PA UC weekly claim status suddenly changed from 'in progress' to 'not applicable' - help!

The exact same thing happened to my claim back in January!!! I saw one of my weekly certifications changed from "in progress" to "not applicable" and I PANICKED. Turns out it was because they were still verifying my identity with that stupid IDme thing. Once my main claim was fully approved (took almost 4 weeks - ugh), all my weekly claims eventually processed and I got paid for all the weeks I certified. So my advice is DON'T PANIC yet. Keep filing your weekly claims like normal and make sure you're doing all your work search activities. Document EVERYTHING in case you need to appeal later.

not applicable usually means theres an issue they need to resolve before they can pay u. could be anything. employer disputing ur claim, missing wages, wrong dates, etc. keep certifying every week!!! they will backpay once its fixed

This is a common occurrence with new PA UC claims that are still under review. The "not applicable" status typically indicates one of several things: 1. Your base year wages are still being verified 2. There's an open issue that needs to be resolved before payment can be made 3. The system is waiting for your employer to respond to the claim 4. An eligibility interview may need to be scheduled The most important thing is to continue filing your weekly claims on time, even if they keep showing as "not applicable." Once your main claim is approved, all eligible weeks will be processed and paid retroactively. For your work search activities, make sure you're completing at least 5 per week (applying to jobs counts as one activity per application). Keep detailed records including company names, positions, application dates, and contact information. If your claim remains "under review" for more than 3-4 weeks, you should definitely try to speak with a representative.

my cousins boyfriends claim said not applicable for like 6 weeks then suddenly all the money showed up in his account lol. PA UC is weird sometimes, just keep filing

If you need to speak with someone at the UC office (which I would recommend if this continues beyond 3-4 weeks), good luck getting through on the phone! I spent THREE WEEKS trying to reach someone about my open issue, constant busy signals and disconnections. Ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to a rep in about 25 minutes. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. Totally worth it to get my issue resolved and payments flowing. But for now, like others said, keep filing your weekly claims and doing your work search activities. Document everything meticulously in case you need to appeal or provide evidence later.

DONT STOP FILING YOUR WEEKLY CLAIMS!!! I can't emphasize this enough! Even if they show as "not applicable" you MUST continue filing every week. The system is a MESS and often doesn't show accurate statuses. I had a similar situation last year where my claim was "under review" for EIGHT WEEKS!!! I nearly lost my apartment waiting. Every weekly claim showed "not applicable" until suddenly one day everything was approved and I got all my back payments at once. The PA UC system is BROKEN but eventually it does work for most people. Just keep doing your work search, documenting everything, and filing those weekly claims!

Update: Since several people have mentioned long review periods, I want to clarify that as of April 2025, the current average processing time for new PA UC claims is 2-3 weeks for claims without issues and 4-6 weeks for claims with open issues. If your claim takes longer than 6 weeks to process, you should definitely contact your state representative for assistance, as they can often help expedite claims that have fallen through the cracks. Also, if you're experiencing financial hardship while waiting for your claim to process, check into emergency assistance programs through PA DHS or local community organizations. Many can provide temporary help with rent, utilities, and food while you wait for unemployment benefits to begin.

Hey there! I'm new to this whole unemployment process and just wanted to say how helpful this thread has been. I'm in a similar situation - filed my initial claim about 10 days ago and my weekly certifications are showing "not applicable" too. Reading everyone's experiences here has definitely helped calm my nerves a bit. One thing I wanted to add - I spoke with a friend who works at a local workforce development center, and she mentioned that the "not applicable" status often happens when the system is still waiting for your employer to respond to the separation notice. Apparently employers have 10 business days to respond, and until they do (or the deadline passes), weekly claims can show as "not applicable." Just thought I'd share that tidbit in case it helps anyone else understand what might be going on. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with this confusing system!

I just went through this exact same situation last month! My weekly claims showed "not applicable" for almost 3 weeks and I was losing my mind thinking I'd done something wrong. Turns out my former employer was dragging their feet on responding to the separation notice. What really helped me was setting up text alerts through the PA UC system so I got notified immediately when anything changed with my claim status. You can do this by logging into your account, going to "Contact Preferences" and enabling SMS notifications. Also, make sure you're checking your correspondence inbox in the UC portal regularly - sometimes they'll send you requests for additional information that you might miss if you're only looking at claim status. I almost missed a request for wage verification that would have delayed my claim even longer. The waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking, especially when you have bills due, but from what I've seen in this community, most legitimate claims do eventually get approved. Just keep doing everything right - file weekly, do your work search activities, and document everything. You've got this!

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and totally understand the panic! My weekly claims showed "not applicable" for nearly a month while my main claim was stuck "under review." What helped me was calling the UC office first thing Monday morning at exactly 8:00 AM - I got through on my third try that way. The rep explained that "not applicable" usually means there's a hold on your claim that prevents payment, but it doesn't mean you're denied. In my case, it was because they were waiting for my previous employer to verify my last day of work. The most important thing everyone's mentioned is TRUE - keep filing those weekly claims no matter what! I got paid for every single week I certified once my claim was finally approved. Also, if you haven't already, make sure you've uploaded any requested documents to your portal and check for any outstanding issues under the "Issues" tab. One more tip - document every single work search activity with screenshots if possible. I had to provide proof of my job applications later and was so glad I had everything saved. Hang in there, the PA system is slow but it does work eventually!

I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! Filed my initial claim about 3 weeks ago and have been watching my weekly certifications sit at "not applicable" while my main claim shows "under review." Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea this was such a common experience. What's been driving me crazy is the complete lack of communication from the UC system about what's actually happening. At least now I understand it's likely related to waiting for my employer to respond or some other verification process behind the scenes. I've been religious about filing my weekly claims and doing my 5 work search activities each week (mostly job applications through Indeed and company websites). Also been documenting everything with screenshots and keeping a detailed spreadsheet of all my activities. One thing I'm curious about - for those who eventually got their claims approved and received back pay, did you get any kind of notification when the status changed, or did you just have to keep checking the portal? I've been logging in daily but wondering if I should set up those text alerts that @Nalani Liu mentioned. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences. It's such a relief to know I'm not alone in this confusing process!

Just wanted to jump in here as someone who went through this exact same nightmare about 4 months ago! My weekly claims showed "not applicable" for what felt like forever (turned out to be about 5 weeks) while my main claim was stuck "under review." I know everyone's already given great advice, but I wanted to add one thing that really helped me - if you have any documents from your separation (termination letter, layoff notice, etc.), make sure those are uploaded to your portal. In my case, there was confusion about whether I quit or was laid off, and uploading my layoff paperwork helped clear that up faster. Also, I see people mentioning Claimyr - I actually used them too after 4 weeks of trying to get through on my own. Cost me $20 but honestly worth every penny to finally talk to a human being who could tell me what was going on with my claim. The "not applicable" status is definitely scary when you see it, but from everything I've experienced and seen in this community, it usually just means they're waiting on something (employer response, wage verification, etc.) rather than an actual problem with your eligibility. Keep filing those weekly claims and you'll get all that back pay once it's resolved! Hang in there - I know how stressful this is but it does get resolved eventually!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Filed my claim about 10 days ago and have been panicking seeing "not applicable" on my weekly certifications. This thread has been such a lifesaver - I had no idea this was so common! What's really frustrating is how the PA UC system gives you these cryptic status updates without any explanation of what they actually mean. Reading everyone's experiences here has helped me understand that "not applicable" usually just means they're waiting on something (employer response, wage verification, etc.) rather than my claim being denied. I've been doing everything by the book - filing weekly, completing my 5 work search activities, keeping detailed records with screenshots. But the anxiety of waiting while bills are piling up is really getting to me. One question for those who've been through this - did anyone else have trouble with their employer not responding quickly to the separation notice? I'm wondering if that might be what's causing my delay since I was laid off from a pretty disorganized company. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories. It's such a relief to know I'm not the only one dealing with this confusing system!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I just filed my initial PA UC claim last week and was starting to panic when I saw my first weekly certification switch to "not applicable" status. Reading everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - it sounds like this is just a normal part of the process while they verify everything behind the scenes. I've been doing all the required work search activities (applied to 6 jobs this week through Indeed and company websites) and keeping detailed screenshots of everything. Also just set up the SMS alerts that several people mentioned - had no idea that was even an option! One thing I'm wondering about - for those who eventually got their claims approved, about how long after your main claim changed from "under review" to "approved" did it take for the weekly certifications to start processing? I'm trying to get a sense of the timeline so I can plan accordingly for my rent payment next month. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories and advice. This community is such a valuable resource for navigating this confusing system!