PA UC appeal for 'unavailable to work' overpayment while attending online grad school - HELP!

I went through almost the exact same situation last year. Stay calm during your hearing - that's crucial. The key is proving your online education didn't prevent you from accepting work. Bring these if you have them: - Your course syllabus showing flexible timing - Any emails with professors about your flexibility - Job applications from that period - Any interviews you had during that time (this is GOLD if you have it) - Written statement about how your classes worked around employment Make sure to speak clearly and stick to facts. The referee will appreciate organization. Good luck!

OMG this same thing happend to me!!! they said i wasnt available for work cause i was taking 2 online classes but i TOTALLY was available!! the whole thing is so unfair, they just want their money back and dont care if we were actually looking for jobs. my appeal is next week and im sooooo nervous

I won my appeal for the exact same issue. The key element the referee focused on was whether my education would have prevented me from accepting a job offer if I had received one. I brought a sworn statement that I would have immediately accepted any suitable work, along with my fully flexible class schedule. Two important legal points in PA unemployment cases: 1. Being a student doesn't automatically make you unavailable for work. The burden is on UC to prove your schooling would have interfered with accepting work. 2. If you consistently completed your required work search activities, that's strong evidence you were available for work. Speak confidently but respectfully. Address the referee as "Sir" or "Ma'am" and don't interrupt. Good luck!

did u tell them when u first applied that u were in school? thats where most people mess up, if u didnt disclose it they call it fraud even if u were available. my cousin had to payback like 4000 because of this

Have you been trying to call UC to discuss this before your appeal? I had a similar overpayment issue ($1,900 they claimed I owed) and I was finally able to get through to someone who helped me understand exactly what documentation I needed for my appeal. Made a HUGE difference. I was getting nothing but busy signals for days until I tried Claimyr. It got me through to a PA UC rep in about 30 minutes instead of spending days redialing. The video shows how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 Definitely recommend talking to a real person before your hearing if possible. The rep gave me specific advice for my situation that I wouldn't have known otherwise.

I HATE how PA UC treats students! They approved you initially then come back months later demanding money? RIDICULOUS! This exact thing happened to me too - they said I wasnt "available for work" because I was taking 2 night classes. TWO! Even though I could work ANY schedule during the day! The system is DESIGNED to screw us over. Even if you win your appeal (I did eventually), they drag it out for MONTHS hoping you'll just give up and pay. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING and don't let them intimidate you!!!

Here's my best advice for your hearing in 2 hours: 1. Have your documents organized and ready to reference 2. Write down 3-5 key points you want to make about your availability 3. Take a few deep breaths before answering questions 4. If you don't understand a question, politely ask for clarification 5. Stick to facts about your availability and job search efforts 6. If you made weekly work search contacts, emphasize this The referee mainly wants to determine if your education would have prevented you from accepting suitable work. Focus on explaining why it wouldn't have interfered. Please come back and let us know how it went!

UPDATE: Just finished my hearing and I think it went pretty well! The referee was actually very reasonable and let me fully explain my situation. She seemed particularly interested in: 1. My class schedule showing everything was asynchronous 2. My work search record (I had documentation for every week) 3. The fact that I had immediately reported my school enrollment She said I should receive a decision in 7-10 days. Fingers crossed! Thank you all for your advice - it helped me prepare much better than I would have on my own.

FINAL UPDATE: I WON MY APPEAL!!! Got the decision letter today - the referee ruled that my online education did NOT make me unavailable for work! The decision specifically mentioned that because my classes were asynchronous and I maintained consistent work search activities, I met the availability requirements under PA UC law. The $2,100 overpayment has been completely removed from my account. I'm so relieved I could cry. Thank you to everyone who helped me prepare!