PA UC suddenly reviewed my 2022 claim - Non-Fraud Overpayment notice and hearing scheduled - What to expect?

Yes, PA UC has been doing these reviews of older claims from 2021-2022. I had the same thing happen last month - got a non-fraud overpayment notice for $3,750 from my claim that ended in 2022. The good news is that non-fraud means they don't think you purposely did anything wrong. The hearing is usually with a referee who will review your evidence and ask questions about your eligibility during that period. Make sure you have: 1. All income documentation from that time 2. Your work search records if you have them 3. Any emails or messages between you and your employer about separation 4. Any prior communications with UC Bring everything organized by date. The referee will want to know exactly why you think the overpayment determination is incorrect.

OMG this happened 2 me too!!!!1! Got 7 LETTERS all at once saying i owe $5600 from 2021!!! The system is BROKEN! I didnt do anythng wrong either they approved me then and now they want money back??? The hearing was actualy not that bad tho, the lady was nice but you NEED TO BRING EVERYTHING. they asked me a ton of questions about my income from back then and i didnt have half the stuff they wanted.

i think they are just trying to get money back from people who cant fight it. my cousin got same letter but ignored it and nothing happened lol

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now! Filed my appeal two weeks ago and my hearing is next Monday. I'm terrified because I can't find all my documentation from back then. Does anyone know if they record these hearings? I want to make sure I don't say anything that could hurt my case accidentally.

I'm a former PA UC claims examiner, and I can tell you these retroactive reviews happen in cycles. After the pandemic benefits ended, they're going back to verify eligibility for claims that may have been rushed through during the high-volume period. For your hearing: 1. The burden of proof is on PA UC to show why you weren't eligible, not on you to prove you were eligible (though having documentation helps) 2. Make sure to focus on the specific reason for the overpayment stated in your determination letter - is it income verification? Work search? Availability for work? Only address what they're actually questioning 3. You don't necessarily need a lawyer, but having someone who understands the regulations can help if your case is complex or involves large sums 4. Even if you lose, you can request a waiver of repayment based on financial hardship or request a minimal payment plan Good luck with your hearing!

I went through this last year and it was a nightmare trying to reach someone at UC to explain my situation before the hearing. Spent days calling that 888 number only to get busy signals or disconnected after waiting on hold for hours. I finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a UC rep within 30 minutes! They have this whole system that basically keeps dialing for you until they get through. Saved me so much stress. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 Once I actually talked to someone, they explained exactly what documentation I needed for my hearing and it made a huge difference. Sometimes just getting clear information before the hearing can help you prepare properly.

It's definitely legitimate - you just enter your phone number and they connect you to PA UC. They don't need any of your claim information. They just solve the phone connection problem. Really useful when you're running out of time before a hearing.

My sister had the exact same thing and she WON her appeal but it took like 2 months to get the decision!!!!! The system is INSANE. Theyre just hoping people will get scared and pay them back without fighting!!!!!

she had everything in a folder like super organized! all her paystubs, layoff letter, emails with her boss, and she printed out all her weekly claim confirmations from her email!!

just wondering... has anybody had their wages garnished after losing one of these appeals? asking for a friend.......

Update: I just got off the phone with PA UC (took forever to get through). They said the issue is that they couldn't verify my employment dates with my former employer. Apparently my employer told them I quit (not true - I was laid off) and now it's my word against theirs. I'm gathering emails from coworkers who were laid off at the same time to bring to the hearing. The agent said bringing witnesses who can testify I was laid off would help a lot. This is so stressful, but at least now I know exactly what I'm fighting. Thanks everyone for the advice!

anybody know if these hearings can be done over the phone or do you have to go in person? my letter says something about options but its not clear

I'm dealing with something similar right now - got hit with a $3,100 overpayment notice from my 2022 claim just last week. Like you, I'm pretty sure I did everything right the first time around. One thing that's been helping me prepare is going through my old emails to find EVERYTHING related to my claim from back then. I found weekly certification confirmations, correspondence with UC, and even some screenshots I took of my dashboard. Also, if you still have access to your online UC account, log in and see if any of your old documents are still stored there. I was able to download some stuff I thought was long gone. The stress is real though - I've been losing sleep too. But from what I'm reading here, it sounds like people who come prepared with good documentation have a decent chance of winning these appeals. We got this!