PA UC benefits stuck in pending status for 4 weeks - employer not responding to calls

same happened 2 me. took them 5 weeks to approve mine when my boss didnt call back. they eventualy just went ahead n approved it. hang in there!

There's actually a specific timeframe for this situation. In PA, employers have 10 days to respond to the initial UC request. However, the system is backlogged, so that 10-day rule isn't always followed strictly. If your employer doesn't respond, the UC office should eventually make a determination based on the information you provided. But it can take 4-6 weeks sometimes. In the meantime, keep filing your weekly claims without fail! When they do make a determination, they'll release all those weeks at once if you're approved. Also, try calling early in the morning (7:55am, right before they open) to have a better chance of getting through.

I had to wait almost TWO MONTHS for my claim to get approved because my employer disputed it!!! The system is TOTALLY BROKEN. They expect us to live on air while they take their sweet time. I ended up having to borrow money from family just to keep my lights on. It's ridiculous that they put the burden on us while they "investigate."

I was in a similar situation last year. After 3 weeks of pending status, I used Claimyr to get through to a UC agent (claimyr.com). They have this service that calls PA UC for you and then calls you when they get through to a rep. I watched their video demo (https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2) and decided to try it since I was getting desperate. The agent I spoke with was able to see that my employer hadn't responded, and they escalated my claim for review. Got my determination letter a week later and then all my back payments came through at once.

my mom works for the state (not UC tho) and she says theyre super behind on everything right now. not enough staff and too many claims. but she also said they cant just deny u cause ur employer doesnt answer them, so thats good!

Quick question - when you say "pending," are you seeing "pending" or "in progress" or maybe "open issues"? Those are different statuses in the PA UC system and could mean different things for your claim. Did you check your dashboard to see if there are any open issues listed? Sometimes there's actually something they need from you but the notification got lost.

Pennsylvania UC actually has specific guidelines for this exact situation. When an employer doesn't respond to their requests for information: 1. They typically wait 10 business days for employer response 2. They can make a determination without employer input if needed 3. They will use the information you provided on your application If it's been 4 weeks, I would recommend calling and specifically asking for a "status escalation due to non-responsive employer." Use those exact words. Also, verify there are no other open issues on your claim besides the employer verification. Sometimes there can be multiple issues that need resolving.

my cousin got approved after her employer ghosted the uc office too. took like 6 weeks tho. the good news is youll get all that backpay when it finally goes thru!

One more thing to check - make sure you're completing your work search activities each week (2 per week) and documenting them properly. Even though your claim is pending, they'll verify your work search compliance before releasing payments. I've seen people get held up at the finish line because they weren't keeping good records of their job applications.