PA UC overpayment nightmare: Money order lost in mail, can't reach anyone to help!

You need to contact your state representative's office ASAP. They have special liaisons who can cut through the UC red tape. I was stuck in a similar situation last year (different issue but same runaround) and my state rep's office fixed it within a week after I'd been trying for months. Google \

Thank you! I hadn't even thought of contacting our state rep. Will definitely try this route. Do you happen to know if they need any specific documentation when we reach out? Should we bring proof of the money order being purchased?

omg the sameeee thing happened to me!!! they said they mailed back my check but it never showed up and then they were like too bad so sad! the whole system is RIGGED against us working ppl! good luck getting anyone on the phone who actually gives a crap

Did you ever get it resolved? I'm starting to think we're just out the money at this point...

nope! gave up after 2 months of trying. ended up having to pick up extra shifts at my second job to make up for it. the PA UC people DO NOT CARE about us!!!

For the lost money order situation, reach out to the Overpayment Unit directly at 1-866-403-6163 (option 1, then option 5). If Western Union won't help without the receipt, you should still file a police report for the lost money order - sometimes that documentation can help with both Western Union AND the UC office.\n\nRegarding the benefit amount discrepancy: They likely did a recalculation after reviewing your husband's base year wages. The initial amount given during the phone interview is always an estimate, and the final determination comes after they verify all quarterly wages. You can request a written explanation of how his weekly benefit amount was calculated.\n\nOne thing that's concerning: if they returned the money order, it usually means they don't believe he actually owes an overpayment, or something else is wrong with his claim. This might be a case of mistaken identity or incorrect records.

Thank you for the detailed response! We've been calling that number daily and just get stuck in the automated system. Is there a specific time of day that's better for getting through? And I didn't realize the initial amount was just an estimate - that makes more sense now about the recalculation.

The best times to call are typically right when they open (8am) or between 11:30-12:30 when call volume often dips. Also, Thursdays tend to have lower call volume than Mondays or Fridays in my experience.\n\nWhat's unusual in your case is that they returned the money order at all. Normally, even if they recalculate your benefit amount, they'd still apply an overpayment payment to your account. The fact that they sent it back suggests there might be a bigger issue with how the claim was processed.

That's exactly what's so confusing! If they returned the money order, does that mean he doesn't owe anything? But then why aren't they processing his weekly claims? It's like being stuck in unemployment purgatory.

This happened to my cousin when he worked for USPS and got his hours cut. The trick is to actually go IN PERSON to your local CareerLink office. Bring all your paperwork, the money order purchase confirmation from your bank statement, and your husband's ID. The people there have direct lines to the UC office that bypass the regular phone system. That's how my cousin finally got his situation fixed after weeks of phone nightmares.

This isn't accurate. CareerLink staff CANNOT access or modify UC claim information. They're entirely separate systems and departments. CareerLink is for job search assistance, not unemployment claim issues. Please don't spread misinformation that will waste people's time and cause more frustration.

well it worked for my cousin so whatever you say but im just sharing what actually worked lol

Your cousin may have received help at a CareerLink that hosts UC courtesy phones or had a UC staff member visiting that day, but as a general rule, CareerLink staff cannot access or modify UC claims. It's important people have accurate information about what services are available where.

Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to a PA UC agent? After weeks of busy signals and getting disconnected, I finally used their service and got connected to an actual person in about 25 minutes. It costs a bit but was totally worth it for me. They basically keep dialing for you and navigate the phone tree, then call you once they have an agent on the line. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 - check out their website claimyr.com. For complicated issues like yours where you need to speak with a real person who can actually look at your account, it saved me so much frustration.

I hadn't heard of this service before! At this point, I'd pay just about anything to talk to a real person who can help resolve this mess. Has anyone else used this successfully with PA unemployment? I'm worried about giving out personal information to a third party service though.

I used Claimyr last month when my claim was stuck in pending for 6 weeks. They got me through to an agent who fixed it on the spot. You don't actually give them any of your UC info - they just connect the call and then you talk directly to the UC agent. Saved me hours of redial hell.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I think we'll give it a try tomorrow morning. Anything is better than this constant busy signal.

Former PA UC claims examiner here. This situation sounds like there might be a case of mistaken identity or incorrect BYE (benefit year end) date in the system. When they return an overpayment payment, it's typically because:\n\n1. The overpayment was already satisfied through benefit reduction\n2. The overpayment was waived but not properly noted in the system\n3. The overpayment belonged to someone else with a similar name/SSN\n4. The overpayment was from a previous benefit year that's now expired (overpayments expire after 3 years in most cases)\n\nWhat you need to do:\n1. Request a \

This is incredibly helpful, thank you! My husband's previous claim was exactly 3 years and 2 months ago, so maybe the overpayment did expire? I'll look for those forms right now. When you say \

Yes, that timing makes me suspect the overpayment might have expired! The Collections Unit is part of the Overpayment Unit, but they specifically handle the financial transactions related to overpayments. They'll have access to see exactly what happened to the money order and why it was returned.\n\nOne more tip: When filling out the UC-1699E, write \

Thank you SO much for these specifics. We'll get these forms submitted tomorrow. This is the first time I've felt like we might actually get this resolved!

did he try emailing them? i know its 2025 but pa unemployment still acts like email is some futuristic technology lol

We sent messages through the portal system but never got any responses. Is there a direct email that actually works?

lol nope! the portal messages go into the same black hole as everything else 🤣

Update us when you get this resolved! I'm dealing with a similar issue (though not with a money order) and it helps to hear how others navigate this maze of a system.

Will do! I'm going to try both the state rep route and the forms that the former examiner suggested. Something has to work eventually!