What does 'affirm and modified' mean on PA UC appeal decision? Confused!
Just got my appeal decision letter from PA Unemployment and I'm totally confused about what it means. The referee decision says 'affirm and modified' at the top. Does this mean I won my appeal or lost it? The letter is like 3 pages long with all this legal language I don't understand. My employer said I quit but I was actually laid off due to budget cuts. I tried googling what 'affirm and modified' means but couldn't find a clear answer. Has anyone else gotten this decision and know what it actually means for my benefits?
12 comments
Join the conversation
Kelsey Hawkins
I went through the appeals process last year. When a decision says 'affirm and modified,' it means the referee is partly agreeing with the original determination but changing some aspects of it. Basically, they're confirming some parts of the original decision but modifying others. You need to read through the actual content of the decision letter carefully to understand which parts were affirmed and which were modified. There should be a section called 'Conclusions' or 'Decision' that explains exactly what the referee decided about your eligibility and benefits.
0 coins
Harper Collins
•Thanks for explaining! So it's not a clear win or loss? In the conclusion part it says I'm eligible for benefits but at a different weekly amount than I was getting before. So I guess they're saying I should get benefits (which is good) but they changed the amount (which is confusing)?
0 coins
Dylan Fisher
congrats!! sounds like u won but they just changed something about ur claim. thats wat happened 2 me when they said affirm and modified. i think its good news 4 u
0 coins
Edwards Hugo
•Not necessarily. "Affirm and modified" can go either way depending on what's actually in the decision. It's important to read the whole document, especially the sections about findings of fact and the conclusions. The referee could be affirming that you're eligible but modifying the amount, OR they could be affirming that you're ineligible but modifying the reason why. It really depends on the specific wording in YOUR decision.
0 coins
Gianna Scott
I had something similar happen but mine said "reverse and modified" which was totally different. The appeals system is SO confusing!! Good luck figuring it all out!
0 coins
Alfredo Lugo
The PA UC appeals system is GARBAGE!!!! I got a decision 6 months ago that I still don't understand. Called 97 times and NEVER got through to a human who could explain what it meant. Their whole system is designed to confuse people so they give up. I ended up having to pay back $4,700 because I misunderstood what my decision meant. WATCH OUT.
0 coins
Sydney Torres
•If you're still struggling to reach someone at PA UC about appeals decisions, I'd recommend trying Claimyr. It helped me get through to an actual human at UC when I was getting nothing but busy signals for weeks. I was about to give up until I found their service at claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. I got through to a real person who explained my modified decision and what it meant for my benefits.
0 coins
Kaitlyn Jenkins
In PA UC terms, 'affirm' means they agree with the original determination, and 'modified' means they changed something about it. So 'affirm and modified' means they basically agreed with the original outcome but altered some detail about it. For example, if your original determination said you were eligible for benefits but calculated your weekly amount incorrectly, the referee might 'affirm' your eligibility but 'modify' the weekly benefit amount calculation. Or if the original determination said you were ineligible for benefits because you quit, but the referee found you were still ineligible but for a different reason (like not meeting work search requirements), that would also be 'affirm and modified.' The key is to carefully read the 'Findings of Fact' and 'Conclusions' sections to understand exactly what they decided.
0 coins
Harper Collins
•Thank you for that detailed explanation! I re-read everything and you're exactly right. They affirmed that I should get benefits (original determination said I was eligible) but modified the weekly amount from $487 to $452 because they recalculated my base year wages. I was worried it was something bad but sounds like I'm good to go - just with a slightly lower payment. Appreciate everyone's help!
0 coins
Dylan Fisher
my brother had his appeal modified but he had to wait like 3 weeks for the new payments to start so dont panic if u dont see money right away
0 coins
Kelsey Hawkins
One more important thing - make sure to note the date on the decision letter. Even if you're satisfied with the outcome, you still have 15 days from that date to appeal this decision to the UC Board of Review if you disagree with any part of it (like the modified benefit amount). If you're happy with it, you don't need to do anything more, but keep that appeal deadline in mind just in case.
0 coins
Harper Collins
•Good point! The decision is dated 3/12/2025 so I still have a few days if I wanted to appeal the modified amount. But honestly I'm just relieved they agreed I was eligible after my employer tried to claim I quit. Getting a little less per week is better than nothing!
0 coins