PA UC appeal hearing wait times - 5 months and counting, normal?

Unfortunately what you're experiencing is pretty standard for PA appeals right now. I waited 4 months for my hearing date, and then another 3 weeks for the actual hearing. The backlog is massive since they restructured the appeals office last year. One thing that helped me - call the UC Appeals office directly (not the regular UC number) at 717-787-5122. They have more specific information than the regular reps.

mine took almost 6 months!!! its crazy how they expect people to survive with no income for that long. system is totally broken. when i finally got my hearing date i won though, got all my backpay at once.

THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU GIVE UP!!! I waited 7 months for my hearing and guess what? THEY SCHEDULED IT DURING MY SURGERY and wouldn't reschedule!! So I lost everything and had to start over. They're HOPING you'll just go away and not fight for what you deserve. DON'T LET THEM WIN!!

I work as an employment counselor and have been helping clients with this exact issue. The current average wait time for UC appeals in Pennsylvania is 4-6 months, sometimes longer depending on your county. This is much longer than before 2024 when it was typically 6-8 weeks. Important: While waiting, make sure you're still filing your weekly claims! If you win your appeal, you'll only get paid for weeks you properly certified. Many people stop filing while waiting and lose potentially thousands in benefits even when they win their appeal.

You should start filing again immediately. Unfortunately, you likely won't be able to claim those missed weeks, but you can get benefits going forward if you win your appeal. Also, it's worth noting that you can contact your state representative's office - they often have connections to help expedite appeals in hardship situations (like potential eviction).

my appeal took 4 months in delaware county. my neighbor's took 7 months in philly. i think it depends on where u live tbh

Allegheny County is actually one of the better ones right now. My sister and I both had appeals (she's in Allegheny, I'm in Montgomery) and hers was scheduled about 6 weeks before mine even though we filed appeals the same week. But honestly the whole system is a mess. I ended up having to take out a loan while waiting.

Make sure to prepare thoroughly for your hearing when it finally happens. Bring all documentation related to your case - employment records, correspondence with UC, pay stubs, etc. If you were denied for insufficient documentation, bring multiple copies of whatever they claimed was missing. The referee will want to see everything. Also, write down a timeline of events to keep your facts straight during questioning.

I just went through this entire process and finally had my hearing last month after waiting about 5 months. One thing I didn't realize - you can request an expedited hearing if you're facing financial hardship (like potential eviction, utility shutoffs, etc.). You need to submit the request in writing with documentation of the hardship. It didn't speed things up dramatically for me, but I did get scheduled about 3-4 weeks after submitting my hardship letter instead of continuing to wait indefinitely.

There's no specific form for hardship requests. Write a detailed letter explaining your situation and include copies of any eviction notices, past due bills, etc. Send it to the UC Appeals office (same address that should be on your appeal acknowledgment letter). Also, after you send it, try calling the Appeals office directly to confirm they received it and added it to your file. Sometimes these requests get overlooked unless you follow up.