if any other problems come up with your claim later. The good news is that once they approve the backdating, everything else should process normally. My waiting week automatically adjusted and I got paid for that missing week within about 10 days of the approval. Hang in there - it's frustrating but it does get resolved eventually!

This is absolutely ridiculous and unfortunately way too common. I'm going through something similar right now - my employer has rescheduled twice claiming they need "additional documentation" but I suspect they're just buying time hoping I'll find another job or give up. What's really frustrating is that they had months to gather their so-called documentation before the initial hearing was even scheduled! From what I've researched, PA referees are supposed to be stricter about granting postponements after the first one, but it seems like enforcement is inconsistent. Definitely follow the advice about calling the Board of Review directly - I'm planning to do the same thing this week. Stay strong and don't let them wear you down, which is exactly what they're counting on!

I'm dealing with this exact same nightmare right now! My former employer has postponed my appeal hearing FOUR times - first for a "scheduling conflict," then claiming their legal rep was unavailable, then saying they needed more documentation, and now they're claiming a "family emergency" for their HR director. It's been over 3 months and I'm starting to think this is their strategy to make me give up. The financial stress is overwhelming and I feel like the system is completely broken. Reading through all these responses gives me hope though - I had no idea there were specific phone numbers to call or that I could file complaints about delay tactics. I'm definitely calling that Board of Review number tomorrow morning and documenting everything. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and advice - it helps to know I'm not alone in this frustrating situation!

I'm in exactly the same boat! Started having this issue two weeks ago when I reported income from a temporary gig. The hold times are absolutely insane - my longest wait was 3 hours and 12 minutes before I finally got through, only to be told my case needed to be escalated to a specialist who would call me back "within 72 hours" (spoiler alert: no call back yet). What really gets me is that the PA UC website has zero helpful information about what to expect when you have an open issue. I had to learn from this thread that I should keep filing weekly claims! The system is completely broken and it feels like they're hoping people will just give up. For anyone still waiting, I found that calling on speaker phone while doing household chores helped pass the time, and I keep a bottle of water and snacks nearby because you literally can't leave. It's dystopian that we have to treat calling unemployment like preparing for a siege!

I feel like I'm reading my own story here! I've been dealing with the exact same nightmare for the past 10 days. My payments stopped after I reported earnings from a weekend catering job, and I've made six separate attempts to call with wait times ranging from 75 minutes to over 2 hours. The worst part is that twice I got disconnected right when I thought someone was about to pick up! Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences and tips - especially @Natasha Volkov for explaining the "Issues and Determinations" section. I checked mine and sure enough, there's an "employment information" issue pending. At least now I know what's happening instead of just wondering why my payments vanished into thin air. I'm going to try the early morning calling strategy again tomorrow, armed with snacks, water, and a fully charged phone. This thread has been more helpful than the entire PA UC website! It's ridiculous that we have to crowdsource basic information about how their own system works.

I've been on the Money Network card for about 3 months and want to add a couple things that have helped me manage the unpredictable timing: 1. Sign up for email AND text alerts through both the Money Network app and website - sometimes one comes through faster than the other 2. If you have a credit union or online bank, see if they offer early direct deposit features. Some will let you link the Money Network card as a "direct deposit" source and can speed up transfers 3. Keep the customer service numbers for both PA UC (1-888-313-7284) and Money Network (1-866-692-9374) saved in your phone. Money Network is usually much easier to reach The randomness is definitely real - I've had deposits come at 6am Tuesday and also 9pm Thursday in the same month. But knowing that 90% of the time it'll be Tuesday-Thursday has helped me plan better. The card itself works great once you get used to the timing quirks!

Been using the Money Network card for about 5 months now and wanted to share something that might help with the timing uncertainty - I started using the "Payday" feature in my banking app where you can set aside small amounts each week. Even if it's just $10-15 per deposit, after a few weeks you build up enough buffer to not stress about whether your UC payment hits Tuesday or Thursday. Also discovered that some employers (if you're doing gig work or part-time while on UC) can actually direct deposit to the Money Network card routing number, which can help supplement the unpredictable UC timing. The routing info is in the Money Network app under "Account Details" if anyone wants to try this. One heads up - during holiday weeks, everything gets delayed by an extra day or two, so factor that into your planning. Memorial Day week my payment didn't hit until Friday when it normally comes Wednesday.

One more thing to consider - if this is a UC check from a claim that's more than one year old, Treasury might have moved it to unclaimed property status. In that case, you'd need to file a claim through the unclaimed property website. Also, I forgot to mention in my first comment, but you should make sure your mailing address is 100% correct in the UC system. Even a small error like an apartment number missing can cause a check to be returned to Treasury.

Any luck with contacting them? I'm curious if any of the suggestions worked for you.