PA UC not releasing payments after I withdrew appeal - claims I never withdrew it!
I'm at my wits' end with PA unemployment! Back in March, I accidentally filed an appeal against a referee decision that was actually in my favor (clicked the wrong option online after not reading carefully). I realized my mistake immediately and submitted a withdrawal request the very next day through the portal. I even called and the rep confirmed my withdrawal was received. Fast forward to today - THREE MONTHS later - and my payments are still on hold! When I called this morning, the rep told me there's no record of my withdrawal in their system and my case is still pending with the UC Board of Review. They had the nerve to tell me they "can't assist with the appeals process" and I just have to wait it out! I have bills due next week and haven't received a payment since February. I've already emailed the Board of Review twice with no response. Has anyone dealt with this awful situation before? How do I prove I withdrew something when they claim I didn't? Any advice before I lose my apartment?
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Ayla Kumar
omg same thing happnd to me last year!! UC is such a mess seriously. i waited 5 weeks with no money bcuz of "pending appeal" that i never even filed!!! so frustrating
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Clay blendedgen
•5 weeks?? I'm going on 12 weeks now! Did they eventually fix it for you or did you have to do something specific?
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Lorenzo McCormick
This happens more often than you'd think. The withdraw request likely got filed but not processed correctly. Here's what you need to do: 1. Send a formal letter to the UC Board of Review (not just email) stating that you withdrew your appeal on [exact date]. Include your claim number, SSN (last 4 digits only), and any confirmation numbers you received. 2. Contact your state representative's office - they have special channels to expedite UC issues and can often get things unstuck within days. 3. Request an official status update on your appeal from the UC Board of Review in writing. 4. If you have any confirmation emails or screenshots from when you submitted the withdrawal, attach copies to all communications. The system doesn't handle withdrawal requests efficiently because they're relatively uncommon. But this is definitely solvable.
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Clay blendedgen
•Thank you so much for these detailed steps! I do have a confirmation email from when I submitted the withdrawal online, so I'll definitely include that. Do you think I should also contact the referee who made the original decision? They might have records showing I accepted their decision.
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Carmella Popescu
the uc board is SO backed up right now its ridiculous. my brother in law waited 4 months for an appeal hearing!!! the whole system is broken if u ask me
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Kai Santiago
•Not just backed up but disorganized. I had a similar issue where they lost paperwork I submitted THREE TIMES. Each time I called they told me something different. The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing over there.
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Lim Wong
I had this exact issue in January. After weeks of getting nowhere with regular UC calls, I tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) and actually got through to a claims examiner who could help. They have this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 The claims examiner was able to see that my withdrawal was in one system but not transferred to another (typical PA UC inefficiency). They manually noted my account and released my payments within 48 hours. Worth trying since regular customer service reps can't access the appeals systems directly.
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Clay blendedgen
•I've never heard of this service before. Did you have to talk to a specific type of rep or just any claims examiner? I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point.
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Dananyl Lear
Did you mail your withdrawal or just submit it online? Because I had a similar issue and found out the UC Board of Review ONLY accepts PAPER MAIL for withdrawals!!! The online system creates a record but they don't actually process it! This is NOT clearly stated anywhere on their website. You need to immediately mail a formal withdrawal letter via certified mail to: Unemployment Compensation Board of Review 651 Boas Street, Room 1116 Harrisburg, PA 17121 Make sure to include your appeal number (should start with B for Board level appeals), your claim number, and the date of the referee decision. MARK IT URGENT! Also - and this is IMPORTANT - call your state legislator's office. Their constituent services can work MIRACLES with UC issues. I was stuck for 6 weeks, called my rep, and had my payments 4 days later!!!
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Clay blendedgen
•Wait, are you serious?? The UC rep specifically told me to use the online portal for the withdrawal and never mentioned mailing anything! That would explain why they have no record of it. I'll draft a letter today and send it certified mail. And great tip about the state rep - I'll call their office tomorrow morning.
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Noah huntAce420
This sounds so frustrating! I'm dealing with something similar right now, though mine is an identity verification issue not an appeal. I'm on week 8 of no payments. Have you tried submitting another withdrawal request? Maybe the first one got lost in their system somehow?
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Clay blendedgen
•I tried submitting another withdrawal request last week, but the system wouldn't let me because it said I already had an active appeal with the Board. It's like being trapped in a circular nightmare!
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Kai Santiago
Is your claim regular UC or were you on some extended benefits program? Because that can affect how appeals are handled. Also, when you call, what number are you using? The main UC number (888-313-7284) just gets you basic reps who can't help with Board appeals. You need to call the actual Board of Review office at 717-787-5122.
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Clay blendedgen
•I'm on regular UC. And I've only been calling the main number - I didn't even know there was a direct line to the Board! Thank you so much for that number, I'll try calling them first thing tomorrow.
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Lim Wong
Just checking back - any updates on your situation? Were you able to get through to anyone who could help?
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Clay blendedgen
•Small progress! I called my state rep yesterday and their office took all my info. They said they've been handling dozens of similar cases and have a direct contact at UC who can expedite these issues. They promised to call me back by Friday with an update. I also mailed my withdrawal letter via certified mail yesterday. Fingers crossed!
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Lorenzo McCormick
One more thing I forgot to mention - make sure to continue filing your weekly claims even while this is being sorted out. Once your appeal issue is resolved, they'll release all back payments, but only for weeks you properly certified. Many people forget this step and lose out on backdated payments.
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Clay blendedgen
•Thank you for this reminder! Yes, I've been religiously filing every Sunday even though no money is coming in. At least when this nightmare is over, I should get a lump sum of all the back payments. That's the only thing keeping me going at this point.
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