PA UC claim 'under review' status - Is my employer contesting? What is transitional claim type?

A claim under review doesn't automatically mean your employer is contesting it. It's a standard part of the process where PA UC verifies your information. However, 'transitional' typically means you're filing within the same benefit year as a previous claim. Since you mentioned being on unemployment last year and then working 8 months before filing again, this is likely why it's classified as transitional - you're transitioning from one period of employment back to unemployment within the same benefit year. These claims often take longer to process as they need to verify your work and earnings during the period between claims. Keep certifying weekly while you wait for a determination.

my claim was under reveiw for like 2 weeks and it wasnt because my boss fought it. they just checking your work history after your first claim ended. hang tight

THEY ARE ALWAYS "REVIEWING" SOMETHING!!! I had a transitional claim last year and it took them SIX WEEKS to process while I got ZERO money!! They kept saying they needed to verify my wages from the job I had between claims. Meanwhile bills were due and they couldn't care less! The system is DESIGNED to make you give up.

I went through the exact same situation in February! My transitional claim was under review for about 12 days before it switched to approved. For transitional claims, they have to verify that you earned enough at your job between claim periods to establish eligibility - I think it's like 6x your weekly benefit amount or something similar. If you worked full-time for 8 months, you should be fine eligibility-wise. The review is just procedural. I was super stressed too, but it worked out. If it goes beyond 2 weeks though, I'd try to contact them.

After struggling with my transitional claim being under review for weeks, I finally got through to a PA UC rep using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have this service that helps you bypass the busy signals and actually get through to unemployment. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 showing how it works. The agent was able to tell me exactly why my claim was held up and fixed it on the spot. Saved me at least another 2 weeks of waiting.

My husband's friend had this happen and turns out his employer DID contest it because they claimed he voluntarily quit when he was actually laid off. So sometimes "under review" actually does mean there's an issue. Not trying to scare you, just saying keep an eye on your portal for any messages about providing additional information.

A transitional claim happens when you file a new UC claim during an existing benefit year. Since you mentioned being on unemployment last year and then working for 8 months before filing again, this is exactly what's happening in your case. For transitional claims, PA UC requires you to have earned at least 6x your weekly benefit amount from the previous claim during your period of employment. They're reviewing your wages from those 8 months to confirm you meet this requirement. The "under review" status is standard for transitional claims and doesn't necessarily indicate your employer is contesting anything. However, all employers are notified when a claim is filed against their account, and they have the opportunity to provide information. Continue filing your weekly certifications while waiting for a determination. If it goes beyond 3 weeks without any updates, that's when I'd recommend trying to contact them for clarification.

wait i just realized something... how long ago did u file? cuz if it was just last week or so the review status is totally normal

Quick update on transitional claims that might help others reading this thread: For 2025, PA UC has been working to speed up transitional claim processing. The standard review process is typically 10-14 calendar days now (not business days). Also worth knowing: for transitional claims, the system often needs to verify both your separation reason AND your earnings between claims. So even if your employer doesn't contest anything, the review is still necessary to confirm you've earned enough to qualify for a new claim within the same benefit year. If you see no movement after 2 weeks, that's when you should try contacting them.

I went through something similar last month! My transitional claim was under review for about 10 days and I was freaking out thinking my employer was fighting it. Turns out it was just the standard wage verification process that Emma mentioned. One thing that helped ease my anxiety was logging into the portal daily to check for any "Issues" tab or messages requiring action from me. If there's actually a contest from your employer, they'll usually post specific questions for you to respond to. Since you mentioned it was a clear layoff due to budget cuts, you should be fine. The waiting is definitely the worst part, especially when bills are due. But based on your timeline (filed 6 days ago), you're still well within the normal processing window. Hang in there!