My PA UC claim stuck 'in review' since September - no payments for 6+ weeks

yeah they can sometimes take forever lol. my claim was stuck in review for like 5 weeks last year before anything happened. keep filing your weekly claims tho so when it does finally go through you'll get all that backpay!

Six weeks is definitely longer than average for a standard review. There are a few possible reasons for the delay: 1. Identity verification issues (check if you've completed IDme verification) 2. Employer response discrepancies (your former employer might have contested something) 3. Wages from multiple states or employers creating complications 4. Potential eligibility questions that need manual review You should absolutely try contacting them. The standard review time should be 2-3 weeks max unless there's a specific issue. Make sure you've checked your dashboard for any action items or messages they might have sent.

I had the EXACT same problem last month. Claim stuck in review for 7 weeks with no explanation. Turns out they had a question about my work history but never actually notified me about it! I wasted weeks waiting for something to happen automatically. I finally got through to someone using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - it's this service that gets you through to an actual PA UC agent without dealing with busy signals. They have a demo video here: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 Took 20 minutes and the agent found that they needed additional info from my employer that was holding everything up. Once they sent the request again, my claim was approved within 3 days and I got all my backpay at once.

THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!! I've been dealing with PA unemployment for 15+ years (seasonal work) and it's NEVER been this bad before. They're deliberately letting claims sit in review hoping people will just give up and go away. I had a claim last winter that was "in review" for TEN WEEKS with ZERO communication. When I finally got through, they said "oh we were missing one piece of information" that they NEVER ASKED ME FOR!!! It's absolutely CRIMINAL how they treat people who are already struggling. Call them EVERY SINGLE DAY until you get through!!!

my neighbor works for uc and she says they have huge backlogs right now because of all the manufacturing layoffs in western pa last month. alot of claims need manual review especially if you worked multiple jobs

Here's what you need to do: 1. Continue filing your weekly claims as required - this ensures you'll receive all eligible backpay once approved 2. Check your dashboard specifically for any "Open Issues" - these aren't always obvious and might be hidden in a tab or sub-section 3. Try calling right when they open at 8:00 AM on Monday or Tuesday (typically the least busy days) 4. If your claim involves multiple employers or you worked in more than one county, this often triggers additional review 5. Contact your state representative's office - they have special liaisons to UC who can often get answers faster than you can If you have any wages from out-of-state employers in your base year, that will also significantly extend review time as PA has to verify with other states.

my claim was in review for 9 weeks!!! and then one day it just randomly switched to approved and i got all my back payments. hang in there

Just to clarify some information here - the standard processing time for PA UC claims with no issues should be 2-3 weeks. When claims extend beyond that timeframe, it almost always indicates there's a specific issue requiring manual review. The most common are: 1. Wage verification discrepancies (what you reported vs. employer records) 2. Separation reason questions (especially in construction where layoffs might be temporary) 3. Work search compliance verification 4. Multi-employer verification (which appears to be your case) In 2025, PA UC is still dealing with the modernized system rollout from a few years ago, which sometimes creates these delays. But persistently trying to contact them is essential - don't just wait indefinitely.

@Jade Lopez Congratulations on finally getting through! Your story is exactly why I always tell people not to give up on these claims. Six weeks for a simple wage discrepancy is absolutely ridiculous, but the important thing is you stuck with it and got results. For anyone else reading this who's in a similar situation - this is proof that there's usually a real person who can actually fix these issues, you just have to be persistent enough to reach them. The system is definitely broken when it comes to communication, but the benefits are there waiting for you. Thanks for sharing your victory - it gives the rest of us hope!

@Jade Lopez That's incredible news! Your persistence really paid off and this gives so much hope to everyone else dealing with similar delays. The fact that it was just a wage discrepancy that could have been resolved months ago is maddening, but at least you're finally getting your backpay. Your story is a perfect example of why we can't just sit back and wait - sometimes you really do need to keep calling until you reach someone who can actually help. Thanks for updating us throughout this whole process - it's been really valuable to follow along and see that these issues can be resolved with enough determination. Enjoy that well-deserved backpay!