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How long to receive PA UC Money Network card after claim approval with backpay?

Finally got some good news after 6 weeks of stress! My PA unemployment claim was under investigation (employer disputed my hours) but yesterday I got approved and can see they issued ALL my backpay dating to January. The online portal shows 'payments issued' for about $4,800 total, but I've never received a Money Network debit card before. The automated system says my payments were already processed, but obviously can't access them without the card. Does anyone know how long it typically takes for the Money Network card to arrive after approval? Should I be doing anything to speed this up? I've got rent due next week and was counting on this money...

Molly Hansen

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congrats on the approval! my card came exactly 7 days after my first payment was issued. they send it regular mail with no tracking. make sure your address is correct in the system!!!

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Connor Rupert

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Thank you! Was hoping it would be faster but 7 days isn't terrible. Did you have to activate it through the phone or website?

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Brady Clean

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The standard timeframe for receiving your Money Network card is 7-10 business days from when your first payment is issued. However, if you're receiving a large backpay amount like $4,800, you should know that PA UC often places a temporary hold on the card when large sums are first loaded (anti-fraud measure). When your card arrives, you'll need to call the activation number, set up your PIN, and then possibly contact their customer service to verify your identity before accessing the full balance. Make sure to have your claim information and ID ready when making that call.

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Skylar Neal

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WAIT is this true about holds on large payments??? I'm in almost the same boat (approved after 2 months of waiting) with around $6,200 in backpay and nobody told me about any holds! How long does it take to clear these holds? This is so frustrating

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i had EXACT same situation in February!!! took 5 business days for card to come but then another 3 days for them to remove the security hold cuz my backpay was $3700. total pain waiting for money that was MINE! when u get the card call right away to start the hold removal process. they might ask for ID verification again even though u already did it for your claim SMH

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Kelsey Chin

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^^ this. PA UC is crazy about these holds. I had to call Money Network 3 separate times and upload my ID, wait 72 hours, then finally got access. Just prepare yourself for the extra step if you have backdated payments.

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Norah Quay

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You can actually check the status of your Money Network card delivery by calling their automated system at 888-233-5916. When I was waiting for mine, I called PA UC directly but couldn't get through for days. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with an agent within 20 minutes who told me my card had already been mailed and gave me the exact date to expect it. You can see how their service works in this video: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. With that much backpay at stake, it was worth it to get a definitive answer rather than just waiting and wondering.

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Connor Rupert

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Thanks for the suggestion! I've been trying the regular PA UC number with no luck. I'll check out that service if my card doesn't show up by Monday. Just nervous about accessing my benefits after waiting so long.

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Leo McDonald

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my freind got aproved last month and his card came after 8 days but they put a hold on sum of his payments for like verification or something. he had to call them up to get it fixed. make sure ur adress is right in the system thats super important

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Connor Rupert

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I double-checked my address in the portal and it's correct. Seems like these holds might be common with backpay. Really wish they'd mention this somewhere on the website!

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Skylar Neal

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My card took TWO WEEKS to arrive after approval and I nearly got evicted waiting for it!!! The PA UC system is completely broken. They make you wait months for approval then make you wait AGAIN for some stupid card. Why can't they just do direct deposit like a normal system???!! And don't even try calling them - it's impossible to get through. Absolute nightmare.

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Brady Clean

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Just to clarify - PA UC does offer direct deposit as an option, but it's not available until after you receive your initial Money Network card. Once you have the card, you can log into the Money Network account online and set up direct deposit to your bank account for future payments. For the initial payment and card, unfortunately, the timeframe is outside of claimants' control.

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Kelsey Chin

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While ur waiting for the card to arrive, go ahead and create an account on moneynetwork.com so you're ready to go when it comes. You'll need the card number to finish setup, but you can at least get started. Then when card arrives, you can quickly activate and set up direct deposit for future payments. That's what I did and it made things smoother for weeks 2-3 of payments.

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Connor Rupert

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Good idea, I'll do that now! Would be nice to at least have the account ready. Thanks for the tip!

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Vincent Bimbach

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btw dont forget u still need to file your weekly claims even while waiting for the card!! i know someone who thought they could stop filing after approval but then they had to restart their whole claim!

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Connor Rupert

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Oh I've definitely been filing every Sunday! Not making that mistake after waiting so long for approval. Thanks for the reminder though!

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