PA UC High Authority Appeal after employer won referee hearing - huge non-fault overpayment implications
I'm in a total mess with my PA unemployment benefits and freaking out about a massive $9,500 non-fault overpayment. Here's what happened: I filed back in January 2025, got approved after waiting almost 3 months, received all my backpay, and was regularly filing/getting paid weekly. Then out of nowhere my employer appealed the approval! We had a referee hearing in July where they won because I stupidly didn't bring documentation to back up my testimony (I didn't realize I needed it). Now UC says I owe everything back, even though they initially approved me! I filed an appeal to the High Authority on August 7th, and it was marked as 'valid' on August 10th. Does anyone know how long the High Authority appeal process typically takes? What should I be expecting? Can I win this thing? I'm seriously stressed about this debt hanging over my head.
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Javier Gomez
High Authority appeals typically take 3-4 months to process in PA right now. They're reviewing complete case files including the referee hearing transcript, so you don't need to attend another hearing unless specifically notified. I'd strongly recommend submitting any documentation you originally should have brought to the referee hearing ASAP - you can still add evidence to your case file while it's pending. Make sure to keep filing your weekly claims during this process if you're still unemployed, but be aware that you won't receive payments while the appeal is active. The Board reviews about 200 cases weekly, so patience is unfortunately necessary.
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NebulaNinja
•Thank you so much for this info! I didn't realize I could still submit documentation. Should I mail it in or upload it somewhere? And do I need to write a letter explaining why I'm submitting it late? 3-4 months feels like forever when I'm worried about this huge overpayment hanging over me!
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Emma Wilson
omg im dealing with literally THE SAME THING!!! employer appealed after 4 months of me getting benefits and now they want $6k back! its so unfair like why approve me then take it all away??? im definitely following this thread cuz im lost too
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Malik Thomas
•They do this ALL THE TIME!!! The system is totally RIGGED against workers! My cousin went through this exact same garbage last year and ended up having to set up a payment plan for $12,000 even though he qualified for the benefits. The employers have fancy lawyers and the UC office doesn't care about regular people AT ALL. They'll make you wait FOREVER just to tell you to pay it all back anyway. It's disgusting how PA treats people who actually need help!!!
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Isabella Oliveira
I went through a High Authority appeal last year. Here's what you need to know: 1. Submit a written statement explaining WHY you believe the referee decision was incorrect (cite specific facts or procedural errors) 2. Include any documentation you didn't bring to the referee hearing (pay stubs, emails, communication with employer, etc) 3. You can fax these to 717-787-8826 or mail to Board of Review in Harrisburg (get certified mail receipt!) 4. Include your appeal number on EVERYTHING 5. The Board is actually pretty fair and overturns referee decisions frequently, especially in non-fault situations My appeal took about 12 weeks to resolve. Keep checking your dashboard weekly for updates. Good luck!
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NebulaNinja
•This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I've got emails that prove my side of the story but didn't think to bring them to the referee hearing. I'll get everything together and send it certified mail tomorrow. Did you continue to get notices about the overpayment while waiting for your appeal decision? I'm getting weekly notices demanding repayment and it's stressing me out.
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Ravi Kapoor
just wondering but did u get a lawyer for your hearing? sounds like ur employer had one and thats why they won
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NebulaNinja
•No, I didn't have a lawyer. Honestly didn't think I needed one since I was telling the truth about my situation. But yes, my employer had their HR rep and a lawyer on the call. They were super prepared with all sorts of paperwork and I just had... me. Big mistake, obviously.
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Freya Larsen
have you tried calling the UC service center to ask about the timeline for your appeal? i know getting through is almost impossible but theres a service called Claimyr that can help you reach a real person at PA UC. it worked for me when i was stuck in appeal limbo for months. you can check it out at claimyr.com and theres a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 - calling and talking to someone might give you better info than waiting around.
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NebulaNinja
•Thanks for the tip! I've been calling every day for a week and can't get through. Always busy signals or it disconnects me after waiting on hold. I'll check out that link - at this point I'm desperate enough to try anything to talk to an actual person about my case.
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Emma Wilson
•does this actually work? ive been trying to call for 3 weeks and cant get thru EVER. gonna try it
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GalacticGladiator
IMPORTANT: File a financial hardship form ASAP! While your appeal is pending, you can request to pause the collection activities on your overpayment. Go to your UC dashboard, look under "Overpayment" section, and click "Request Financial Hardship Waiver." You'll need to provide some financial documents, but this will at least stop them from trying to collect while the Board reviews your case. It won't make the debt go away, but it gives you breathing room during the appeal process.
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NebulaNinja
•THANK YOU!! I had no idea this was an option. I'll do this today! The collection notices are giving me serious anxiety.
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Isabella Oliveira
One more thing - during my appeal process, I found it helpful to call the Board of Review office directly (not the regular UC number) at 717-787-5122. They won't discuss the specifics of your case, but they can tell you where it is in the queue and if they've received all your documentation. Much easier to get through than the main UC line.
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Javier Gomez
•This is correct. The Board of Review staff can confirm receipt of documents and provide general status updates. Just make sure you have your appeal number and the last 4 digits of your SSN ready when you call. They typically review cases in the order received, though they sometimes prioritize cases with unusual hardship circumstances.
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Malik Thomas
My sister had a High Authority appeal last year and they STILL found against her even with a lawyer!!! Don't get your hopes up. The whole system is designed to protect employers, not workers. They make everything confusing ON PURPOSE so you'll mess up somewhere along the way. Be prepared for them to rule against you again and start figuring out how you're going to pay back that money. Sorry to be negative but that's the reality of PA UC!!
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GalacticGladiator
•While I understand your frustration, about 38% of referee decisions are actually overturned by the Board of Review. The key is providing solid documentation that wasn't presented at the referee level. Non-fault overpayments in particular have a higher success rate on appeal since the claimant didn't intentionally misrepresent anything. Let's not discourage people from pursuing their legal right to appeal - the system is challenging but not impossible to navigate successfully.
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Malik Thomas
•Maybe things have changed but in 2024 it was a NIGHTMARE for my sister. She submitted tons of documentation and they still sided with the employer. I'm just saying prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.
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Ravi Kapoor
whats a non-fault overpayment anyway? does that mean you dont have to pay it back?
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Isabella Oliveira
•A non-fault overpayment means the UC office doesn't believe you deliberately misrepresented information or committed fraud. Unfortunately, you still have to pay it back - the "non-fault" designation just means you won't face penalties or interest on top of the overpayment amount. You can request a payment plan to make it more manageable, and in rare cases, you can apply for a financial hardship waiver if repayment would cause severe hardship. But yes, even with non-fault, the default expectation is that you'll repay the full amount.
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Javier Gomez
Here's a timeline based on recent High Authority appeal data: Week 1-2: Appeal validated and added to queue Weeks 3-8: Case waiting in queue Weeks 9-12: Case assigned to a Board member for review Weeks 13-16: Decision rendered This can vary depending on case complexity and current backlog. Be sure to check your dashboard regularly for status updates. If more than 4 months pass with no decision, you can contact your state representative's office - they have liaisons who can check on severely delayed cases.
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NebulaNinja
•This timeline is incredibly helpful, thank you! It at least gives me some idea of what to expect. I'll definitely be checking my dashboard daily. If my claim is in the High Authority appeal stage, should I still be able to file weekly claims? The system is still letting me, but I'm not sure if I should keep doing it.
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Javier Gomez
•Yes, absolutely continue filing weekly claims even though you won't receive payments during the appeal. This preserves your claim week record. If your appeal is successful, they'll pay all those weeks you certified for during the appeal process. If you stop filing and then win your appeal, you won't be able to claim those missed weeks retroactively.
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