PA UC phone lines impossible to reach - tried for 3 days straight with no luck
Is it just me or has the PA unemployment phone system gotten WORSE? I've been calling non-stop for THREE DAYS trying to fix an open issue on my claim. I get nothing but busy signals or that automated voice telling me 'all representatives are busy' before hanging up on me! I've tried calling right at 8am, during lunch, end of day - nothing works. My rent is due next week and I'm freaking out. Has anyone actually managed to speak to a real person recently? What's the secret trick I'm missing? This is absolutely ridiculous - they expect us to meet all these deadlines but make it impossible to actually talk to someone when there's a problem. 🤦🏿♀️
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Liam Murphy
try callin right when they open at 8am sharp. thats how i got thru last month
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Sasha Ivanov
•I've been trying that! I literally set an alarm for 7:55am, dial at exactly 8:00:00 and STILL get the busy signal. It's like hundreds of people have the exact same idea.
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Amara Okafor
The PA UC phone system is overwhelmed because they're still understaffed. I finally got through last week after trying something different. Have you tried using the PA UC Connect messaging system in your dashboard? Sometimes they'll respond there within 2-3 business days, which might be faster than getting through by phone at this point.
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Sasha Ivanov
•I did try the messaging system a week ago and haven't heard anything back! It just says "message received" but no actual response. I'm worried my benefits will be delayed for weeks if I can't get this resolved ASAP.
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CaptainAwesome
OMG I FEEL YOUR PAIN!!!! It took me TWO WEEKS to speak to someone about my missing payments! The system is BROKEN and they don't care about us at all. I spent hours listening to that stupid hold music only to get disconnected. The state just wants us to give up!!
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Yuki Tanaka
•While the system is definitely overwhelmed, I don't think it's fair to say they don't care. The PA UC staff are working with outdated systems and reduced workforce. But that doesn't help when you need immediate assistance, I know.
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Esmeralda Gómez
after wasting days trying to call I used claimyr.com and got through to an agent in about 40 mins. costs money but saved me literally days of frustration. they have a video showing how it works here https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 - it connects you with unemployment without having to keep redialing yourself. worked for me when nothing else did
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Sasha Ivanov
•I've never heard of this before. Is it legit? I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point, but worried about scams.
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Esmeralda Gómez
•yeah its legit. they basically just keep calling for you using their system and then call you when they get through to an agent. saved me from going crazy hitting redial all day
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Klaus Schmidt
Have you tried contacting your state representative's office? I was stuck in the same situation last month with an "open issue" that was preventing payment. My state rep's office has a dedicated person who handles UC problems. They were able to get UC to call me back within 48 hours!
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Sasha Ivanov
•That's actually a really good idea! I didn't even think about contacting my state rep. Do I just call their regular office number?
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Klaus Schmidt
•Yes, just call their district office number. Tell them you're having an urgent issue with your unemployment claim that you can't resolve because you can't reach anyone. They'll ask for your claim info and what the problem is. They deal with these requests all the time.
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Aisha Patel
As someone who works adjacent to the unemployment system (not a UC employee), I can tell you that Mondays and Tuesdays are the absolute worst days to call. Everyone who had issues over the weekend is calling then. Try Thursday afternoon between 2-3:30pm. The call volume tends to be lower then. Also, if your issue is related to an "open issue" on your claim, make sure you've uploaded any requested documentation to your dashboard. Sometimes the system resolves issues automatically once it has the required docs without needing to speak to someone.
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Sasha Ivanov
•Thank you so much for this insider tip! I'll definitely try calling Thursday afternoon. And I double-checked my dashboard - there's no indication of what documentation they need, which is part of why I'm so frustrated. The "open issue" just appeared with no explanation.
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Aisha Patel
•That's frustrating! If there's no indication of what docs they need, it might be a system flag rather than something you need to provide. In that case, you definitely need to speak with an agent. If Thursday doesn't work, you might also try the state rep route that someone else suggested - they do have special channels to contact UC.
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LilMama23
I had same problem last year when I got laid off my job at the warehouse. Couldn't get nobody to pick up the phone for 3 weeks!!! My cousin told me to just go to the CareerLink office in person. They can't help directly with claims but the lady there helped me write an email to some special address they have for urgent cases. Got a call back the next day from UC.
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Sasha Ivanov
•There's a CareerLink about 20 minutes from me, I might try this! Thanks for sharing - at this point I'm willing to try anything!
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Amara Okafor
Just wanted to check back - were you able to get through to someone? Did any of these suggestions help?
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Sasha Ivanov
•Update: I ended up using that Claimyr service someone mentioned, and it worked! Got through to an agent after about 45 minutes. Turns out my open issue was just that they needed to verify my identity again because I logged in from a new device. So simple, but impossible to know without talking to someone. My claim should be processed this week! Thanks everyone for all your suggestions!
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