PA UC always busy - alternative phone numbers or tricks to get through?
I've been trying to reach the PA Unemployment office for three days straight now. The 888 number is ALWAYS busy no matter what time I call! I've tried at 8am right when they open, during lunch, and even right before they close at 4:30pm. It's either busy signal or I get the automated message saying they're experiencing high call volume. I need to speak with someone about my delayed payment that was supposed to hit my Money Network card last week. Does anyone know if there's another phone number I can try? Or any tricks to actually get through to a real person? I'm getting desperate!
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Carmen Vega
i tried like 45 times last week and kept getting busy signals too. finally got thru by calling exactly at 7:58am, like 2 mins b4 they officially open. somehow got in the queue that way
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Yuki Kobayashi
•Thanks for the tip! I'll try calling a few minutes before 8am tomorrow. Did you have to wait long once you got into the queue?
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QuantumQuester
The 888-313-7284 number is literally the only official number for PA UC claims. There used to be local office numbers but they've all been routed to the central system now. I had the same problem last month when I had an open issue on my claim. After wasting a week trying to call, I used a service called Claimyr that got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. Basically they keep dialing for you until they get through, then they call you back and connect you with the UC agent. Saved me so much frustration.
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Andre Moreau
•Is that service legit?? Sounds kinda sketchy to me but im desperate at this point, been calling for like 2 weeks with no luck
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Zoe Stavros
Just to add some accurate information here - there are a few alternative ways to contact PA UC besides endless phone calls: 1. Use the message center in your UC dashboard online. They typically respond within 5-7 business days. 2. Schedule a callback through your online portal (though these slots fill up quickly). 3. If your issue is specifically about a payment that showed as processed but hasn't arrived on your Money Network card, you might want to contact Money Network directly at 888-233-5916. 4. For complex issues, you can also reach out to your state representative's office. They often have direct channels to UC staff and can help escalate your case. Hope this helps!
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Yuki Kobayashi
•Thank you for these options! I did try the message center last week but haven't heard back. I'll look into the callback option - didn't know that existed. My state rep might be the next step if I still can't get through.
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Jamal Harris
YOUR NOT ALONE!!! Been dealing with this NIGHTMARE for a MONTH!!! I tried calling 150+ times (not exaggerating) and nothing! The system is BROKEN! Even sent 6 messages in their stupid message center with ZERO response. Finally broke down and used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and got through in 30 mins. The UC rep told me they're severely understaffed right now and dealing with a system upgrade that's causing payment delays. Apparently thousands of claims are backlogged. If your payment is already processed but just delayed, check your payment status online - might just be a timing issue with Money Network.
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Mei Chen
•omg same experience! the rep i finally got through to told me they lost like half their staff over the past year and haven't replaced them. no wonder nobody can get through
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Liam Sullivan
Have you tried contacting them through the PA CareerLink office? Sometimes they can help with UC issues or at least give you better contact information. I had an issue with my biweekly claims not processing correctly, and the CareerLink staff were able to get me connected with someone who could help. Might be worth a try if you're still struggling to reach someone directly.
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Yuki Kobayashi
•That's a great suggestion! There's a CareerLink office about 20 minutes from me. I'll give them a call tomorrow if I can't get through on the UC line. Thank you!
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Andre Moreau
idk if this will help but i noticed if u keep calling and hanging up repeatedly for like 15-20 mins sometimes you eventually get past the busy signal. worked for me twice but took forever lol
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Carmen Vega
•thats basically what i did too. just kept redialing for like an hour straight. total waste of time but i was desperate
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QuantumQuester
Quick update - I actually tried calling today for a follow-up on my claim and got through on my third attempt around 2:15pm. Maybe they've fixed something in their phone system? Or perhaps it's just less busy in the middle of the week. Might be worth trying at off-peak times.
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Yuki Kobayashi
•That's encouraging to hear! I'll try calling during that time window tomorrow. Maybe Wednesday afternoons are less busy than Mondays. Thanks for the tip!
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Hiroshi Nakamura
I feel your pain! I've been having the exact same issue trying to reach them about a similar payment delay. One thing that worked for me last month was using the redial feature on my phone and just letting it keep trying automatically while I did other things. Also, I noticed that Tuesdays and Thursdays seem to be slightly less busy than Mondays and Fridays. If you do get through, make sure to have your claim number and all relevant dates ready - the agents are usually rushing through calls because of the volume. Good luck!
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Ryan Andre
•Thanks for the Tuesday/Thursday tip! That's really helpful timing advice. I never thought about using the auto-redial feature - that's genius! Definitely beats sitting there manually redialing a hundred times. I'll make sure to have all my info ready too. Appreciate the encouragement!
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