PA UC claim filed 4 weeks ago still pending - normal wait time?
I submitted my PA unemployment claim exactly 4 weeks ago and still haven't received any payments or even confirmation that I'm approved. My dashboard just says "pending" with no explanation. Is this normal right now? I'm starting to get really worried because rent is due next week and my savings are basically gone. I've tried calling the UC service center at least 15 times but can't get through to a human. For those who recently got approved, how long did your claim take? Should I be doing something else to speed things up?
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Kelsey Hawkins
4 weeks is def on the longer side but not crazy these days. my claim from january took 5 weeks to get approved. the system is backlogged again
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Harper Collins
•Thanks for letting me know. Did you do anything special to get it approved or just wait it out?
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Dylan Fisher
There might be an "open issue" on your claim that needs to be resolved. Check under the "Issues and Determinations" section of your dashboard. If you see something there, it means a UC examiner needs to review your claim before it can be approved. Common open issues include employer disputes, identity verification problems, or separation reason inconsistencies.
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Harper Collins
•You're right! I just checked and there IS an open issue about "separation information." But it doesn't tell me what information they need or what I should do about it. So frustrating!
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Edwards Hugo
OMG the PA unemployment system is THE WORST!!! I had to wait 8 weeks last year and almost got EVICTED!!! Then they suddenly approved me and paid everything at once. The problem is they're totally understaffed and overworked. You NEED to talk to a real person to get this fixed. The open issue won't resolve itself.
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Gianna Scott
•This is so true. The system is broken AND understaffed. My brother's claim sat for 6 weeks until he finally got through to somebody who fixed it in literally 5 minutes. It's just getting someone on the phone that's impossible.
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Alfredo Lugo
have you tried messaging them through the dashboard? sometimes they respond within a week or so that way
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Harper Collins
•I sent 2 messages already but haven't heard anything back :
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Sydney Torres
I was in the exact same situation last month with an open issue about separation information. After 3 weeks of trying, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent. They have this system that calls you back when they connect with UC so you don't have to keep redialing. Got through in about 40 minutes instead of days of trying. The agent resolved my open issue while I was on the phone and my payments started the next week. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. Seriously saved my sanity.
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Edwards Hugo
•I've heard about this service but was skeptical. Did they need to access your account or anything? I'm always paranoid about unemployment scams.
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Sydney Torres
•No, they don't access your account at all. They just connect you with the UC phone line and then you talk directly to a UC rep. It's basically just a way to avoid the busy signals and disconnects when trying to call in. You still handle all the personal stuff directly with the actual UC person.
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Harper Collins
•This might be worth trying. I'm getting desperate at this point and need to figure out what's going on with my claim.
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Kaitlyn Jenkins
Just a word of advice - while you're waiting for approval, make sure you're still filing your weekly claims! A lot of people don't realize you need to keep certifying each week even if you haven't been approved yet. When you finally do get approved, they'll pay all those back weeks at once, but ONLY if you filed for them.
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Harper Collins
•Thank you! I have been filing every Sunday morning. I wasn't sure if I should since I'm not approved yet, but I've been doing it just in case.
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Caleb Bell
My wife works at CareerLink and she says the separation info issue means your employer provided different info about why you left the job than what you put on your application. Like if you said laid off but they said quit. UC has to investigate that difference. You definitely need to call and explain your side of things.
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Harper Collins
•That makes sense. I was technically laid off, but my manager called it a "position elimination" so maybe that's the confusion. Really need to talk to someone to clear this up.
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Kelsey Hawkins
just keep trying to call early in the morning like right when they open at 8. sometimes you can get thru then
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Harper Collins
UPDATE: Finally got through to someone at UC this morning! Used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above and got connected in about 30 minutes. The agent explained that my employer coded my separation as "lack of work" but I had selected "laid off" on my application. She fixed it while I was on the phone and said my payments should start processing within 48 hours. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions.
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Dylan Fisher
•Great news! Glad you got it resolved. When your payments start coming in, they should include all the back weeks you've been claiming. Make sure you check that all the dates are there when they pay you.
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Edwards Hugo
•YAY!!! It's such a crazy feeling when it finally gets fixed! Now you can breathe again!
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Emma Wilson
•So happy this worked out for you! This gives me hope for my own claim that's been stuck for 3 weeks. Definitely going to try that Claimyr service - seems like actually talking to someone is the only way to get these issues resolved quickly.
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Dmitry Volkov
Wow, what a journey! So glad you got it resolved @Harper Collins. Your experience really shows how important it is to actually speak with someone - these separation coding issues seem pretty common but the system doesn't make it clear what's wrong or how to fix it. For anyone else dealing with similar issues, it sounds like the key is persistence in getting through to a real person who can actually see what's causing the hold-up. Four weeks of stress for what turned out to be a 5-minute fix is ridiculous, but at least you'll be getting all those back payments soon!
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Genevieve Cavalier
•Exactly! It's so frustrating that these "quick fixes" require jumping through so many hoops to get to a human. The system really needs better explanations for open issues - like instead of just saying "separation information" it should tell you specifically what's conflicting and what steps to take. At least now other people in similar situations know that persistence pays off and there are services like Claimyr that can help cut through the phone maze.
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