PA UC Appeal Error Message When Clicking Next - Can't Submit Online Appeal
Has anyone else tried to file an appeal on the PA unemployment website only to get stuck in an error loop? Every single time I click 'Next' after entering my appeal information, it gives me some vague error message and won't let me proceed. I've tried 3 different browsers, cleared my cache, even used my daughter's laptop and still nothing works! I was disqualified for allegedly not reporting some part-time hours (which I absolutely DID report), and now I can't even appeal it properly. The deadline is in 5 days and I'm seriously freaking out. What am I supposed to do if the system won't even let me submit my appeal??
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Sean Doyle
I had the EXACT same issue last month! The PA UC appeal system has been glitchy since they updated it in January. What worked for me was to submit the appeal during non-peak hours - try really early morning (like 5-6am) or late at night after 10pm. The servers seem less overloaded then. Also, make sure you're not using autofill on any fields and keep your responses in the text boxes brief. If you write too much in the explanation box, it tends to trigger errors.
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StarStrider
•Thank you! I'll try the early morning approach tomorrow. Do you remember if it gave you any specific error code or just a generic message? Mine just says 'System unable to process request at this time.' So frustrating!
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Zara Rashid
mayb try calling them? took me 3 days of trying but finally got thru yesterday
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StarStrider
•I've been calling for 2 days straight and just get the busy signal or it disconnects me after the automated menu. Did you just keep redialing or is there some trick to it?
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Luca Romano
Mine did that too!!! I think its cuz the system cant handle everyone filing appeals at once. Bunch of people I know from my old job all got disqualified for stupid reasons last month. The website is trash
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Nia Jackson
•The website isn't trash, people just don't read the instructions properly. Your appeal needs to be under 1000 characters and you can't use special characters like % or &. Also make sure you're uploading documents in PDF format, not as images. The system works fine if you follow the guidelines exactly.
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Luca Romano
•Uh huh tell yourself that. Ive worked in IT and that site is patched together garbage. It randomly logs people out and loses information all the time.
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Mateo Hernandez
When the online appeal system gives errors, you have other options to submit your appeal: 1. Fax your appeal to 717-772-0378 2. Mail your appeal to Unemployment Compensation Board of Review, 651 Boas Street, Room 1114, Harrisburg, PA 17121 3. Email your appeal to UCAppeals@pa.gov Make sure to include your name, last 4 of SSN, claim date, and specifically what determination you're appealing. The most important thing is to submit it BEFORE your appeal deadline (15 days from determination date). Keep proof of submission - fax confirmation, certified mail receipt, or email sent confirmation.
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StarStrider
•Thank you SO much for this information! I didn't realize I could email my appeal. I'll definitely do that today just to be safe, even while I try the website again during off-hours.
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CosmicCruiser
anybody else notice that every time they update something on the UC website, something else breaks? like they fixed the weekly claims thing but then suddenly appeals and pin resets stop working lol
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Aisha Khan
•I've been through this rodeo too many times since 2020. If you need to reach a live person at PA UC quickly, try using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a system that gets you through to a rep without waiting for hours. I was skeptical but it actually works - they have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 I used it last week when I had the same appeal error, and the agent was able to confirm my appeal was received despite the error message. Apparently it's a known issue with their system right now.
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CosmicCruiser
•thx ill check it out! anything is better than calling for 3 days straight
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Sean Doyle
One more important thing - if your appeal deadline is only 5 days away, I would recommend doing BOTH the online submission AND sending it by email or fax as backup. The UC appeal board is pretty strict about deadlines, and technical issues with the website aren't always accepted as a valid reason for late appeals. Document everything and take screenshots of the error messages if possible.
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StarStrider
•That's good advice. I just sent the appeal by email with screenshots of the errors attached. I'll try the website again tomorrow morning at 5am like you suggested. Fingers crossed one of these methods works!
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Luca Romano
just curious what reason did they give for saying u didnt report hours? same thing happened to my cousin and turns out they were looking at the wrong week
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StarStrider
•They claim I didn't report 16 hours worked at my part-time job for the week ending 3/15/25, but I have screenshots showing I did report it. It looks like their system just didn't save it properly or something. Now they want me to repay $380 plus interest! The most frustrating part is that I was trying to do everything by the book.
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Nia Jackson
For anyone having technical issues with the appeals system, I recommend using these exact steps: 1. Use Chrome browser in incognito mode 2. Clear all cookies and cache before starting 3. Don't use any autofill features 4. Keep your appeal text under 800 characters (even though it allows 1000) 5. Save your appeal text in a separate document before submitting 6. Try during off-peak hours (before 7am or after 9pm) 7. If you get an error, wait 15 minutes before trying again The system has limited capacity but does work if you're strategic about it.
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StarStrider
•Thank you for the detailed instructions! I'll follow these steps exactly tomorrow morning. It's ridiculous that we need workarounds like this, but I'm grateful for the help.
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