PA UC overpayment recoupment causing housing crisis - Can I get refunded?

You need to immediately file for a financial hardship waiver. PA UC allows you to request a reduced recoupment rate if the standard rate causes severe financial hardship. Go to your dashboard and look for "Overpayment" section, then select "Request Financial Hardship Waiver." You'll need to provide documentation of your housing situation and financial circumstances. This won't get you a refund of what they've already taken, but it can reduce future recoupments to as low as 5% if approved.

OMG THIS HAPPENED TO ME TOO!!!! They took 25% of my benefits for like 2 months and i almost lost my apartment!! The system is RIGGED against us!!! 😡😡😡

Unfortunately, getting a refund for already recouped overpayments is extremely difficult. Here are your options: 1. Appeal the overpayment determination itself if you believe it was incorrect (but there's a 15-day deadline from when you received notice) 2. Request a "waiver of recoupment" based on financial hardship (separate from reduced rate request) 3. Contact your state representative's office - they have staff dedicated to helping constituents with UC issues 4. Apply for emergency housing assistance through your county assistance office while you sort this out You should also make sure you're filing your weekly claims correctly to avoid any further overpayment issues. The system can be unforgiving.

Have you been trying to call the UC service center? I was in a similar situation (not as bad as yours though) and I needed to talk to an actual person to get it resolved. The problem is getting through - I spent 3 weeks trying to reach someone and kept getting busy signals or disconnected. I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) and it was a lifesaver. They have a system that connects you directly with a PA UC agent, bypassing the busy signals. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 When I finally spoke with an agent, they were able to process my financial hardship request on the spot and even expedited it due to my situation. Worth trying since you're in such a dire situation.

the government doesn't care about us. once they take your money, you'll never see it again. i had a similar situation last year and even with my state rep involved nothing happened. your best bet is to find a local charity or church that helps with housing.

I work with a legal aid organization that assists with UC issues, and recoupment hardship is something we see frequently. Here's what you need to know: 1. PA UC can and sometimes does issue refunds for recouped overpayments in extreme hardship situations, but it's extremely rare and requires extensive documentation 2. You need to file form UC-1195 (Request for Relief from Recovery of Overpayment) immediately 3. Gather ALL documentation of your eviction, homelessness situation, and financial circumstances 4. Request an in-person hearing rather than a phone hearing if possible 5. Be very clear that the recoupment DIRECTLY caused your housing loss Also, contact your county assistance office for emergency housing assistance while this is being resolved. Many counties have hotel voucher programs for temporary housing in these situations.

my brother had something like this happen last year and he just gave up trying to get his $ back tbh. uc is impossible to deal with

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at UC after using that Claimyr service. The agent was actually really helpful and filed an emergency hardship petition for me. They said I should hear back within 7-10 days on whether I can get any of the recouped money returned. They also connected me with a local housing assistance program that might be able to help with temporary housing until this gets sorted out. Will update again when I hear something. Thank you all for your advice!

keep fighting!!! the system wants us to give up but we deserve our money!!!! 💪💪