Won PA UC appeal when employer withdrew contest during hearing - is approval guaranteed?

This happened to me back in January! When my employer withdrew their contest during the hearing, I got approved within 3 days. The referee technically still makes the final decision, but in my experience once the employer backs down like that, it's basically a guaranteed win. The referee is mainly there to determine if your separation from work qualifies under PA UC eligibility rules, and if the employer isn't disputing it anymore, there's usually no reason for denial.

congrats!! ur gonna get it for sure. my cousin had the exact same thing happen last yr and got approved no problem

Actually this isn't 100% guaranteed. I had a similar situation in 2023 where my employer withdrew their contest but the referee STILL denied my claim because they decided independently that I had violated company policy based on documentation the employer had already submitted. The referee has to make their own determination regardless of what the employer says during the hearing. Appeal decisions are supposed to be based on PA unemployment eligibility law, not just on whether an employer contests.

In my experience with unemployment in PA (former HR here), when the employer withdraws their contest during the hearing, the referee almost always rules in favor of the claimant. The only exceptions I've seen are when there's some very clear ineligibility issue like you weren't employed long enough to qualify or there's fraud involved. If it was just a routine firing dispute and they backed down, you should be good!

I went through EXACTLY what ur describing!!! My boss showed up at my hearing all ready to fight then halfway through just gave up and said they wouldn't contest anymore!!! I was SO NERVOUSE for the next 5 days waiting for the letter but I GOT APPROVED!!! The letter literally mentioned that the employer withdrew their appeal as part of the decision. Ur gonna be fine!!!! Make sure u keep certifying every week while u wait tho!!!

While the referee does have the final say, when an employer withdraws their contest during the hearing, it typically results in approval. The referee still needs to ensure you meet all other UC eligibility requirements, but the separation issue (which is usually the main dispute) is essentially resolved in your favor when the employer concedes. Keep filing your weekly certifications and you should receive a favorable decision in 7-10 days. If you need to check on your claim status before then, I recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual UC rep by phone. They helped me finally reach someone after weeks of busy signals. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2

I HAD THE EXACT SAME SITUATION BUT THE REF STILL DENIED ME!!!! The whole system is rigged against workers, don't get your hopes up. My employer said they weren't contesting anymore and I STILL got denied because of some "work rule violation" BS that the referee decided on his own. Took me 3 months and another appeal to finally get my benefits. The UC system in PA is completely broken.

Thanks everyone for your responses! I'm feeling more optimistic now, though still a bit nervous. Just to update - I checked my dashboard this morning and it still shows the appeal as "pending" with no payments released yet. I'll definitely keep filing my weekly claims. Does anyone know how long it typically takes for the referee's decision to show up in the system after the hearing?

my hearing was last month and it took like 8 days to get the letter so dont worry if it takes a while!!