PA UC claim stuck on 'In Progress' but meter shows Step 3 - what's happening?

This is actually pretty common with the PA system right now. 'In Progress' is a general status that can show up at ANY step. The progress meter is more accurate - it shows exactly where your claim is in the review process. Step 3 usually means they're verifying your employment and wages with your former employer. This can take 2-3 weeks depending on how quickly your employer responds. As long as you're continuing to file your weekly certifications, you should be fine.

Thanks for the explanation! Should I be filing weekly claims even though the initial claim isn't approved yet? I wasn't sure if I should wait until it's fully processed.

mine was like that 4 like a month!!! so frustrating. keep filing ur weekly claims anyways, thats what i did. when it finally went thru i got backpay for all those weeks.

A whole month?? That's scary. Did you ever figure out what the holdup was?

Yes, definitely file your weekly claims even while waiting for the initial claim to process. This is one of the most common mistakes people make. If you wait to file weekly claims until after your initial claim is approved, you won't receive payment for those weeks you didn't certify! Each Sunday, log in and file for the previous week. If your claim is eventually approved, you'll receive all eligible back payments for weeks you properly certified.

This!!! I lost 3 weeks of benefits because nobody told me I needed to do the weekly claims while waiting for approval. The system should make this clearer instead of making us figure it out the hard way.

Thanks for the heads up! I'll start filing my weekly claims right away. I was definitely waiting for the approval first.

THE ENTIRE PA UC SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE PEOPLE AND DENY CLAIMS!!! That

sux but true. my brother gave up after 5 weeks cuz he found another job. probably what they want.

That's what I'm afraid of... I have a couple interviews lined up but nothing definite yet. Really need this to come through.

I was having the same problem back in February. My claim was stuck on step 3 for weeks despite showing \

Thanks for the suggestion. I might try that if I don't see movement in the next few days. Did you have to provide any additional information to the agent when you called?

To answer your follow-up question - when you call, have your claim number, Social Security Number, and employment details ready. Also prepare a brief explanation of your separation from employment (laid off, hours reduced, etc). If there are specific issues flagged on your account, the agent will tell you what additional documentation might be needed.\n\nOne more thing to check: log into your dashboard and look for any \

Just checked and there are no action items or messages showing up. Seems like it's just sitting there waiting for something. I'll give it until Friday and then try calling if nothing changes.

My sister just went through this exact thing! The progress meter stayed at step 3 for like 3 weeks but then suddenly jumped to approved. She got a big deposit a few days later with all her back weeks. The weird thing was that the online status never really gave her any clue that something was happening. The system definitely needs better status updates!

thats how it always goes. nothing nothing nothing then suddenly money appears lol

Hoping that's my experience too! Thanks for giving me some hope.

OK SO HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED TO ME on step 3 - turns out my employer reported my wages INCORRECTLY to UC (they said I made less than I actually did). This meant my benefit calculation was wrong and the system got stuck. Double-check that the wage information they have for you is correct when you get through to someone!!! I had to provide my W-2s and paystubs to prove my actual earnings. The whole process took NINE WEEKS to resolve!!!

Ugh, that sounds awful. I hope that's not what's happening with mine. I'll dig out my W-2 and recent paystubs just in case I need them when I call.

Just an update on the weekly claim filing process while waiting for approval: when you file weekly claims during this waiting period, they'll show as \

Thanks for explaining that. I wasn't sure if I needed to be tracking work search activities already. I've applied to about 5 jobs in the past week - should I be keeping detailed records of those applications even while my claim is still processing?

Yes, absolutely keep detailed records of all work search activities from your very first week of unemployment! You need at least two work search activities per week. For each activity, record: date, company name, position, how you applied (online, in person), contact information, and any response. PA UC can audit your work search records for up to two years, so keep everything organized and saved. This documentation is required even while your initial claim is still processing.

Thank you! I'll start tracking everything right away. Appreciate all the helpful advice from everyone here - I feel much more confident about navigating this process now. I'll update the thread once there's movement on my claim.

Good luck with your claim! One thing I learned from my own experience - if you do end up calling the UC service center, try calling right when they open at 8am. The wait times are usually shortest then. Also, don't get discouraged if you get disconnected or can't get through on the first few tries. The phone system is overloaded but persistence pays off. Keep filing those weekly claims and tracking your job search activities like everyone mentioned. You're doing everything right!

I just went through this exact same thing! My claim was stuck at step 3 for almost 3 weeks and I was panicking because I had never dealt with unemployment before. What helped me was calling the UC service center early in the morning like others mentioned - I got through on my second try at 8:15am. The agent explained that step 3 is where they verify your wages and employment history, and sometimes it just takes time for employers to respond to their requests. She also confirmed that as long as you keep filing your weekly certifications, you'll get backpay for all eligible weeks once it's approved. My claim finally moved to step 4 last week and got fully approved two days later. Hang in there - the waiting is awful but it usually works out in the end!

I'm going through something similar right now - filed my claim about 2 weeks ago and it's been sitting at step 3 this whole time. Reading through everyone's experiences here is really helpful because the PA UC website doesn't explain what each step actually means. I've been filing my weekly claims like you all suggested, even though it feels weird doing it while the main claim is still "in progress." One thing I noticed is that when I log in to do the weekly certification, it asks about work search activities, so I've been keeping track of all my job applications just in case. Has anyone had issues with the work search requirement during this waiting period? I want to make sure I'm covering all my bases while waiting for step 3 to finally move forward.