Will filing an appeal for disqualified weeks mess up my approved PA UC claim?

congrats on getting approved!! the unemployment system is such a mess, i wouldnt risk it personally. i lost 5 weeks of payments for a similar reason (didnt submit work search) and when i called they basically said tough luck. at least ur getting paid now, id just be happy with that honestly

Filing an appeal for specific disqualified weeks will NOT affect your current approved claim status. These are handled as separate issues. The appeal will only address those specific weeks in question. I went through this exact situation in January 2025 - appealed 4 weeks that were disqualified due to work search issues while continuing to receive payments for my current weeks. The appeal process took about 30 days but my regular payments weren't interrupted at all. Make sure you file your appeal within the 15-day deadline from when you received the disqualification notice. In your appeal, simply explain that you weren't aware of the JobGateway requirement but have since corrected it, as evidenced by your subsequent approved weeks.

When I was on unemployment last year my cousin's roommate had the same thing happen. He appealed some weeks and ended up getting paid for them eventually but it took like 2 months I think? Not sure if it affected his regular payments tho.

Appeals for specific disqualification issues are handled separately from your ongoing claim eligibility. Here's what you need to know: 1. The appeal will ONLY address those specific 3 weeks 2. Your current approved status should remain unaffected 3. You must file within 15 days of receiving the disqualification determination 4. You'll need to explain why you didn't complete the work search requirements (lack of understanding is often accepted for first-time issues) 5. Include evidence that you've been compliant since learning about the requirement That said, the PA UC system can sometimes have technical hiccups when processing appeals. If you're extremely concerned about risking your current payments, you might want to speak directly with a UC representative before proceeding.

I was in the EXACT same boat back in January! Approved claim, but 4 weeks disqualified due to work search. I called the UC office for 3 DAYS straight and couldn't get through - always busy signal or disconnected after waiting. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent. They have this system that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration! They have a demo video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 Anyway, I asked the agent your exact question. They told me filing an appeal for those specific weeks would NOT affect my current claim. I went ahead with the appeal and got my money for those weeks about 3 weeks later. My regular payments continued without any issues.

Listen i worked for the commonwealth for 12 years and heres what i know: these systems dont talk to each other well. In THEORY an appeal shouldnt affect current payments but in REALITY it sometimes does because the system flags your account. Its a roll of the dice honestly. If those 3 weeks are really important to you financially then appeal but if you can live without the money id say leave it alone.

Thanks everyone for the helpful input! After reading all your responses, I've decided to first try calling the UC office to speak with a representative directly. If I can't get through using regular methods, I might try that Claimyr service someone mentioned to actually talk to a person. I'm leaning toward filing the appeal since several of you have done it successfully without issues, but I want to get confirmation from a UC rep first just to be safe. Those 3 weeks of benefits would really help with catching up on bills, but not if it risks my current approved status. I'll update this thread after I make a decision in case it helps someone else in the future. Thanks again for all the perspectives!