PA UC phone wait times reaching 90+ minutes - anyone have better luck?

I called at exactly 7:59am last week (right before they open at 8am) and still waited 74 minutes. The system is completely overloaded because of all the new claim issues they're processing. When I finally got through, the agent told me they're severely understaffed.

try calling on wednesday thats when i got thru faster

I've been dealing with PA unemployment for 15 years (on and off seasonal construction work) and it's NEVER been this bad!!! Used to get through in 20-30 min tops. Last week I was on hold for TWO HOURS and then got disconnected right as someone answered. I literally threw my phone across the room. The whole system is a JOKE.

I gave up on calling after three attempts of 60+ minute waits. I had better luck sending a message through the UC portal, but even that took 9 days to get a response. If your issue is about reporting part-time income, make sure you're entering the gross amount (before taxes) rather than your take-home pay. That's a common mistake that causes payment issues.

You should try using Claimyr. I was skeptical at first but it actually worked for me last month when I had an identity verification issue. They basically call PA UC for you and then connect you when they get through to an agent. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. Their website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out.

Based on what you described, your claim likely has an "open issue" related to your part-time earnings. When you report earnings, the system often flags the claim for review to verify the reported income doesn't exceed your benefit amount. This typically puts your payments on hold for 1-3 weeks while they review. You should log into your PA UC dashboard and look for an "Issues and Determinations" section - it should show if there's a pending issue. Unfortunately, phone contact is often the only way to expedite this. If your part-time earnings were less than your weekly benefit amount minus the partial benefit credit (WBA - PBC), you should still receive a partial payment.

Yes, absolutely continue filing your weekly certifications, even while the issue is being resolved. If you stop filing and then the issue gets cleared, you won't be able to claim those missed weeks retroactively without additional paperwork and delays. For your specific situation with part-time work, make sure you're reporting your gross wages (before taxes) from the week you EARNED them, not when you got paid. This trips up a lot of people. And yes, even with an open issue, you should continue reporting any part-time hours honestly each week.

Update: I finally got through after 2 hours and 14 minutes on hold. The agent was actually really helpful and explained that my case needed a supervisor review because I had two different employers this benefit year. They expedited it and said payments should resume within 5-7 business days. Hang in there!

I feel your pain! I've been dealing with the same issue for the past two weeks. What's worked for me is calling right at 8:00 AM sharp and having a backup plan - I use speaker phone so I can do other things while waiting. Also, if you haven't already, download the PA UC mobile app. Sometimes you can resolve simple issues through there without calling. For the part-time income thing, double-check that you're reporting the gross amount from the week you actually worked (not when you got paid). That distinction has caused me problems before. Good luck and don't give up!

Wow, reading through everyone's experiences makes me feel less alone in this nightmare! I'm dealing with something similar - my payments stopped three weeks ago after I reported earnings from a one-day freelance gig. The worst part is not knowing if you're doing something wrong or if the system is just broken. I tried calling yesterday at 7:58 AM (like @Amina Diop suggested) and STILL waited 95 minutes before giving up. I'm definitely going to check that "Issues and Determinations" section that @Natasha Volkov mentioned - I had no idea that even existed! Has anyone tried calling later in the day, like around 2-3 PM? I'm wondering if afternoons might be less busy since most people probably call first thing in the morning.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Been trying to get through for over a week about my payments stopping after reporting part-time work. The longest I've waited was 2 hours and 47 minutes before I had to hang up for a work meeting. What's really frustrating is that the automated system doesn't give you any estimate of how much longer the wait might be. I've started using my laptop to stream music instead of listening to their hold music because it was driving me crazy. One small tip - if you have to use the bathroom, you can usually put the call on speaker and take your phone with you. I know it sounds ridiculous but when you've been waiting that long, you don't want to lose your place! Going to try the Claimyr service that @QuantumLeap mentioned because this is unsustainable.

I'm in exactly the same boat! Started having this issue two weeks ago when I reported income from a temporary gig. The hold times are absolutely insane - my longest wait was 3 hours and 12 minutes before I finally got through, only to be told my case needed to be escalated to a specialist who would call me back "within 72 hours" (spoiler alert: no call back yet). What really gets me is that the PA UC website has zero helpful information about what to expect when you have an open issue. I had to learn from this thread that I should keep filing weekly claims! The system is completely broken and it feels like they're hoping people will just give up. For anyone still waiting, I found that calling on speaker phone while doing household chores helped pass the time, and I keep a bottle of water and snacks nearby because you literally can't leave. It's dystopian that we have to treat calling unemployment like preparing for a siege!

I feel like I'm reading my own story here! I've been dealing with the exact same nightmare for the past 10 days. My payments stopped after I reported earnings from a weekend catering job, and I've made six separate attempts to call with wait times ranging from 75 minutes to over 2 hours. The worst part is that twice I got disconnected right when I thought someone was about to pick up! Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences and tips - especially @Natasha Volkov for explaining the "Issues and Determinations" section. I checked mine and sure enough, there's an "employment information" issue pending. At least now I know what's happening instead of just wondering why my payments vanished into thin air. I'm going to try the early morning calling strategy again tomorrow, armed with snacks, water, and a fully charged phone. This thread has been more helpful than the entire PA UC website! It's ridiculous that we have to crowdsource basic information about how their own system works.