I'm dealing with this exact situation right now! My weekly benefit amount is $462 but I only received $415.80 this week. Based on everyone's responses here, it sounds like this is the 10% federal tax withholding that just kicked in (462 x 0.9 = 415.80). Like many of you, my first two payments were the full amount and then boom - sudden deduction on week 3. It's really frustrating that PA UC doesn't give you any heads up about when this will start! I was about to call them but after reading all these experiences, I think I'll just leave the withholding in place. Better to deal with smaller payments now than a huge tax bill next April. Thanks everyone for sharing - this thread saved me hours of phone frustration!

I had the EXACT same experience! My weekly benefit is $397 and I got $357.30 this week - that 10% tax withholding hitting on week 3. I was so confused because like everyone else here, my first two payments were full amounts. I actually spent way too much time checking my claim status thinking there was an error. After reading all these responses, I'm relieved to know this delayed tax withholding thing is just how PA UC operates. It would save everyone so much stress if they just sent a simple notification like "Starting with your next payment, federal tax withholding will begin" or something. But I guess that's too much to ask! Keeping the withholding though - learned from my friend's mistake when she owed $1,800 at tax time after her unemployment year.

I just filed my claim on February 20th and was going through this exact same confusion until I found this thread! I was literally about to call PA UC thinking I had messed up my filing somehow when I saw my waiting week wouldn't start until this Sunday. Reading everyone's experiences here has been such a huge relief - it's clear that the Sunday-Saturday rule catches almost everyone off guard. The way you all explained it as "fixed calendar blocks" and the train schedule analogy really helped it click for me. I was honestly losing sleep thinking I was going to lose a whole week of benefits! Now I understand it's just their weird timing system and I'm not actually missing out on anything. It's frustrating that PA doesn't explain this simple rule upfront - they could save so many people from unnecessary panic with just one sentence on the filing page. Thanks to this amazing community for breaking down what should have been explained from the start! Going to stay consistent with my weekly certifications and make sure I document all my work search activities properly.

I just filed my claim on February 22nd and was having this exact same confusion! I was literally refreshing my dashboard every few minutes thinking something was wrong when I saw my waiting week wouldn't start until this Sunday. Reading through all these experiences has been such a relief - it's clear that PA's Sunday-Saturday rule is a universal source of confusion. The train schedule analogy finally made it click for me too - you can't count a partial journey as a complete trip! I was honestly ready to call and re-file everything because I thought I had messed up. It's incredible that PA doesn't just put a simple one-sentence explanation about this on their filing page - they could prevent so much unnecessary stress. Now I understand I'm not actually losing benefits, just dealing with their weird calendar system. Going to make sure I file all my weekly certifications consistently and keep detailed records of my work search activities from day one. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - this thread has been absolutely invaluable for understanding what PA should have explained upfront!

I'm dealing with almost exactly the same situation right now! Got terminated from my retail job at a department store chain about two weeks ago for hitting their attendance limit after missing work due to a severe case of the flu that lasted over a week. Even though I had multiple doctor visits, proper medical documentation, and followed all their call-out procedures to the letter, their point system treats every absence identically regardless of whether you're genuinely sick or just skipping work. I was absolutely petrified to apply for UC benefits because I thought being "fired" would automatically disqualify me, but after reading through everyone's experiences in this thread, I'm realizing that Pennsylvania actually examines the specific circumstances behind attendance-related terminations. The consistent message seems to be that legitimate illness with proper medical documentation isn't considered willful misconduct under PA law. I applied for benefits yesterday and made sure to be extremely detailed about each absence, the medical reasons behind them, and included all my documentation - doctor's notes, prescription records, call-out confirmations, everything. Based on what everyone's sharing, I'm expecting my employer to contest it automatically, but it's incredibly reassuring to see how many people with similar situations have been approved on appeal. The advice about keeping detailed work search logs from day one has been super helpful - I had no idea that was required even while waiting for a decision. Also, the reminder about back pay covering from the application date is exactly what I needed to hear for my own financial anxiety. Thank you to everyone who's shared their stories here - it's been such a relief to discover I'm not alone in dealing with these unfair attendance policies that don't account for legitimate medical emergencies. Fingers crossed we all get through this successfully!

I'm so sorry you're going through this stressful situation! I went through something very similar about 8 months ago when I got terminated from my job at a big box store for hitting their attendance point limit after coming down with COVID. Just like your situation with Walmart, I had proper medical documentation from my doctor and urgent care, followed all their call-out procedures perfectly, but their point system doesn't care about the medical reasons behind absences. I was initially terrified to apply for UC because I thought being "fired" automatically meant I'd be denied benefits, but Pennsylvania really does examine the whole situation. The fact that you were genuinely sick with documented medical proof and followed proper notification procedures puts you in a much stronger position than you might realize. Legitimate illness isn't willful misconduct - it's completely beyond your control. I ended up getting approved after about 5 weeks total, even though my employer contested the claim automatically (which seems to be standard practice for these large retailers). The appeals hearing was actually straightforward - I just had to present my medical documentation and explain each absence. The hearing officer specifically stated that genuine illness with proper medical proof doesn't constitute misconduct under Pennsylvania law. My advice: apply immediately if you haven't already, be extremely detailed about each absence and the medical reasons, upload ALL your documentation, and start keeping meticulous records of your job search activities right away (PA requires 3 work search activities per week). Don't get discouraged if there's an initial denial - the appeal process is where you can actually explain your situation to a real person. And remember, any benefits you're approved for will include back pay from when you first applied, which should help with your rent situation. You have solid medical documentation and followed all the right procedures - that gives you a really strong case. The stress is completely understandable, but try not to let it overwhelm you. You're doing everything right and you have legitimate grounds for benefits. Hang in there!

I just went through this exact same thing! My claim was stuck at step 3 for almost 3 weeks and I was panicking because I had never dealt with unemployment before. What helped me was calling the UC service center early in the morning like others mentioned - I got through on my second try at 8:15am. The agent explained that step 3 is where they verify your wages and employment history, and sometimes it just takes time for employers to respond to their requests. She also confirmed that as long as you keep filing your weekly certifications, you'll get backpay for all eligible weeks once it's approved. My claim finally moved to step 4 last week and got fully approved two days later. Hang in there - the waiting is awful but it usually works out in the end!

I'm going through something similar right now - filed my claim about 2 weeks ago and it's been sitting at step 3 this whole time. Reading through everyone's experiences here is really helpful because the PA UC website doesn't explain what each step actually means. I've been filing my weekly claims like you all suggested, even though it feels weird doing it while the main claim is still "in progress." One thing I noticed is that when I log in to do the weekly certification, it asks about work search activities, so I've been keeping track of all my job applications just in case. Has anyone had issues with the work search requirement during this waiting period? I want to make sure I'm covering all my bases while waiting for step 3 to finally move forward.

I'm in this exact same situation - exhausted my benefits about 10 days ago after being laid off from my retail job in December. The waiting period until your benefit year expires is brutal, especially when you're still actively job searching but have zero income coming in. This thread has been so helpful though! I had no idea I should continue filing weekly claims even with a $0 balance - I stopped last week thinking there was no point. Definitely restarting that immediately after reading everyone's advice. I'm going to try several of the suggestions mentioned here: applying for SNAP benefits, checking out local CareerLink resources, and looking into seasonal work opportunities. The idea of treating job searching like a part-time job with set hours really appeals to me too - I've been all over the place with my routine which probably adds to the stress. The mental health aspect is definitely challenging. Some days it feels like you're applying into a black hole and wondering if anyone even sees your applications. But seeing so many people going through this same broken system actually makes me feel less isolated in the struggle. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences and practical tips - it's given me a concrete action plan instead of just feeling stuck and overwhelmed. Hopefully we'll all find work soon and can put this frustrating waiting period behind us!

I'm in almost exactly the same situation - exhausted my benefits about a week ago after being laid off from my job at a packaging facility back in December. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been really eye-opening and honestly a bit of a relief to know I'm not the only one stuck in this frustrating limbo. The biggest thing I learned from this thread is that I need to keep filing my weekly claims even with a $0 balance - I had completely stopped thinking it was pointless, but now I understand it's crucial for maintaining claim status. Definitely restarting that this week! I'm going to try several of the suggestions people mentioned: applying for SNAP benefits, checking out that 211 service for local resources, and looking into seasonal warehouse work for the holidays. The CareerLink workshop idea sounds promising too - anything to get out of the house and around other people going through similar situations. The uncertainty and mental health aspect is probably the hardest part. I've been sending out applications constantly but hearing back from maybe 1 in 20 employers. It's encouraging to see how supportive everyone has been in sharing practical advice though. This thread has given me hope and a much better action plan for getting through this waiting period until my benefit year expires. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in dealing with this broken system, even if it doesn't make paying bills any easier!