PA UC open issue about falsely reporting return to work - questionnaire help needed

same happened to my brother last month. system glitch probly. he waited for questionnaire then nothing happened for like 3 weeks

I recommend calling them ASAP, but be prepared to wait. These false return-to-work flags sometimes happen if you accidentally clicked something wrong during weekly certification or if an employer reported hiring you but then it fell through. The questionnaire asks for your employment status, dates, and why there's a discrepancy. To answer your specific questions: 1. Yes, you can resolve this by phone IF you can get through 2. Processing questionnaires takes 2-3 weeks typically (yes, it's ridiculous) 3. Continue filing your weekly claims while this is being resolved Document everything and take screenshots of your weekly certification history if possible for proof you never reported returning to work.

YOUR SUPPOSED TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONNAIRE!!! If u dont they will just deny u. PA UC does this all the time, its not a glitch, they do it on purpose to try n catch people. If u reported ANY income even like $5 they might flag it as "return to work". Had same thing happen to me and took 6 WEEKS to fix!!!!!

I went through almost the exact same situation in January this year. Definitely fill out the questionnaire ASAP (be honest and clear), but also try to reach them by phone. You can try using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - it helped me actually get through to PA UC after trying for days. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 In my case, what happened was that my former employer incorrectly reported I had been rehired, which triggered the system. Once I explained the situation to a live agent, they noted it in my file which helped speed up the questionnaire review. My payments were only delayed about 9 days instead of weeks.

When I called, they asked for my claim confirmation number, last 4 of SSN, and details about the issue. Having my recent certification dates handy was helpful. The representative could see in their system that I never actually reported returning to work. They still required the questionnaire to be completed, but speaking with them helped ensure my file was properly flagged for review.

So I had this exact thing happen back in February and it was actually because my previous employer tried to say I refused suitable work (I didn't). The PA UC system sometimes codes this as "return to work" on your end even though that's not what happened. The questionnaire is actually collecting information to determine if you refused work, not whether you returned to work. Make sure to continue filing your weekly claims while this is being resolved. If they determine in your favor, they'll release all held payments at once. Mine took about 3.5 weeks to resolve after submitting the questionnaire, but I've heard others got it fixed faster by calling. Don't panic yet - this is frustrating but fixable!

That's actually very important information you just shared. In Pennsylvania, refusing "suitable work" can affect your benefits. Suitable work has a specific definition that includes consideration of wages compared to your previous job. In your questionnaire, you should explain: 1. The exact pay offered compared to your previous position (specific percentages help) 2. Why this would create financial hardship 3. Any other factors (distance, hours, etc.) that made the job unsuitable PA UC generally considers work "unsuitable" if it pays less than 80% of your previous wages in the early weeks of unemployment, but this percentage changes over time. You might need to appeal if they initially deny your claim based on this.

I got the questionnaire thing too last month but mine was because i accidentally put in the wrong week for a part time job i had. i just filled out the form and everything worked out fine actually they fixed it pretty fast like 4 days and i got paid again. maybe yours will be quick too good luck

I had similar issue in March but mine was cuz I reported sick days from old job (they paid out my remaining sick time after layoff). UC system thought I returned to work! I panicked but honestly just wait for questionnaire and explain clearly. Took about 10 days for mine to resolve. Just keep certifying weekly claims while waiting.

Update: I've been trying to call UC for two days straight and can't get through at all. Used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and finally got connected to a person! The agent explained my former employer reported they'd rehired me (they hadn't - they just called to see if I wanted my old position back at a 30% pay cut, which I declined). The agent added notes to my account and said to still complete the questionnaire but that they would expedite review. Thanks everyone for your help!

This is exactly why I hate dealing with PA UC - employers can just report whatever they want and mess up our claims! I'm glad you were able to get through to someone and that they added notes to your file. That 30% pay cut is definitely grounds for refusing the job as unsuitable work. For anyone else reading this thread, it's really important to document everything when employers contact you about job offers. Even informal phone calls can sometimes get reported incorrectly to UC. I always follow up any verbal job discussions with an email to create a paper trail. Hope your questionnaire gets processed quickly now that you have someone advocating for you in the system!

Wow, what a mess! I'm dealing with something similar right now - got flagged for "return to work" when I never reported that either. Reading through all these responses is actually really helpful because I was panicking thinking my case was unique. @Derek, I'm glad you got through to someone and they were able to clarify what actually happened with your employer. That's so frustrating that employers can basically report whatever they want and it messes up our claims! For anyone else in this situation, it sounds like the key takeaways are: 1. Fill out the questionnaire ASAP and be very detailed 2. Keep filing weekly claims while waiting 3. Try calling but also try services like Claimyr if you can't get through 4. Document everything with employers (even informal conversations) Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in dealing with these system glitches and employer reporting errors!

I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! Got the "return to work" flag even though I never reported that. Reading through everyone's experiences here is giving me some hope that this can actually get resolved. @Derek - so glad you were able to get through and get some answers! That's infuriating that your former employer reported rehiring you when they just called about a lowball offer. The fact that they can mess up our claims like this with incorrect reporting is just wrong. I've been trying to call PA UC for three days straight with no luck. Going to try that Claimyr service mentioned here because I'm desperate to talk to a real person. In the meantime, I'm going to fill out the questionnaire and be super detailed about what actually happened. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines - it helps to know some people got this resolved in days while others took weeks. At least I know to keep filing my weekly claims while waiting. This whole system is so broken but at least we can help each other navigate it!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now where PA UC flagged my account for "return to work" even though I never reported that. It's reassuring to see that so many people have gotten through this successfully, even if it takes some time. @Derek - thanks for posting the update about getting through with Claimyr and finding out your employer incorrectly reported rehiring you. That's exactly the kind of real-world example that helps the rest of us understand what might be happening with our own cases. For anyone else dealing with this, it seems like the pattern is: employer contacts you about work (even just to check availability), employer reports something incorrectly to UC, system automatically flags your account, then you have to prove what actually happened. It's frustrating that the burden of proof is on us, but at least now I know what to expect. Going to fill out my questionnaire today with all the specific details about the job offer I declined due to unsuitable pay/conditions. Will also try calling using the tips shared here. Thanks everyone for creating such a supportive discussion about this stressful situation!

Just wanted to add my experience since I went through this exact same thing about 2 months ago. The "return to work" flag appeared on my account even though I had only reported some freelance income (like $150 for a small project). Apparently the system sometimes interprets ANY reported income as "returning to work" which is ridiculous. I ended up doing both - filled out the questionnaire immediately AND kept calling until I got through (took about a week of trying). The phone rep was actually really helpful and explained that this happens frequently when people report partial earnings or when employers submit incorrect information. My timeline was about 12 days total from when I submitted the questionnaire to when my payments resumed. The key things that seemed to help speed it up were: 1) being very specific in the questionnaire about the exact nature of any income/work contacts, 2) having the phone conversation documented in my file, and 3) continuing to file weekly claims throughout the process. Don't panic - this is frustrating but definitely fixable! The system has serious flaws but most people do get their benefits restored once they work through the bureaucracy.