PA UC Hearing this Wednesday - Website Down Proof & 9-Week Open Issues - Will Both Be Addressed?

I had a hearing back in January. Here's what you need to know:\n\n1. Bring THREE copies of all evidence (your screenshots of the website errors) - one for you, one for the referee, and one for the UC representative.\n\n2. They'll only address what's specifically mentioned in your hearing notice. If your notice doesn't mention the open issues, they probably won't discuss them. However, you can politely ask at the end if they can provide any info on those issues.\n\n3. Dress business casual at minimum. You don't need a suit, but looking presentable helps.\n\n4. Be extremely specific about the dates and times you tried to register on CareerLink. The referee will want exact details.\n\n5. Speak clearly and don't interrupt anyone. The hearings are recorded.\n\nGood luck! With your screenshots, you have a solid case for the CareerLink issue.

THANK YOU!! This is so helpful. My notice only mentions the CareerLink registration issue. If they don't address the open issues during the hearing, do you know the fastest way to resolve those afterward? It's been over 2 months with no payments and I'm getting desperate.

got my hearing last yr they only talk bout whats on the notice so dont expect them 2 fix everything all at once... make sure u get there early!!!! i was 5 mins late and they almost canceled the whole thing

Thanks for the heads up! My hearing is actually via phone due to my location. Did yours go well? Did they make a decision right then or did you have to wait?

I'm an employment attorney and can give you some pointers for your hearing:\n\n1. Your evidence of the website being down is crucial - make sure the timestamps are clearly visible in your documentation.\n\n2. The hearing will ONLY address what's specified in the hearing notice. Your 9-week open issues are a separate matter that requires different resolution channels.\n\n3. For phone hearings, find a quiet place with good reception. Have your documents organized and ready to reference.\n\n4. Take detailed notes during the hearing, especially if the referee makes any statements about program requirements or exceptions.\n\n5. Be prepared to explain exactly what steps you took to comply with the registration requirement despite the technical difficulties.\n\nAfter your hearing (regardless of outcome), you'll need to separately address those open issues. Have you tried contacting your state representative's office? They can often help expedite UC issue resolution.

My cousin tried contacting her state rep and they never did anything. Complete waste of time. Better off just calling UC directly every single day until someone finally helps.

Thank you for the detailed advice! I really appreciate it. I'll definitely organize my evidence with clear timestamps. And no, I haven't tried contacting my state rep yet - that's a great suggestion I hadn't thought of!

I had almost the EXACT same situation back in February! CareerLink site kept crashing when I tried to register. My hearing went okay but honestly the referee seemed skeptical about the website being down even though I had screenshots.\n\nWhat really helped me was that I had also sent an email to CareerLink support reporting the issue when it happened. Make sure you mention ANY attempts you made to resolve the problem at the time. If you called anyone or emailed anyone about it, that shows you were trying to comply with the requirements despite technical issues.\n\nGood luck with the hearing, and regarding the open issues - those are completely separate. After my hearing was resolved, I still had to deal with getting my open issues fixed. Took another month, ugh.

Did you win your appeal? I also emailed their support team but never got a response. I'll definitely mention that. Did you eventually get all your back payments after everything was resolved?

Yes, I won the appeal! It took about 10 days to get the decision letter. And yes, I did eventually get all my back payments, but not until BOTH issues were resolved. The CareerLink issue got fixed first through the appeal, then I had to keep fighting to get the open issues cleared up. It's like they make it difficult on purpose 😡

Have you tried reaching a PA UC agent directly to ask about your open issues? I was stuck in the same situation for weeks - couldn't get through on the phone no matter what time I called. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2\n\nI was skeptical at first but got desperate after weeks of busy signals. The agent I spoke with was able to see exactly what my open issues were and gave me specific steps to resolve them. Might be worth trying to get those issues cleared up separately from your hearing.

Is that service legit? Ive been calling for 2 weeks straight and keep getting hung up on after waiting 2 hours!!!

Yes, it's legit. I was really hesitant too but after trying for almost a month to get through the normal way, I gave it a shot. The agent I spoke to cleared my open issue during that call. Much better than calling repeatedly and getting nowhere.

The PA UC system is INTENTIONALLY BROKEN to discourage people from collecting benefits they're entitled to. I had THREE hearings last year - complete waste of time. The referees don't care about evidence or fairness. They just rubber stamp whatever the department decides. Even WITH PROOF the website was down, they'll find some technicality to deny you.\n\nDon't expect any help with your open issues either. I had \

That wasn't my experience at all. My referee was actually very fair and listened to my evidence carefully. I think it depends on who you get.

You got LUCKY then. Most people I know had terrible experiences. The system is DELIBERATELY designed to be difficult. Just stating FACTS.

I'm trying to stay positive but I've definitely had moments where it feels like the system is working against me. Did you eventually win any of your appeals?

One more tip for your hearing: At the beginning, the referee will ask if you have any questions about the hearing process. This is NOT the time to explain your case or ask about the open issues. Just say \

Thank you for this specific guidance! I'll definitely prepare a chronological list of all my attempts with exact dates and times. Should I mention that I was able to finally register after the site was fixed, or will that somehow hurt my case?

Absolutely mention that you successfully registered once the site was working properly! That strengthens your case by showing you complied as soon as it was technically possible. It demonstrates your good faith effort to meet the requirements, which is exactly what the referee needs to see.

my brother had a hearing for the exact same thing lol. he won bc he called careerlink when the site was down and they had a record of his call. did u call them when it happened?

I didn't call them, unfortunately. I just sent emails to their support address and took screenshots. I hope that's enough evidence... now I'm worried.

Listen everyone keeps talking about your HEARING but nobody's addressing your OPEN ISSUES question. After 9 weeks you need to be AGGRESSIVE about getting those fixed. Call your state rep like someone mentioned AND call UC every single day. I had to call 57 times in one day before getting through. The open issues won't magically disappear even if you win your appeal.

You're right, I'm definitely worried about both issues. I've called so many times and either get a busy signal or get disconnected after waiting. It's so frustrating! I'll try my state rep right after the hearing.