PA UC claim got stuck after summer break - can't certify until 8/27 with no pay this week!
Just finished my summer position as a school bus driver on 8/2 with scheduled return on 8/28. I've been filing my weekly claims with no problems since then, but today when I logged in the system forced me to reopen my claim! Now it's saying I can't do my weekly certification until 8/27, which means I'm missing a whole week of benefits. Has anyone experienced this before? I'm so confused why I suddenly needed to reopen when nothing changed with my employment situation. Is there any way to get this week's payment released or am I just out of luck? The bills don't stop just because PA UC decides to mess with my claim! 😑
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Mateo Rodriguez
same thing happened to me last yr. apparently theres some stupid rule about school employees and breaks. u might be considered 'technically employed' even tho ur not gettin paid
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Nia Thompson
•But I've been getting payments for the last few weeks with no issues! Why would it suddenly change now when nothing about my situation changed? So frustrating!
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GalaxyGuardian
This is related to the 'reasonable assurance' rule for school employees. Even though you're not working during summer break, since you have a return date, the system might have triggered a review of your claim. When that happens, it often requires reopening the claim. Unfortunately, there's usually a waiting week when you reopen, which is why you can't certify right away. You'll need to call PA UC to explain your situation and see if they can override this, as you've been continuously filing.
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Aisha Abdullah
•This!! The system is designed to flag school employees because of the reasonable assurance rules. RIDICULOUS that they make you wait when you've been filing all along!!
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Ethan Wilson
Have you tried clicking on the 'Contact Us' option in your dashboard? Sometimes they respond to messages faster than phone calls. I wouldn't wait too long though because every day that passes is another day without your money. Write down your claim number and exactly what happened so you're prepared when you do reach someone.
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Nia Thompson
•I did try sending a message through the dashboard yesterday but haven't heard anything back. I'm getting worried because rent is due next week and I was counting on this payment.
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Yuki Tanaka
After trying for 3 days to get through to PA UC (busy signals, disconnections, the usual nightmare), I used a service called Claimyr and got through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They basically call PA UC for you and when they get through, they connect you with an agent. I used it when my claim got stuck after changing jobs. Saved me hours of redial hell. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 if you're interested. The website is claimyr.com
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Carmen Diaz
•does this actually work?? ive been trying to get thru for days
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Yuki Tanaka
•Yes, it worked for me! Got connected to an actual PA UC rep who fixed my issue. Way better than spending days hitting redial.
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Andre Laurent
You might be experiencing issues due to your benefit year ending soon. Check your benefit year end date on your dashboard. If it's coming up, the system sometimes does weird things like making you reopen even when you've been continuously filing. This happened to me last year and I lost a week of benefits because I didn't realize I needed to call right away. Don't wait - call tomorrow morning!
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Nia Thompson
•Thanks for the tip! I just checked and my benefit year doesn't end until October, so that's not it. I think it must be something to do with the school employee rules like others mentioned. I'll definitely be calling first thing tomorrow morning.
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Aisha Abdullah
This is EXACTLY why I hate PA's unemployment system!!!! They have all these hidden rules and then BOOM you suddenly can't get paid and have NO IDEA WHY. I had to call 47 TIMES before I got through last time I had an issue. The whole system is DESIGNED to frustrate people into giving up on their benefits!!!
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Mateo Rodriguez
•fr tho. its like they want us to fail
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GalaxyGuardian
Update us after you call them. The good news is that if this is related to the reasonable assurance rule, and you've been eligible all along, they should be able to release that week's payment once you explain the situation. Make sure to mention that you've been continuously filing and receiving benefits, and that nothing changed in your employment situation to trigger the reopening requirement.
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Nia Thompson
•I finally got through after trying all morning! The rep said it was indeed related to the school employee rules - something in their system automatically flagged my claim for review because my return date is approaching. She was able to override it and release this week's payment, plus she made a note so it shouldn't happen again. What a relief! Thanks everyone for your help!
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