PA UC payment stuck at 'in progress' with unknown active issue - can I still get backpay?

You need to call PA UC immediately about that unknown active issue. When your claim shows an active issue, they won't release ANY payments until it's resolved - even if you keep filing weekly claims correctly. The backpay question depends on your reason for separation, but if you're approved, you should be eligible for payments going back to your initial filing date, not when you were let go. The fact you waited 2 months to file means those weeks are likely gone forever. As for the termination issue, PA is an at-will employment state, but they still need valid cause for termination if they want to deny unemployment. Being 4 minutes late once doesn't usually qualify as misconduct unless you had prior documented warnings. Since you never signed anything, that could work in your favor. The UC office is probably waiting for your employer to respond to their fact-finding, which is causing the delay.

Thanks for the info. So I'll definitely lose those 2 months before filing? That really hurts financially. I've been trying to call PA UC but can't get through - busy signal every time or it just hangs up. Any tricks to actually talking to someone? I'm worried because my employer might try to say I had warnings even though I never signed anything.

sounds like ur employer is fighting ur claim thats why u have that unknown issue. happened to me 2. they probably told UC u were fired for misconduct even tho u were just late once. keep filing every week no matter what!!! when they finally approve u (if they do) ull get all the back pay from when u FILED not when u got fired. those 2 months r gone sorry dude

Man that sucks about losing those 2 months. I was really counting on getting that backpay. Do you know how long it usually takes them to resolve these employer disputes? I can't believe they'd fight it over 4 minutes late ONE TIME.

I had an

yeah i feel ur pain. i spent 3 hours on hold yesterday just to get disconnected right when someone picked up. thinking about giving up at this point

Have you checked your portal messages/inbox? Sometimes they send fact-finding questionnaires there that you need to complete before they can process your claim. When you have an active issue, there's usually an employer dispute about your separation reason. Since you mentioned being let go potentially for attendance, they need to determine if it was misconduct or not. For getting through to PA UC, I recently discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you bypass the busy signals and actually connects you with an agent. I was skeptical at first but they got me through to PA UC in about 20 minutes after I'd been trying for weeks on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. Once I finally spoke to someone, they cleared my active issue in minutes - turned out it was just missing information they needed to verify.

I checked my inbox yesterday and there's nothing there asking for information. It's just completely silent which is making me more anxious. I'll check out that Claimyr service - at this point I'd try anything to get through to someone. Did they explain what your active issue was when you finally got through?

Since your employer may be contesting your claim based on attendance, here's what you should do: 1. Keep filing your weekly claims even while the issue is pending 2. Gather any evidence that shows you didn't have prior warnings (emails, texts, pay stubs without deductions, etc.) 3. Write down the exact circumstances of your termination with dates and names 4. Request a copy of your personnel file from your former employer (PA law allows this) 5. If you do manage to reach UC, ask specifically for a fact-finding interview about your separation The unknown active issue is most likely an employer protest of your claim. Without documentation of progressive discipline, they may have a weak case against you. A single tardiness of 4 minutes without prior warnings shouldn't constitute willful misconduct under PA UC law.

this is really good advice. when i had my employer contest my claim i had to do a phone interview with a uc examiner. they asked very specific questions about the company policies and if i had been warned before. make sure u dont say anything that makes it sound like u broke rules on purpose, they're looking for

Just wanted to give you some hope - I was in almost your exact situation in January. Had an unknown active issue for what ended up being 5 weeks, was completely broke, had a baby to support. It was terrifying. I finally got through to someone using the live chat function at exactly 8:00am when it opened (hit refresh like crazy starting at 7:58). Turns out my employer claimed I had multiple attendance warnings, but when I explained I never signed anything and provided the exact dates/times I'd ever been late (only twice in 6 months), the UC rep sided with me. Once they cleared the issue, I got all my backpay within 3 days. Hang in there, and definitely try the chat function - sometimes it's easier than calling. And for side work - try posting on Nextdoor app, I know electricians are in huge demand right now and you might find some cash jobs to tide you over.

Thank you so much for this. It helps knowing someone else got through a similar situation. I'll try the chat function at 8:00am sharp tomorrow. I've been looking at Nextdoor for side jobs too - picked up one small wiring job yesterday but it was only $150. Better than nothing though!

Following up on what I mentioned earlier, when I used Claimyr to reach PA UC, they told me my

That's interesting - I wonder if mine is also just waiting for employer response. I've been waiting about 3 weeks now, so maybe they're getting close to that 21-day mark? I tried the chat function this morning like someone suggested but couldn't get through. Might try Claimyr tomorrow if I still can't reach anyone.

btw if ur an electrician theres tons of construction going on in york and lancaster area right now. my buddy just got hired at $38/hr for commercial work. might be worth checking out while ur waiting for uc to get their act together

Thanks for the tip! York is about an hour drive for me but at $38/hr it might be worth it. Do you know the name of the company your buddy works for? I could definitely use steady work right now.

just wanted to share my experience with unknown issues - mine was because my employer reported a different separation reason than what i put. i said laid off, they said quit. it took 6 weeks to resolve and during that time i had to borrow money from family to survive. when i finally got through by calling at exactly 8:00am, they scheduled a fact-finding interview for the next week. after the interview it took another 5 days before they made a decision (in my favor!) and then backpay came 2 days later. so even when you reach someone it's not instant but at least you'll know what's happening. good luck with your little one, i know how stressful this is with a baby at home.

THIS is exactly why the system is BROKEN!! Making people wait 6+ WEEKS while bills pile up and you can't feed your family?? And all because employers lie to avoid their UI rates going up!!! It's disgusting how the system is designed to wear people down!!!

I completely understand your frustration - I went through almost the exact same situation last year with PA UC. The "unknown" active issue is almost certainly your employer disputing your claim, probably claiming you were terminated for misconduct rather than just being late once. Here's what worked for me: I called PA UC at exactly 7:59am and kept hitting redial until I got through (took about 45 minutes of constant calling). When I finally spoke to someone, they explained that my employer had 21 days to respond to their inquiry, and my case was just sitting in limbo waiting for that response. The good news is that if you win the dispute, you'll get ALL your backpay from the date you filed your claim. Since you never signed any disciplinary paperwork and were only 4 minutes late once, you have a strong case. Keep detailed notes about exactly what happened - date, time, who told you to leave, lack of prior warnings, etc. Also, definitely keep filing your weekly claims even while this is pending! If you stop filing, you could lose those weeks even after the issue is resolved. As a fellow parent, I know how terrifying this financial stress is. Have you looked into local food banks or emergency assistance programs while you wait? Many churches and community centers have programs specifically for families with young children.

I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now - "unknown" active issue for about 4 weeks, payments stuck at "in progress," and I'm also an electrician with a young family. The stress is unreal. What finally worked for me was using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier - I was skeptical about paying for it but I was desperate. They got me through to PA UC in about 30 minutes after I'd been trying on my own for weeks. Turns out my employer was claiming I had multiple attendance issues when I was actually only late twice in 8 months, both times by less than 10 minutes. The UC rep told me that employers have 21 days to respond with documentation, and if they can't prove "willful misconduct" (which is the actual legal standard in PA), the claim gets approved. Being 4 minutes late once with no prior written warnings definitely doesn't meet that bar. Keep filing those weekly claims no matter what - that's crucial. When they finally resolve it in your favor, you'll get all the backpay from when you filed. And definitely document everything about your termination - exact times, who was present, lack of signed paperwork, everything. For immediate cash while waiting, check Facebook Marketplace for small electrical jobs. I've been doing outlet installations, ceiling fan work, basic troubleshooting - anything to keep food on the table. People are always looking for electricians and will pay cash same day. Hang in there man - you've got a strong case and this will get resolved. The system is slow but it does work eventually.