PA UC payments stopped for 6 weeks after contacting state rep - timeline expectations?

I went through the state rep route back in February. They were actually really helpful! Took exactly 11 days from when they submitted the inquiry until my claim was fixed and I received all my back payments. My issue was different though - had an 'open issue' flag that wouldn't clear. Make sure you check your dashboard daily and answer any new questionnaires immediately if they pop up.

11 days would be amazing compared to the 6 weeks I've already waited! Did they give you any updates during those 11 days or did you just suddenly get the payments?

same thing happnd to me! 7 weeks no payment. state rep did NOTHING for me!!!!! waste of time tbh

Oh no, that's what I'm afraid of! Did you eventually get your payments sorted out another way?

yea i kept calling UC every morning at exactly 8:01am for 3 days straight and finally got thru. they fixed it that day and paid me all back weeks

In my experience working with PA UC claims, going through your state representative can be effective, but the timeline varies significantly depending on your specific issue. The most common reasons for payment stoppage without notification are:\n\n1. Quarterly wage verification flags\n2. Random audit selection\n3. Job search compliance reviews\n4. System glitches that require manual correction\n\nTypically, state rep inquiries take 2-3 weeks to generate action, but it can be faster if your representative has a dedicated contact at the UC office. While waiting, continue filing your weekly claims and check your dashboard daily for any questionnaires that might appear.\n\nAlso check your spam/junk folders as sometimes UC emails get filtered out, especially ones requesting additional information.

Thank you for such a detailed response! I've definitely been keeping up with my weekly claims and checking for emails. I'm wondering if it might be the quarterly wage thing since it's April now. I'm just worried because my rent is due on the 1st and I'm not sure how much longer I can wait.

honestly the whole PA unemployment system is a JOKE. i had to wait 9 WEEKS last year when they randomly stopped my payments for

While the system certainly has its challenges, there are legitimate verification processes that occur. The quarterly wage verification is a standard procedure that affects many claimants. If the system detects any discrepancy between reported wages and employer contributions, it automatically flags the account for review. This is actually to protect both claimants and the integrity of the system, though I agree the communication about these processes is severely lacking.

Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to an actual UC agent? I was in the same boat as you (5 weeks no payment) and was about to go the state rep route when someone here recommended Claimyr. I was skeptical at first but I was desperate. It actually worked - got me through to a real person at UC in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks with no luck. The agent fixed my issue right there on the phone and my payments started again that week. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. The website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out.

I've never heard of Claimyr before. I'll definitely look into this! Getting to talk to an actual person would be so much better than waiting for weeks with no updates.

does it actually work tho? sounds 2 good 2 be true

@profile8 Yeah, it actually worked for me. I was surprised too. I'd been calling for weeks and couldn't get through, but they got me connected to a rep who fixed my issue. Definitely better than waiting 6+ weeks for a state rep inquiry to maybe work.

Wait I'm confused... is contacting your state rep different from contacting a UC rep? I thought they were the same thing? My payments stopped in March and I've been super lost about what to do next or who to contact. I tried filing an appeal but the system wouldn't let me because there's no actual disqualification to appeal? Just no money coming through anymore...

They are completely different. Your state representative is your elected official in the PA House of Representatives. They have constituent services staff who can make official inquiries to PA UC on your behalf. A UC rep is an employee of the Department of Labor who directly handles unemployment claims.\n\nYou're right that you can't appeal when there's no disqualification decision. In your case, it sounds like your claim may be stuck in a processing queue rather than actually denied. This is a common situation where contacting either your state rep OR speaking directly with a UC rep through the phone system can help.

Ohhh that makes so much more sense! Thank you for explaining it. I've been so confused about this whole process.

One time my UC payments stopped coming and it turned out my former employer was contesting my claim. I didn't get any notification about it until after I called a bunch of times. Just something to consider - could be your employer causing the hold up and you might not even know!

That's a good point I hadn't considered. My employer didn't seem to have any issues when I was first approved, but maybe something changed. Definitely one more reason I need to talk to an actual person at UC.

Just following up to your question about updates during those 11 days - I didn't get any updates from the state rep's office until they called to tell me it was fixed. But I did see a status change in my dashboard about 9 days after they made the inquiry. Then two days later I got the payments. So keep checking your dashboard! Sometimes things happen there before anyone actually contacts you.

Thanks for the follow-up! I've been checking my dashboard obsessively but nothing has changed yet. I think I'm going to try both routes - keep the state rep inquiry going but also try to get through on the phone directly. At this point I just need this resolved before I can't pay my bills!

I had something similar happen last year and it turned out I had accidentally answered one of the weekly filing questions wrong and my claim got flagged. Once I finally got someone on the phone they fixed it in like 5 minutes! So frustrating we have to jump through all these hoops just to talk to someone. Hope your state rep comes through for you!

Thanks for the encouragement! I've double-checked all my weekly filings and I don't think I made any mistakes, but who knows. The system is so confusing sometimes.