PA UC Appeal shows 'Reviewed as valid' status but still waiting for decision - what's next?

Reviewed as' valid just means your appeal was properly filed within the time limit and meets the basic requirements to be considered. It'doesn t mean'they ve ruled in your favor yet. The confusing part is the reference 'to information from your' hearing - sounds like they might be reviewing documentation you submitted without requiring an actual hearing. If you'haven t received a hearing notice,'it s possible'they re making a determination based on the paperwork you alreadyprovided.

Thanks! That makes sense. So they might just be reviewing my documents and the CareerLink verification I submitted without needing me to actually appear? That would be great because I was worried about having to take time off work.

similar thing happened 2 me last summer when i had login issues... took almost 5 weeks to get a decision after it said 'reviewed as valid' but they eventually approved it and paid the back weeks. no hearing was needed for mine.

5 weeks?! Ugh, that's so long. Did you get any updates during that time or just had to wait it out?

just waited... no updates at all til the decision came in mail

I work with PA UC appeals often. Here's what's happening: Your appeal documentation (including the CareerLink verification) has been reviewed by a referee who determined your appeal was properly filed. The 'waiting for decision to be written' means they're drafting the actual determination based on the documents you provided. \n\nThe reference to 'hearing information' is confusing because it's standard language in their system, even when no actual hearing has occurred. Since it's been 'reviewed as valid' and you haven't received a hearing notice, they're likely making a decision without a hearing.\n\nThis is actually good news - when they have sufficient documentation (like your CareerLink verification), they can make a determination without scheduling a hearing. Just keep checking your dashboard and mail for the decision, which should come within 2-3 weeks.

Thank you so much for explaining! That really clarifies things. I hope you're right about the 2-3 weeks timeframe - I've been stressing about this for a while now.

THE SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY BROKEN!!!! I had FIVE appeals with \

Wow that sounds awful! Did you ever get your issues resolved?

Eventually but only after I spent HOURS trying to get through on their phones. Total nightmare.

If you're trying to reach PA Unemployment by phone to check on your appeal status, you might want to try Claimyr (claimyr.com). They helped me get through to an actual UC representative after I spent weeks trying on my own. They have a good demo video that explains how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2\n\nIn my case, I had a similar 'reviewed as valid' status that wasn't changing for weeks. Got through with their service and found out they were missing a document from my employer that was holding up the decision.

Thanks for the tip. I might try that if I don't hear anything in the next week or so. Did you find out anything else useful when you finally got through to someone?

Yes! The rep told me that 'reviewed as valid' appeals without hearings typically get processed faster, but they prioritize them based on factors like financial hardship and how long you've been waiting. When I called, they actually escalated mine since it had been sitting for a while.

my sister-in-law works for unemployment and she says sometimes they do

That's really helpful to know! The CareerLink manager was super helpful and wrote a detailed explanation of what happened, so hopefully that's enough for them to make a decision.

One more important thing to note - keep filing your weekly claims during this waiting period, even for the weeks under dispute. If your appeal is approved, they can only pay you for weeks you've properly filed for. I've seen people win appeals but lose money because they stopped filing while waiting for a decision.

I've definitely been keeping up with my weekly claims. I learned that lesson the hard way during my first benefit year when I missed filing for one week and couldn't get it back.

i had something similar happen last year and it took like 3 weeks after the \

That gives me hope! Was your situation similar with documentation proving it wasn't your fault?

yep! had proof from my former employer that they reported my last day wrong. sent it with my appeal and they fixed it without a hearing

anyone else notice that the unemployment website is ALWAYS having issues?? like how are we supposed to do everything right when their systems dont even work properly???

PREACH!!! The website is GARBAGE!! I got disqualified for THEIR system errors at least THREE TIMES last year!!!

It's definitely frustrating. The CareerLink staff even told me these credential issues happen all the time. You'd think they'd fix these problems by now.

To answer your original question more directly: Based on your status, you will most likely NOT need to appear at a hearing. The fact that it says 'reviewed as valid' means they've accepted your documentation as sufficient evidence. The decision hasn't been announced yet, but they're currently drafting it.\n\nIf for some reason they did determine a hearing was necessary, you would have received a Notice of Hearing with at least 7 days advance notice, listing the date, time, and method (typically phone or video conference in 2025).\n\nThe CareerLink documentation you provided is exactly the type of evidence that often allows them to make determinations without hearings, which speeds up the process considerably.

Thank you! That's really reassuring. I'll keep an eye on my mail and dashboard for the decision. Fingers crossed it goes in my favor since it really wasn't my fault.

I'm going through something similar right now! My appeal has been showing "reviewed as valid" for about 2 weeks after I had issues with the work search requirements due to a system glitch. It's so nerve-wracking waiting for a decision when you don't know what's happening behind the scenes. Reading everyone's experiences here is really helpful - it sounds like having good documentation (which you clearly do with the CareerLink verification) makes a big difference in getting approved without needing a hearing. Keeping my fingers crossed for both of us!

I've been following this thread because I'm dealing with a similar appeal situation. Just wanted to add that when I called the PA UC customer service line last week (finally got through after many attempts), they told me that appeals marked as "reviewed as valid" without hearing notices typically get decided within 3-4 weeks from that status date. Since yours was reviewed as valid on 2/28, you should hopefully hear something soon! The rep also mentioned that technical issues like CareerLink login problems are pretty common grounds for successful appeals, especially when you have documentation from CareerLink itself confirming the issue wasn't on your end. Stay positive!

I had a very similar situation last year with CareerLink login issues that prevented me from completing my work search activities. My appeal also showed "reviewed as valid" status and I was really anxious about whether I'd need to attend a hearing. In my case, it took about 3.5 weeks from the "reviewed as valid" date to get the final decision, and they ruled in my favor without requiring a hearing. The CareerLink documentation you have is key - they really do take system glitches seriously when you have official verification that it wasn't your fault. The waiting is definitely stressful, but based on what you've described, it sounds like you have a strong case with good documentation. Keep filing your weekly claims and checking both your dashboard and mail regularly. Good luck!

I'm new to this community but dealing with a similar situation right now! My appeal has been showing "reviewed as valid" for about 10 days after I had issues with the PA unemployment website crashing during my certification week. Reading through all these responses is incredibly helpful - it sounds like having proper documentation (which you clearly have with the CareerLink verification) really makes a difference in getting approved without a hearing. The timeline everyone's sharing of 3-4 weeks from "reviewed as valid" to decision gives me hope that we'll both hear back soon. Thanks for posting this question - it's exactly what I needed to see! Will definitely keep filing my weekly claims while waiting.

I'm dealing with a nearly identical situation right now! Filed an appeal about 3 weeks ago for benefits I lost due to CareerLink system issues that prevented me from logging in to complete my work search requirements. My status just changed to "reviewed as valid" yesterday, so reading through all these experiences is incredibly reassuring. It's such a relief to hear from people like @Landon Morgan who work with PA UC appeals and confirm that having CareerLink documentation usually means no hearing required. The timeline everyone's sharing of 3-4 weeks from "reviewed as valid" to decision gives me realistic expectations. Thanks for starting this thread - it's exactly the information I needed! Definitely going to keep filing my weekly claims while I wait.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My appeal has been sitting at "reviewed as valid" for about 2.5 weeks after I had CareerLink login issues that prevented me from completing my work search activities on time. Reading through all these responses has been so helpful - especially hearing from @Landon Morgan about how the system works and the realistic timelines everyone is sharing. It's such a relief to know that having official CareerLink documentation usually means they can make a decision without requiring a hearing. The waiting is definitely nerve-wracking, but seeing so many positive outcomes for similar situations with system glitches gives me hope. Thanks for posting this question - it's exactly what I needed to see to understand what "reviewed as valid" actually means! Keeping my fingers crossed for both of us.

I'm new here but dealing with a very similar situation! My appeal has been showing "reviewed as valid" for about 6 days now after I had issues with CareerLink where their credential verification system went down for almost a week, preventing me from completing my required activities. I have documentation from both CareerLink and my local office confirming the outage affected multiple users. Reading through everyone's experiences here is so encouraging - especially @Landon Morgan's detailed explanations about how the process works and @Harper Collins sharing their positive outcome with nearly identical circumstances. The 3-4 week timeline from "reviewed as valid" to decision that multiple people have mentioned gives me realistic expectations. It's such a relief to know that having official documentation of system issues usually means no hearing required and often leads to favorable decisions. Thanks for starting this discussion - it's exactly what I needed to understand what this status actually means! Definitely keeping up with my weekly claims while I wait.