UPDATE: I wanted to let everyone know what worked! I used Claimyr yesterday morning and got through to someone at UC in about 30 minutes. The agent was actually really helpful once I explained about the job interview. She put notes on my account and forwarded it to an examiner for priority review. Just got the notification this morning that my claim was approved! The relief is incredible. Now I can go to my interview Monday with the proper documentation. THANK YOU all for the help and suggestions!

Awesome outcome! This is really encouraging for others who might be in similar situations. Thanks for updating us - it shows that sometimes persistence does pay off. Wishing you the best of luck with your interview on Monday! 🙌

To give you some perspective on which method is better, here's my experience with both: Money Network Card: - Pros: No risk of rejected bank deposits; can use immediately once loaded; works like a debit card - Cons: May take 1-3 business days after payment release; card can get lost; another account to manage Direct Deposit: - Pros: Usually faster (often same-day or next-day); money goes directly to your main account - Cons: Initial setup takes 7-10 days; bank routing problems can cause delays; bank might hold funds For your current situation with rent due soon, definitely wait for this payment on your Money Network card. You can decide on switching later when you're not in a time crunch. One other tip: log into your PA UC account daily and check your payment status. It will change from "In Progress" to "Processed" when the money has been sent to Money Network. From that point, it's usually just 1 business day until it's available on your card.

Hey Marcus! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - had my payments held up for 3 weeks due to some weird identity verification glitch. Just got it resolved yesterday too! From what I've experienced, the Money Network card is actually pretty reliable once they release your payment. I've gotten funds anywhere from same day (if they process early in the morning) to 2 business days max. The key thing is checking your PA UC dashboard - once it shows "Processed" instead of "In Progress," you know the money is on its way to your card. One thing that saved me stress - I downloaded the Money Network mobile app and turned on push notifications. You'll get an alert the second your deposit hits, which is way better than constantly checking your balance. Since you've got rent due next week, definitely stick with the card for now. Switching to direct deposit would probably add at least a week to your timeline, and you don't want to risk that. Good luck and fingers crossed your money hits soon!

I'm so sorry you're going through this nightmare! The fact that your employer waited until AFTER you won your appeal to suddenly claim misconduct is extremely suspicious and honestly feels like retaliation. Having those text messages from your manager confirming the layoff is going to be huge for your case. A couple things that might help strengthen your appeal: - Try to get any documentation showing the restaurant's reduced business during that time (maybe old schedules, receipts, or even social media posts about being slow) - If other employees were laid off around the same time, see if any would be willing to provide brief statements - When you file your appeal, specifically mention the suspicious timing of your employer's "new evidence" - why didn't they present this during the original hearing if it existed? The whole situation is infuriating but you're handling it exactly right. Getting legal aid involved is smart, and having actual documentation (those texts) puts you in a much stronger position than most people dealing with these kinds of employer lies. Don't let them intimidate you - the Board of Review should be able to see through this obvious retaliation attempt. Keep fighting!

This is absolutely infuriating! Your employer submitting "new evidence" claiming misconduct AFTER you already won your appeal reeks of retaliation. The fact that you have text messages from your manager confirming it was a layoff is going to be crucial - that's exactly the kind of documentation that wins these cases. When you file your appeal, make sure to emphasize the suspicious timing. If your employer had legitimate misconduct evidence, why didn't they present it during the original hearing? The Board of Review needs to see that this is clearly an attempt to reverse a decision they didn't like. Also, try to gather any additional evidence about the restaurant's business conditions at the time - old schedules showing reduced hours, any documentation of other layoffs, social media posts about being slow, anything that supports the legitimate business reason for the layoff. You're doing everything right by getting legal aid involved and acting quickly on the appeal. Don't let this employer intimidate you with their false claims. The system may be broken in many ways, but when you have solid documentation like those texts, justice usually prevails. Keep us updated on how the Board of Review hearing goes!

Back to the tax question - make sure you also see if you qualify for the Tax Forgiveness program in PA. If your total income is below certain thresholds (which vary based on number of dependents), you might not owe any state tax on your UC benefits. This is especially important if unemployment was your main source of income last year. You'll need to fill out Schedule SP with your PA return to claim this benefit. The income limits are fairly generous.

Great to see you got it figured out! Just wanted to add one more tip for anyone else dealing with this - if you're using TurboTax and can't find the "Less Common Income" section, you can also search for "1099-G" in the search bar at the top and it should take you right to the unemployment income entry page. Also, definitely check that Tax Forgiveness program - I was surprised how many people qualify but don't know about it. The income thresholds are updated each year so even if you didn't qualify before, you might this time around!

Yes, absolutely mention both of those points! Inconsistent enforcement of rules and lack of progressive discipline are both factors that can help your case. PA unemployment referees often consider these elements when determining if there was actual misconduct. Document the names of coworkers with similar or worse attendance who weren't fired if you can. The more specific details you can provide, the stronger your case will be. Best of luck with your hearing!

Congratulations Cole! This is such fantastic news and really inspiring for anyone else going through the appeals process. Your case is a perfect example of why documentation and preparation matter so much - having those text messages about bus delays and knowing the exact company policy made all the difference. It's also great validation that the system can work when you present the facts clearly. Enjoy getting those back benefits and I hope your job search goes smoothly from here!