PA UC claim stuck in review since 12/6/23 - Worth contacting state rep?

YES!!!!! Contact your state rep IMMEDIATELY!!!!! I waited 4 stupid months watching my claim sit in review with ZERO movement. Called UC every week, always got some BS about 'just be patient' or 'high volume' excuses. Finally contacted my state rep and BOOM - claim processed within 10 DAYS after that!!!! Just google '[your county] PA state representative' and you'll find their contact info. Most have forms right on their websites specifically for UC assistance. DO IT NOW don't waste time like I did!!!

Contacting your state representative can definitely help move things along. They have specific liaisons who work directly with the unemployment office. When you reach out, make sure you have all your information ready: claim confirmation number, the date you filed, your contact information, and a brief explanation of your situation. Be polite but clear about your financial hardship. You can find your state rep here: https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/

i waited for 2 months without contacting anyone and my claim suddenly got approved. sometimes the system just takes a while especially if its ur first time filing. might not need to bother with the state rep thing it could resolve itself

Have you tried calling the UC service center directly? Before going to your state rep, you might want to make at least a few attempts to resolve it through the proper channels. The problem is getting through to someone - I spent THREE WEEKS trying to call and could never get past the busy signals. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me connected to an actual PA UC agent within 30 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 The agent was able to see my claim had an unspecified "employer verification" flag that wasn't showing on my portal. Once they cleared that, my payments started within days. Might be worth trying before the state rep route since you'll get answers faster.

my state rep fixed my claim but it still took forever lol. theres a huge backlog right now cause of all the layoffs happening. my friend works at the unemployment office and she says theyre drowning in claims right now soooo...good luck

To add some clarity here: In Pennsylvania, UC claims technically should be processed within 21 days, but with the current volume, many claims are taking 30-45 days even without any issues. If your claim shows no outstanding issues in your portal, it's likely in one of two situations: 1. Standard queue processing with no problems, just waiting its turn 2. Has an internal flag that's not visible to you in the portal The most efficient approach is to: 1. First, try to reach UC directly to check if there are any hidden flags on your account 2. If you can't get through by phone after multiple attempts, contact your state representative 3. Continue filing your weekly certifications while waiting for resolution Also worth noting - the recent benefit year transition has created additional processing delays, so many claims filed in December are seeing longer wait times. Make sure you're fulfilling your work search requirements while waiting so you don't create new issues with your claim.

Anyone try the online chat feature instead of calling? I heard that's faster sometimes

ANOTHER TIP: When you contact your state rep, be super specific about your financial hardship. I mentioned I was 2 weeks away from eviction (which was true) and that seemed to light a fire under them. Not saying to lie but definitely make it clear if you're facing serious consequences from the delay.

Update: I tried calling PA UC all morning and just got busy signals. I found my state rep's contact info and filled out their unemployment assistance form online. The confirmation email said they typically respond within 2 business days, so I'll update here if anything changes with my claim. Thanks everyone for the advice!