This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now where PA UC flagged my account for "return to work" even though I never reported that. It's reassuring to see that so many people have gotten through this successfully, even if it takes some time. @Derek - thanks for posting the update about getting through with Claimyr and finding out your employer incorrectly reported rehiring you. That's exactly the kind of real-world example that helps the rest of us understand what might be happening with our own cases. For anyone else dealing with this, it seems like the pattern is: employer contacts you about work (even just to check availability), employer reports something incorrectly to UC, system automatically flags your account, then you have to prove what actually happened. It's frustrating that the burden of proof is on us, but at least now I know what to expect. Going to fill out my questionnaire today with all the specific details about the job offer I declined due to unsuitable pay/conditions. Will also try calling using the tips shared here. Thanks everyone for creating such a supportive discussion about this stressful situation!

Just wanted to add my experience since I went through this exact same thing about 2 months ago. The "return to work" flag appeared on my account even though I had only reported some freelance income (like $150 for a small project). Apparently the system sometimes interprets ANY reported income as "returning to work" which is ridiculous. I ended up doing both - filled out the questionnaire immediately AND kept calling until I got through (took about a week of trying). The phone rep was actually really helpful and explained that this happens frequently when people report partial earnings or when employers submit incorrect information. My timeline was about 12 days total from when I submitted the questionnaire to when my payments resumed. The key things that seemed to help speed it up were: 1) being very specific in the questionnaire about the exact nature of any income/work contacts, 2) having the phone conversation documented in my file, and 3) continuing to file weekly claims throughout the process. Don't panic - this is frustrating but definitely fixable! The system has serious flaws but most people do get their benefits restored once they work through the bureaucracy.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Filed my claim about 10 days ago and have been panicking seeing "not applicable" on my weekly certifications. This thread has been such a lifesaver - I had no idea this was so common! What's really frustrating is how the PA UC system gives you these cryptic status updates without any explanation of what they actually mean. Reading everyone's experiences here has helped me understand that "not applicable" usually just means they're waiting on something (employer response, wage verification, etc.) rather than my claim being denied. I've been doing everything by the book - filing weekly, completing my 5 work search activities, keeping detailed records with screenshots. But the anxiety of waiting while bills are piling up is really getting to me. One question for those who've been through this - did anyone else have trouble with their employer not responding quickly to the separation notice? I'm wondering if that might be what's causing my delay since I was laid off from a pretty disorganized company. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories. It's such a relief to know I'm not the only one dealing with this confusing system!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I just filed my initial PA UC claim last week and was starting to panic when I saw my first weekly certification switch to "not applicable" status. Reading everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - it sounds like this is just a normal part of the process while they verify everything behind the scenes. I've been doing all the required work search activities (applied to 6 jobs this week through Indeed and company websites) and keeping detailed screenshots of everything. Also just set up the SMS alerts that several people mentioned - had no idea that was even an option! One thing I'm wondering about - for those who eventually got their claims approved, about how long after your main claim changed from "under review" to "approved" did it take for the weekly certifications to start processing? I'm trying to get a sense of the timeline so I can plan accordingly for my rent payment next month. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories and advice. This community is such a valuable resource for navigating this confusing system!

One more important thing to remember: PA UC is required to consider all available evidence, but they also understand that not everything can be documented. The referee's job is to determine the facts based on credibility and preponderance of evidence. Since your hearing is next week, you should prepare a brief statement explaining the situation in clear terms. Practice saying it out loud a few times so you don't ramble during the hearing. Be specific about dates, names, and details even if you don't have documentation for everything. If the restaurant manager is unwilling to provide a statement, you might also consider if there's anyone else who knew about your job offer - perhaps a friend or family member you told about it at the time? While not as strong as employer confirmation, it can help establish that you were consistent about the job offer at the time it happened.

I had a similar situation with a verbal job offer during my appeal last year. Here's what I learned: PA UC referees vary widely in how thoroughly they investigate, but having ANY supporting evidence helps tremendously. Your text messages about scheduling are actually really strong evidence - they show the employer was treating you as a hired employee by discussing your work schedule. One thing that helped me was creating a simple one-page summary with bullet points of what happened, including exact dates and the manager's name. Even though my offer was also verbal, having those specific details written out clearly made me seem more credible during the hearing. Also, don't stress too much about them calling the restaurant. Even if they do, employers usually just confirm basic facts like "yes, we made an offer" and "yes, we had to rescind it due to circumstances." Most restaurants right now are dealing with staffing issues from the recent outbreak, so they're likely to be straightforward about having to cancel new hires. Good luck with your hearing - sounds like you're preparing well!

Just to follow up on this thread - for anyone with PIN issues, there's actually a separate line specifically for PIN resets: 1-888-255-4728. This automated system doesn't usually have wait times. If you've confirmed your PIN isn't the issue and the message center still isn't working, and you need to reach someone urgently, I suggest: 1. Call the main UC line at exactly 7:59am when they first open 2. Try the online chat feature which is sometimes less crowded than the phone lines (but still busy) 3. Consider reaching out to your state representative's office - they often have direct channels to UC for constituent services Persistence is unfortunately key with the current system.

Glad to hear you got it sorted out! PIN expiration catches so many people off guard. For future reference, you can actually set up email reminders in your dashboard settings to notify you 30 days before your PIN expires - might save you some hassle next time. The PA UC system definitely has its quirks but once you know the workarounds it gets a bit easier to navigate.

I had this same issue last year and actually gave up trying to change it after calling for weeks. Just a heads up - you might want to set aside about 10-15% of what you're getting now for taxes. I ended up using TurboTax and there's a specific section for unemployment income where you enter the total from your 1099-G form. It was painful but at least I was prepared for it.

I went through this exact same nightmare! After weeks of trying to call, I finally got through using the callback feature on the PA UC website - you can request a callback instead of waiting on hold. It took about 3 days for them to call me back, but when they did, the agent changed my tax withholding in under 5 minutes. Just a heads up though - they can only change it going forward, so I still had to deal with owing taxes on the first few months of benefits I'd already received. I ended up having to do quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid penalties. The whole system is so frustrating, but at least once you get it changed, you don't have to worry about it anymore!