Got blue ReliaCard but unsure if it's my PA UC card - will my backpay arrive today?
Hey everyone, I'm a bit confused. Just received a new blue ReliaCard in the mail yesterday. Is this definitely the card for PA unemployment benefits? When I filed my claim, I selected the debit card option for payment method. The UC service center told me my backpay from the last 6 weeks should be deposited today, but I'm not 100% sure if it's going to this new card or somewhere else. Has anyone else received this blue ReliaCard recently? Just want to make sure this is actually my unemployment card before I activate it. Thanks!
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Mateo Perez
Yes, the blue ReliaCard is the correct card for PA unemployment benefits. It's issued through Money Network now, which is why it looks different from the old yellow U.S. Bank cards they used to send out. You need to activate it as soon as possible because that's where your payments will be deposited. When you activate it, you can also set up the Money Network mobile app to track your deposits and balance.
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Nia Davis
•Thank u so much! Just wanted to be sure before I activated it. Do u know how long it usually takes for the money to show up once they say it's been sent? They promised my backpay today but nothing is showing up yet.
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Aisha Rahman
i got mine last month its the right card. you gotta call the number on the sticker to set it up. my payments came like 2 days after they said they sent them
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CosmicCrusader
•Same happened to me. Said I'd get it Tuesday, didn't show up till Thursday. PA UC system always runs a bit behind what they tell you. 🙄
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Ethan Brown
The blue card is definitely the right one, but be aware that the first payment can take an extra 1-2 business days to show up after they say it's been issued. Something about the initial account setup on their end. If nothing shows by Friday, then you should start calling UC to check on it.
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Nia Davis
•It's Friday now and still nothing showed up! I've been trying to call all morning but can't get through - just busy signals or the automated system hangs up on me. This is so frustrating!
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Yuki Yamamoto
I had THE EXACT SAME ISSUE last month! Called like 50 times and kept getting disconnected. The PA UC phone system is BROKEN!! Finally found out that sometimes there's a 3-5 day hold on the first payment to your new ReliaCard even after they say it's "processed" - but they never tell you this!!! Such a broken system and they expect us to just wait with no income! I had bills due and almost got my electric shut off because of their delays!
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Carmen Ortiz
•There is indeed sometimes a verification hold on the first payment to a new card, which is a security measure. However, if the payment doesn't post within 5 business days of the issue date shown on your claim portal, you should contact your UC service center. The payment date in the system and the posting date to your card can be different.
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Andre Rousseau
When I was struggling to get through to PA UC about my delayed payments, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me skip the busy signals and actually get connected to an agent. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. Saved me days of constant redialing. The agent was able to verify my payment was actually sent and told me exactly when it would hit my ReliaCard.
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Nia Davis
•Thanks for the tip! Just tried Claimyr and got through to UC after weeks of trying on my own. The agent confirmed my payment was sent but there's a 3-day processing period for new cards. Should be available Monday. Such a relief to actually talk to someone who could check my claim!
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CosmicCrusader
btw when u finally get ur money make sure u transfer some to ur bank account dont keep it all on the relicard. my friend had his card stolen and had to wait 2 weeks for a replacement while all his $ was stuck on there
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Nia Davis
•That's good advice, thanks! Is it easy to transfer from the ReliaCard to a regular bank account? Any fees?
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Carmen Ortiz
To answer your question about transfers: Yes, you can transfer funds from your ReliaCard to your personal bank account through the Money Network mobile app or website. The first transfer each deposit period is free, but additional transfers within the same period may incur a small fee (currently $1.50). You can also set up automatic transfers if you prefer to have your benefits moved to your bank account as soon as they arrive. For security purposes, I also recommend creating a unique PIN that you don't use for other accounts.
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Aisha Rahman
•and make sure you keep track of ur balance cause theres a fee if u try to withdraw more money than u have. learned that the hard way lol
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Nia Davis
UPDATE: Money finally arrived on my ReliaCard this morning! Everything people said here was right - it just took a few extra days for the first payment to process. Thanks everyone for your help and sorry for panicking. For anyone else in this situation: yes, the blue card is definitely the right one for PA UC benefits, and yes, the first payment might take longer than they tell you.
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Mateo Perez
•Glad to hear it worked out! This is actually pretty common with the first payment. Once you're in the system, future weekly payments should arrive more predictably, usually within 2 business days of filing your weekly claim.
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Aurora St.Pierre
Congrats on getting your money! Just wanted to add for future readers that you can also check your payment status on the PA UC dashboard before calling - sometimes it shows "issued" but takes 1-2 extra days to actually hit the ReliaCard. The Money Network app also sends push notifications when deposits arrive, which is super helpful for tracking. Glad this community could help you figure it out!
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