How long to get PA UC appeal referee decision? 6 weeks and still waiting

The official timeframe for referee decisions is supposed to be 2-3 weeks, but since COVID they've been seriously backed up. Mine took about 5 weeks last year, and I've heard of some taking 8+ weeks. The good news is that if you win your appeal, you'll get all your backpay in one lump sum. Keep checking your dashboard daily - mine showed up there before I got the physical letter. If you want to check on status, you can try calling the appeals office directly at 717-787-5122 rather than the regular UC number.

just got mine last week it took like 7 weeks but they backdated everything so got paid all at once when it finally came thru

The referee decisions are INTENTIONALLY delayed by PA UC to discourage people from filing appeals!! I waited 9 weeks for mine and when I finally got someone on the phone they said "oh we've been backed up" but that's their excuse for EVERYTHING!!! The system is designed to make people give up!!!

I had a similar experience last month and finally reached a live person using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They connected me to a PA UC agent who could actually check the status of my appeal. Found out mine was "pending supervisor review" which is why it was taking so long. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 - worth it to get actual answers instead of checking the mail every day.

To add to my last comment - when I called the appeals office directly, they just told me to "wait" with no details. The regular UC agent I got through to with Claimyr was actually able to see notes on my appeal status in the system and told me it was assigned to a specific supervisor for final review. That's why I recommend trying to reach the regular UC office instead of appeals - they seem to have more detailed info available to them in the system.

i had appeal hearing jan 15 and got decision march 5 so about 7 weeks. i was checking dashboard everyday and nothing showed up until i got paper mail. cant see appeal decisions online i think u have to wait for mail. sorry ur dealing with this waiting is worst part

Here's what's actually happening with referee decisions: Each decision is reviewed by a supervisor before being sent out, which adds time. By law, they're supposed to issue decisions within 30 days, but they're granted extensions due to workload. A few tips: 1. Appeal decisions DO appear in your dashboard under "Determination History" once issued 2. If your hearing included multiple issues (like misconduct plus able/available), each requires a separate decision which can delay things 3. Complex cases take longer than simple ones 4. If you win, payment processing takes 2-3 additional business days after the decision appears If you're approaching 8 weeks, you can request a status update through your dashboard messaging center - use "Appeals Information" as the subject.

Just wanted to follow up - did you ever get your decision? I'm curious how long it ended up taking.