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StormChaser

PA UC appeal approved - how long until first payment hits Money Network card?

Finally got some good news after fighting the system for 7 weeks! My appeal for being denied PA unemployment was just approved yesterday. The referee overturned my disqualification for 'voluntary quit' after I proved my employer basically forced me out of my healthcare admin position by changing my hours to overnight shifts (which I couldn't do because of my kids). The approval letter says my 'appeal determination is FAVORABLE' but doesn't give any timeline for when I'll actually see money. My rent is already late and I'm worried about getting evicted. Has anyone gone through this process recently? How long did it take for your first payment to show up on your Money Network card after winning an appeal? Do I need to go back and file all those weekly claims I missed while waiting for the appeal? The backpay would be around $4,200 which I desperately need right now.

Dmitry Petrov

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Congrats on winning your appeal! Generally, PA UC will process your payment within 2-3 business days after the appeal decision is finalized in their system. However, you DO need to make sure you've filed all those weekly claims for the weeks you were waiting on your appeal. If you didn't file them at the time, you'll need to call and request to backdate those claims. Did you receive any instructions about backdating claims in your approval letter? Sometimes they include that information, sometimes they don't. You should be able to see in your payment history online if those weeks are showing as payable once they process everything.

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StormChaser

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Thanks for the info! The letter didn't say anything about backdating claims. I just logged in to check my portal and don't see any option to file for previous weeks. I'm going to have to call them aren't I? Ugh, I've been trying for days and can't get through...

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Ava Williams

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congrats!!!! i had same thing happen to me but took like 5 days to get the money after they said i won. they put all the money at once it was nice lol. but yeah u prob have to call them for the backdating thing thats what i did

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StormChaser

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5 days isn't too bad! Did you have to call multiple times before you got through? I've been trying at different times of day with no luck.

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Miguel Castro

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You need to continue filing your bi-weekly claims even while your appeal is pending - that's a common mistake people make. You definitely need to call them to backdate those claims you missed. As for timeline, after my appeal win last month, the money appeared on my Money Network card exactly 8 business days later. They first had to process all the backdated weeks, then the payments were released in two batches. You should also check your dashboard daily because sometimes they need additional information before releasing funds, and the system might not notify you properly.

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StormChaser

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Oh no, I didn't know I was supposed to keep filing! I thought there was no point since I was disqualified. 8 days seems like forever when you're broke, but at least it's something to go on. Thanks!

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After I won MY appeal it took THREE WEEKS to get paid!!!! The system is COMPLETELY BROKEN and they don't care about us at all. First they said 3-5 days, then they said there was another "open issue" they needed to review, then they claimed they never received some document I DEFINITELY sent them. It was a total nightmare. Don't count on that money anytime soon, sadly. And yes, you absolutely need to backdate those claims or you'll never see a penny of it.

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This happened to me too! They found some random "issue" AFTER I won my appeal. So frustrating

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LunarEclipse

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I went through this exact situation in February. After winning my appeal, I tried calling for days to backdate my missed weekly claims but couldn't get through on the phone lines. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual PA UC agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 The agent helped me backdate all my claims, and I received payment about 4 business days later. Without getting those backdated claims filed, I would have lost all that money, so it was definitely worth it to finally talk to someone. Good luck!

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StormChaser

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Thank you! I've been pulling my hair out trying to get through. I'll check out this service because I absolutely need to get these backdated claims filed. 4 days for payment after that sounds amazing compared to what I was fearing.

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Yara Khalil

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does anyone know if theyre going to take taxes out of the backpay? i think im in a similar situation and worried about how much ill actually get vs whats on paper

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Dmitry Petrov

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Yes, if you elected to have taxes withheld when you first filed your claim, PA UC will withhold 10% federal tax from all payments including backdated ones. You can check your withholding settings in your online account if you want to change this for future payments.

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Miguel Castro

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Just wanted to add one more thing - make sure your Money Network card is activated and that your address is current in the system. I've seen people win appeals and then have their payments delayed because their card was sent to an old address or they never activated it. You can check your card status at moneynetwork.com or call the number on the back of your card.

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StormChaser

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That's a great point! I activated my card when it first came in the mail, but that was weeks ago. I should probably double check everything is still good. Thanks for the tip.

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sending good vibes your way! i know how stressful this is. dont forget to keep filing your weekly claims going forward too!

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One more thing to watch out for - sometimes they only approve PART of your claim and deny other weeks for different reasons. Check your determination letter carefully to see exactly what weeks were approved in the appeal. I had a friend who thought he was getting 6 weeks of backpay but the appeal only covered 4 weeks because they found another reason to deny him for 2 weeks. The PA UC system loves to find new ways to deny people what they're owed!!!

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StormChaser

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Oh great, one more thing to worry about. I'll check the letter again but I'm pretty sure it said all weeks were approved. They initially denied me for the same reason for the entire period.

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Dmitry Petrov

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Update us when you get your payment! It helps others to know the current processing times since they seem to change constantly. And if you do end up calling, try early morning (7:55am right before they open) or late afternoon on Wednesdays or Thursdays. Those times seem to have slightly better odds of getting through.

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StormChaser

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Will do! I'm going to try calling at 7:55am tomorrow, and if that doesn't work I'll try that Claimyr service someone mentioned. Really need to get these backdated claims filed ASAP.

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Luca Conti

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Hey there! I actually just went through this exact same process about 6 weeks ago. Won my appeal after they initially denied me for "job abandonment" when I had to leave due to unsafe working conditions. Here's what happened with my timeline: After winning the appeal, it took exactly 6 business days for the money to hit my Money Network card. BUT - and this is important - I had to call them to get the backdated claims processed first. Without those backdated claims, you won't see any of that $4,200. I used a trick I learned here - call exactly at 8:00am when they open, have your SSN and PIN ready, and be prepared to wait on hold for 30-45 minutes. Tuesday mornings seemed to work best for me. Once I got through, the agent was actually really helpful and got all my missed weeks processed in about 10 minutes. One heads up - they paid me in two separate deposits. The first was for the most recent 4 weeks, then 2 days later I got the rest. Don't panic if you don't see the full amount at first! Good luck and keep us posted on how it goes!

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Ravi Sharma

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This is super helpful, thank you! 6 business days isn't too bad, and I really appreciate the calling tip about 8am on Tuesday mornings. I've been trying at random times with no luck. The two separate deposits thing is good to know too - I probably would have panicked if I only saw partial payment at first. Did you have to provide any additional documentation when you called, or was it pretty straightforward once you got through to an agent?

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Michael Adams

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Congrats on winning your appeal! That's such a relief after 7 weeks of fighting the system. I went through something similar last year - also got denied initially for "voluntary quit" even though my employer made my position impossible to maintain. From what I've seen here and experienced myself, you definitely need to get those backdated claims filed ASAP or you'll lose that money. The timeline for payment seems to vary a lot - I've seen people report anywhere from 4 days to 3 weeks depending on if there are any other issues in the system. One thing that helped me was checking my online account daily after the appeal win. Sometimes they'll flag additional issues that need to be resolved before they release payments, and the notifications don't always work properly. Also make sure your direct deposit info or Money Network card details are all current. Hope you get that $4,200 soon - being behind on rent while waiting for UC is so stressful. Keep us posted on your timeline once things start moving!

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