My PA UC benefits at risk - Employer filed appeal 4 months later! What happens now?

OMG the same exact thing happened to me last year!! My old boss was such a jerk. They can totally file appeals late and its SO unfair. Get ready for lots of stress

Your employer has up to 15 days to appeal after receiving the Notice of Financial Determination, but sometimes PA UC doesn't send those notices right away. Also, if your employer can show "good cause" for filing late, they might still get a hearing. The important thing is to prepare for your hearing - gather any evidence showing why you should qualify for benefits (termination notices, emails, etc). Document everything about your separation from employment. The referee will hear both sides and make a decision.

What if they win the appeal???? Will they garnish your wages or something to get the money back? I'm in a similar situation and terrified theyll come after me for thousands I already spent on RENT!!! The system is BROKEN. They approve you then months later say "oops just kidding give it ALL back

I went through this exact situation in March. Here's my advice: 1. Don't panic - many employer appeals fail because employers don't show up to the hearing 2. Prepare your case explaining why you had to leave your job (sounds like it might be constructive discharge if your hours were severely reduced) 3. If the reduction in hours was substantial (more than 35%), that often qualifies for benefits even if you quit 4. When you get the hearing notice, it will have a specific date/time - DO NOT MISS THIS 5. Be professional and stick to facts during the hearing FYI - I won my case because I was prepared with dates, times, and specific examples of why I had to leave. The referee was actually pretty fair.

when my hearing happened i couldnt even get through to ask questions beforehand!! kept calling uc for days and just busy signals. super frustrating when ur whole financial future is hanging on this one phone call and you cant even get basic info

my uncle had this happen and he got a lawyer who specialized in unemployment stuff. ended up winning his case cause the employer didnt have good documentation. but lawyer cost him $600 so idk if its worth it

Just to respond to your earlier question - if your hours were cut from 40 to 12, that's a 70% reduction which is definitely substantial. Make sure you mention that specific percentage in your hearing. Also, document any attempts you made to address the reduced hours with your employer before leaving. The referee will want to know you tried to resolve the issue before quitting. Regarding the lack of paperwork - your testimony is still evidence, but it helps to have things like: - Old pay stubs showing your normal hours - New pay stubs showing reduced hours - Text messages or emails about schedule changes - Names of witnesses who can verify your account If your employer filed 4 months late without good cause, that itself could be grounds to dismiss their appeal, but don't count on it.

update on my situation from before - i had to pay back like $4300 and it totally destroyed me financially. the whole process is designed to favor employers. get ready to fight HARD

Final bit of advice - be very clear about the timeline during your hearing. A major hour reduction (40 to 12) is usually considered "good cause" for quitting in PA, but timing matters. If you quit immediately after the reduction, that looks better than if you worked the reduced schedule for months before quitting. Also, during your hearing: 1. Answer questions directly and briefly 2. Don't interrupt the employer or referee 3. Ask for clarification if you don't understand a question 4. Stay calm even if the employer says things you disagree with 5. Have your facts ready (dates of hour reduction, conversations about it, when you left) Based on what you've shared, I think you have a pretty strong case if you can document that substantial hour reduction.

I'm going through something similar right now - got my hearing notice last week after collecting benefits for 3 months. The waiting and uncertainty is the worst part! From what I've been reading, it sounds like you have a really solid case with that 70% hour reduction. That's exactly the kind of situation PA UC is supposed to cover. I've been gathering all my documentation too - old schedules, pay stubs, anything that shows what happened. One thing my friend who went through this told me is to write down a timeline beforehand so you don't get flustered during the hearing and forget important details. Hang in there - sounds like you're preparing well and have good reasons why you qualified for benefits in the first place.

I went through this exact nightmare scenario two years ago and I'm still recovering financially. My employer waited until I had collected nearly $8,000 in benefits before filing their appeal - turns out they were "gathering documentation" the whole time. The hearing was brutal because I wasn't prepared at all. I had no idea I could bring witnesses or documentation to support my case. Lost the appeal and had to set up a payment plan for the overpayment that's STILL draining my bank account every month. The one thing I wish someone had told me is that you can request a postponement if you need more time to prepare - don't rush into the hearing unprepared like I did. Also, if your employer doesn't show up to the hearing (which happens more than you'd think), you basically win by default. Document EVERYTHING about why you left that job and be ready to explain it clearly. The system is definitely stacked against us but it's not impossible to win if you're prepared.

I went through this same situation about 6 months ago and it was incredibly stressful. My employer filed their appeal 3.5 months after I started collecting benefits, claiming they never received the initial notice (which turned out to be their "good cause" argument). Here's what helped me prepare: 1. Create a detailed timeline with exact dates - when your hours were cut, any conversations about it, when you quit, when you filed for UC 2. Gather ALL documentation - pay stubs showing before/after hours, any texts or emails about schedule changes, even notes from conversations if you have them 3. Practice explaining your situation clearly and concisely - you'll likely have limited time to present your case The good news is that a 70% hour reduction (40 to 12 hours) is considered constructive discharge in PA, which means you should qualify for benefits. The fact that you tried to make it work for 3 weeks before quitting actually strengthens your case - it shows you didn't just quit immediately. Don't let the employer's late appeal psych you out. Focus on preparing your case with the facts. You've got this! Keep us updated on how the hearing goes.