PA UC demanding seasonal work letter from 2022 - now claiming overpayment

This sounds like a standard PA UC "audit" situation. They randomly review old claims sometimes, and the rules for seasonal workers did change slightly in late 2022 regarding documentation requirements. You'll need to appeal the overpayment determination within 15 days of receiving the official notice. While waiting for your employer's letter, gather any evidence showing your consistent pattern of seasonal employment - previous years' UC claims during December, return-to-work dates in January, etc. You can upload these as supporting documents with your appeal. Also, document your attempts to contact your employer for the required letter. The appeal board will consider good faith efforts to comply.

omg this happened 2 me 2!! they came after me for week from 2020!! said i didnt report some income but it was all reported!!! the system is so messed up, they just want 2 get money back from ppl. did u get a paper notice or just the phone call? u need 2 appeal right away!!

To actually get this resolved, you need to take these specific steps: 1. File an appeal IMMEDIATELY (15-day deadline from when you receive the written determination) 2. Request your employment records from your employer via certified mail (keep receipt) 3. Check your SWIF account for previous years' UC claims showing identical pattern 4. Print bank statements showing no income during December 2022 5. Request a copy of your UC record through a Right to Information request Don't stress too much - these random audits happen, but with proper documentation of your seasonal work pattern, you have a strong case. What matters is showing the consistent employment pattern and that you've always qualified for the seasonal exemption.

Have you tried calling PA UC directly to explain the situation? I know getting through is basically impossible, but I used a service called Claimyr last month when I had a similar documentation issue. It got me through to a real person in about 20 minutes instead of spending days trying. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 Once I got through, the rep was actually able to note my account that I was attempting to get documentation. They gave me a 10-day extension while I waited for my previous employer to respond.

theres a huge difrence between STANDBY status and SEASONAL worker status!! many people dont know this!! if ur on STANDBY u dont need to do work searches but u DO need employer letter saying ur coming back by specific date. Seasonal workers have different rules. which status did u file under back then?? if u filed as standby without the letter thats the issue.

The EXACT same thing happened to me!!! I work construction and get laid off every winter. Last year UC came after me for weeks from 2021 saying I didn't do job searches. I fought it and WON. Here's what I did: 1. Appealed immediately 2. Got a letter from my union (since my employer wouldn't help) confirming my seasonal work pattern 3. Brought pay stubs showing the pattern of December layoffs for multiple years 4. Explained that I'd been filing the same way for years with no issues The appeal referee ruled in my favor because I proved the consistent pattern and that I'd never been informed of any documentation change. DON'T PAY IT BACK until you've gone through the appeal process!!!

their so incompetent!! one rep tells u one thing, another tells u something else. i bet if u called 5 times u'd get 5 different answers!!! its NOT fair they can go back years later and change the rules.

Since your employer isn't responding, here's another approach: Draft a letter yourself stating your regular seasonal layoff pattern and when you returned to work in January 2023. Take it to a notary, sign it as an affidavit, and submit that with your appeal. Also include your W-2s from 2022 and 2023 showing the employment pattern. The appeal board often accepts alternative documentation when the preferred documentation isn't available through no fault of the claimant. Also important: PA UC has a financial hardship waiver for overpayments. If you can demonstrate that repaying would cause significant financial hardship, you can apply for this even if you lose the appeal.

One more critical point: Make sure you check your PA Treasury ReliaCard or direct deposit account to confirm if you actually received benefits for that specific week. Sometimes these audit issues come up but when you check your payment history, you'll find you weren't actually paid for the week in question (perhaps because you reported returning to work). If that's the case, there can't be an overpayment. Log into your UC account and review your payment history for that specific week ending 12/31/22.