PA UC system asking why I worked without claiming wages when I didn't work at all - what's going on?
I'm so confused about my PA unemployment claim right now. I was filing my biweekly claim online yesterday and the system suddenly asked me to explain why I worked and didn't report wages. But here's the thing - I DIDN'T WORK during those weeks! I literally sat at home sending out job applications like I'm supposed to. I typed in "I didn't work" but now I'm worried my claim is going to be flagged or delayed. Has anyone else had the system ask them weird questions that don't make sense? Did I accidentally click something wrong? Will this mess up my payment?
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Oliver Becker
yep happened 2 me last month. system glitch probably. as long as you answered truthfully ur fine. UC computers r weird sometimes & ask things that dont apply to you. my payment still came through normal
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Amina Bah
•Really? That's a relief to hear. I've been stressed all day thinking I did something wrong. How long did it take for your payment to come through after that happened?
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Tom Maxon
•@Oliver Becker any update?
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CosmicCowboy
This is actually a standard verification question that the PA UC system randomly presents to claimants. It's designed to catch people who might be working while collecting benefits. Since you weren't working, your response of "I didn't work" is exactly right. The system will process this normally, and it shouldn't delay your payment at all. It's just one of many integrity measures in place.
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Natasha Orlova
•Not entirely true. This happened to me and they put an 'open issue' on my claim that took 3 weeks to resolve! The question isn't random - it means someone reported wages under your SSN or the employer reported something. OP should call UC to check if there's an issue on their claim.
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Javier Cruz
THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME!!!! I answered honestly that I didn't work and then my payment was delayed for TWO MONTHS while they "investigated." I called every single day and kept getting busy signals or disconnected. The PA UC system is BROKEN and they don't care about claimants at all. They're just looking for any excuse to deny benefits that we PAID FOR with our taxes!!!
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Emma Thompson
•I understand your frustration, but UC benefits aren't actually paid for by our taxes. They're funded by employer contributions to the unemployment insurance fund. This is an important distinction because it explains why the system is so verification-heavy - they're accountable to the businesses funding the program.
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Malik Jackson
After trying to get through to PA UC for a week with no luck (constant busy signals), I finally used Claimyr.com to connect to an agent right away. They explained that sometimes those questions pop up if there was a wage report from an employer with a similar name or if your previous employer submitted something late. The agent was able to check my account and confirmed everything was fine. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 - saved me days of stress and calling.
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Amina Bah
•Thanks for the suggestion! I've been trying to call since yesterday with no luck. Did you have to wait long after using that service?
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Emma Thompson
To clarify what might be happening: The system sometimes triggers these questions when there's a wage cross-match discrepancy. This could mean: 1. An employer reported wages for you in error 2. Someone with a similar name or SSN had wages reported 3. A previous employer submitted late wage information 4. There was a system glitch in the wage reporting database Your best course of action is to call PA UC directly to verify there's no open issue on your claim. Continue filing your biweekly claims as normal while you investigate.
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Isabella Costa
•this happnd to my cousin and it was becuz his old job reported he got a final paycheck after he was laid off but he already reported that final check properly. took 3 calls to fix it but money came eventually
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Malik Jackson
I tried calling PA UC about 30 times with no luck before using Claimyr. Got connected to an agent in about 25 minutes. They checked my account and found it was because my previous employer reported a small amount of vacation payout that overlapped with my first claim week. The agent removed the flag right away and my payment processed the next day.
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Amina Bah
•I just managed to get through to an agent! There was an employer wage report from my previous job that came in late - it was for my final check which I already reported. The agent cleared it up in a few minutes and said my payment should process normally. What a relief! Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions.
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