I went through a similar second appeal last year in PA and want to share what worked for me. The key thing is that your employer has the burden of proof to show why their new appeal should overturn the previous decision. Since you have that county dismissal letter dated February 10th (before you even filed), you're in a really strong position. A few practical tips: 1) Submit your evidence early by fax like others mentioned, 2) During the hearing, let the referee ask questions rather than over-explaining, 3) Stick strictly to the facts about the county case timeline, and 4) Have a backup phone ready in case your main line has issues. For the paystub situation - that's completely separate from your appeal and just standard verification since you started working. Upload them through the dashboard under "Additional Documentation" and you'll be fine there. The waiting is the worst part, but you have solid documentation on your side. Keep filing your weekly claims until told otherwise!

I went through a very similar situation in PA last year! My employer also tried to appeal after I'd already won and been receiving benefits for months. The good news is that since you have that official county dismissal letter dated before you even filed for UC, you're in an excellent position. A few things that helped me: 1) I faxed my key evidence 3 days before the hearing with a simple cover sheet listing my claim number and hearing date, 2) I practiced explaining the timeline out loud beforehand so I wouldn't get flustered, and 3) I had my documents organized with sticky notes so I could find them quickly during the call. The referee in my case was actually very fair and focused specifically on whether my employer's new claims had merit. Since your county case was already closed in February, this should be pretty straightforward. Just remember that your employer now has to prove their case - you're not starting from scratch. Don't panic about potential repayment until you know the outcome. With your documentation, I'd be surprised if this doesn't go in your favor. You've got this!

I've been struggling with the same issue for weeks! After reading through all these suggestions, I'm going to try the Pittsburgh regional number tomorrow at exactly 8 AM. It's encouraging to see that Anastasia finally got through and resolved her issue. I'll also make sure to have all my documents ready - termination letter, social security number, and PIN. Has anyone else had success with the regional numbers recently, or should I also consider the callback feature if it becomes available?

I've been following this thread and wow, what a journey! Just wanted to add another tip that helped me recently - if you're getting the busy signal or automatic disconnects, try calling from a different phone number. I was using my cell phone for weeks with no luck, then tried calling from my landline and got through on the third try. Not sure if there's some kind of system that flags numbers that call too frequently, but it seemed to make a difference. Also, for anyone still struggling, I'd definitely recommend the state representative route that NebulaNomad mentioned - my cousin had to go that route and got her issue resolved within a week after months of calling. The whole system is definitely broken but there are ways around it if you're persistent enough!

UPDATE: I got through to someone at UC using that Claimyr service. They were actually really helpful and explained that the referee will make a decision within 14 days typically. The agent noted my file with an explanation of why I missed the hearing. They also said I should immediately file for reopening once I get the decision if it's not in my favor. Just wanted to update everyone and say thanks for all the advice!

Hang in there Ruby! I went through almost the exact same situation in 2022. I also thought "phone hearing" meant they'd call me, but it turned out I needed to call THEM at a specific number during the hearing time. The confusion is totally understandable because the notices aren't super clear about this. When I missed mine, the referee took about 12 days to decide and unfortunately ruled against me since I was a no-show. BUT - and this is important - I filed the reopening request immediately after getting the decision letter and explained the confusion about the hearing format. They granted the reopening and I got a second hearing where I was able to present my case properly and won! The key is acting fast once you get that decision letter. Don't beat yourself up too much - this happens to more people than you'd think. Keep checking your mail and be ready to file that reopening request right away if needed.

Just wanted to add something that might be helpful - when you start your part-time job, make sure to keep track of any work-related expenses like transportation costs, uniforms, etc. While you can't deduct these from your UC reporting (you still need to report gross earnings), you can potentially claim them as deductions on your tax return next year. Also, since you're working part-time in retail, be aware that your schedule might vary during busy seasons like holidays - this means your UC benefits will fluctuate accordingly. During weeks when you get more hours, your UC will be lower, and during slower weeks with fewer hours, you'll get more UC. The system handles this automatically as long as you report accurately each week. One last tip - if your retail job offers any benefits like employee discounts or the opportunity to pick up shifts at other store locations, take advantage of these! It can help stretch your combined income further while you're transitioning back to full-time employment. Good luck with the new job!

One more thing to keep in mind - if you're working in retail, you might occasionally get asked to work overtime or extra shifts during busy periods. Just remember that if you ever work more than 32 hours in a week, you won't be eligible for ANY UC benefits that week, even if your total earnings are still less than what you'd normally get from unemployment. So if they offer you a lot of extra hours in one week, do the math first - sometimes it's better financially to stay under 32 hours and keep your partial UC benefits rather than work 35+ hours and lose all UC for that week. Also, make sure you understand your store's policy on shift swapping or picking up shifts - you want to make sure any hours you work are properly documented on your official timesheet so you can report them accurately to UC. The flexibility of partial benefits is great, but you need to stay aware of these thresholds to maximize your total income!

UPDATE: Payment hit my card this morning (Thursday)! Thanks everyone for the help. I'm definitely going to switch to direct deposit to my bank account instead of using this card from now on.

Glad you got your payment sorted out! For anyone else dealing with this, I've found that setting up text alerts through your bank can really help with timing. Most banks will send you a notification as soon as a deposit hits, so you don't have to keep checking your balance obsessively. Also, if you're switching to direct deposit like Oliver mentioned, make sure to do it well before your next claim period - sometimes it takes a pay cycle or two to fully switch over from the Money Network card.