PA UC separation appeal taking forever - Filed 4 months ago with no hearing date yet

I went through this exact nightmare last fall. Filed my appeal in September, got the acknowledgment letter in October, and didn't get my hearing scheduled until JANUARY! Then another 2 weeks after the hearing for the decision. It's ridiculous how backed up the system is. The good news is that I won my appeal and did receive backpay for all weeks I had claimed during the waiting period. Make absolutely sure you continue filing every week without fail - that's critical for getting those back payments if you win. For your hearing, gather every document that supports your case - emails, performance reviews, witness statements, etc. The referee will want specifics about what happened.

my appeal took 5 months total, heard nothing for ages then suddenly got letter with hearing date giving me just 1 week notice! keep all ur documents ready to go cause they dont give u much time to prepare once they finally contact u

THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU GIVE UP!!!! They hope you'll just find another job and stop pursuing your legitimate benefits. I waited SIX MONTHS for my hearing in 2024 and when I finally got there, the referee spent all of 15 MINUTES on my case. SIX MONTHS OF FINANCIAL RUIN for a 15 minute hearing!!!! I kept calling every week and they just give the same BS line about "high volume of appeals" and "processing in order received." KEEP FILING YOUR WEEKLY CLAIMS no matter what!!! I almost missed a week thinking "what's the point" but that would have messed up my backpay.

Appeals are taking 16-20 weeks on average right now according to the latest data from PA UC. The acknowledgment letter is actually a good sign - it means your appeal is in the system properly. You mentioned your employer claimed misconduct. That's important because the burden of proof is on THEM, not you. They must demonstrate you committed willful misconduct. Be prepared to explain your side carefully at the hearing, focusing on how your actions weren't willful violations of workplace rules. A few tips: 1. Continue filing weekly claims (which you're doing - good) 2. Prepare a timeline of events leading to separation 3. Gather any documentation showing you followed policies 4. If you had any prior warnings, be ready to discuss them 5. If you have witnesses who can support your position, get their contact info ready Lastly, if you call the UC service center about your appeal status, be prepared for VERY long waits. Remember to be polite to the representatives - they're just doing their job.

I had a similar situation earlier this year. Getting through to someone at PA UC to check my appeal status was impossible - busy signals for days! I finally tried using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through. They connected me with a UC agent in about 30 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks with no luck. I was able to confirm my appeal was actually in the system and get a rough timeframe for when to expect a hearing notice. They have a video demo if you want to see how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 It won't speed up your hearing date, but at least you can confirm everything is on track and not lost in the system. Peace of mind was worth it for me since I was freaking out about whether my appeal was even being processed.

wait are you supposed to keep filing weekly claims during an appeal????? i stopped after i got denied thinking it was pointless until my appeal. nobody told me to keep filing!!! am i screwed now for backpay??

your not alone i was denied benifits for 3 months last year but i got a huge chunk of backpay after winning my appeal. don't loose hope bud. the refs are pretty fair at the hearings.

I actually just had my hearing last week after filing my appeal in February! My employer didn't even show up to the hearing which I heard can sometimes happen. The referee was super fair and just asked me questions about what happened. My advice is to answer simply and clearly - don't ramble or get emotional (I did and the referee got impatient). Still waiting on the decision but feeling hopeful. Just hang in there!

One more thing to be aware of - when you finally get your hearing notice, it will likely be scheduled as a phone hearing (they're still doing most of them remotely). Make absolutely sure that PA UC has your correct phone number on file! I've seen people miss their hearings because the UC office called an old or incorrect number. Also, you'll get some paperwork to fill out before the hearing. Complete it thoroughly and return it immediately. Some referees will look at this paperwork before your hearing to understand your case better. On the actual hearing day, find a quiet place with good phone reception, have all your documents organized, and be ready at least 15 minutes early. Hearings often run behind schedule, so don't panic if they don't call exactly at the scheduled time, but stay by your phone.

I FORGOT to mention in my earlier post - DOCUMENT EVERY CALL and CONVERSATION! Note the date, time, who you talked to and what they told you. The UC people will tell you different things depending on who you get. I was told THREE DIFFERENT TIMEFRAMES by THREE DIFFERENT AGENTS! When you finally get your hearing, having these notes shows you were making good faith efforts the whole time. And another thing - sometimes the hearing notices get lost in the mail. My neighbor almost missed her hearing because the notice came just TWO DAYS before the actual hearing date! The USPS is terrible in our area. CHECK YOUR UC DASHBOARD ONLINE REGULARLY!