Update: I just tried the online reopening process and it worked perfectly! Found the button right on my dashboard like you all said. Took about 15 minutes to answer all the questions. The system says I should be able to file my weekly certification this Sunday. Thanks everyone for the help!

Construction worker here too! Just wanted to add that if you're expecting to go back to work soon (like within a week or two), make sure to report your expected return-to-work date when you reopen your claim. The system will ask about it during the reopening process. Also, if your employer gave you any documentation about the temporary layoff (like a notice or email), keep that handy in case UC asks for it later. Weather-related shutdowns are pretty common in our industry and UC understands that, so you should be fine as long as you're honest about everything.

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies! I've passed all this info along to my friend. She's going to apply this week and make sure to highlight the substantial change in job duties and include her original job description. She did try to work it out with her manager first (offering to help coordinate transportation but not use her own car) so she'll mention that too. I'll update this thread once she hears anything about her claim. Fingers crossed it goes smoothly!

Just wanted to add that your friend should also document any expenses she would have incurred if she had agreed to the transportation requirement. Things like additional gas, wear and tear on her vehicle, potential insurance premium increases, and mileage. PA UC considers whether the employer's demands create an undue financial burden on the employee. If she can show that using her personal vehicle would have cost her X dollars per month with no compensation from the employer, that strengthens her case that this was an unreasonable change to her employment terms. The fact that she offered alternative solutions (coordinating but not using her own car) shows she was trying to be reasonable and work with them.

My experience with PA unemployment: payment date shows up, then my money appears on my card sometime between 3am-11am the next day. Been claiming for 5 months now and its pretty consistent. So for your August 2nd payment date, you should see funds August 3rd morning, which should work for your Friday rent deadline! First payment might be different tho, mine took an extra day.

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who's been on PA UC for about 6 months now. With Money Network cards, I've found the timing is pretty reliable once you get past your first payment. Most of the time it's next business day like others mentioned, but I've had it show up same day a few times (usually around 4-5pm). One thing I learned the hard way - if you're cutting it close with bills, it's worth calling your landlord or whoever you owe money to and giving them a heads up about the potential delay. Most people are understanding about unemployment situations, especially if you communicate early. Better to be upfront than scramble at the last minute. Also, make sure you have the Money Network app downloaded so you can check your balance easily. Good luck with your first payment!

Just went through this nightmare myself last month! The key thing that finally worked for me was clearing ALL browser data (cookies, cache, everything) before starting the ID.me process. Also make sure you're not using any VPN or ad blockers - ID.me's system is super sensitive to that stuff and will just keep failing silently. One more tip - if you're still stuck after trying the recovery process others mentioned, you can also try calling PA UC's technical support line at 1-888-313-7284. They have a separate team that handles ID.me integration issues specifically. The wait times are horrible but they can sometimes reset something on their end that makes the verification go through. Good luck!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who's been helping family members with PA UC issues - the ID.me phone number change problem is ridiculously common and their system design is just awful for this scenario. A few additional tips that have worked for people I've helped: 1. If the trusted referee video chat keeps timing out, try using a different device entirely (phone vs computer) - sometimes their system has compatibility issues 2. Make sure your husband's name on ALL documents matches EXACTLY how it appears in the PA UC system (including middle initials, hyphens, etc.) 3. If you're still getting nowhere, document everything with screenshots and timestamps - this helps when you eventually get a human on the phone The fact that rent is due and you're dealing with this stress is just heartbreaking. The whole system is broken and puts people in impossible situations. Really hoping the solutions others shared work for you! Keep us posted on how it goes.

Does anyone know if we still have to do those weekly work search activities when we're on medical leave? I'm so confused about this!!

One more important thing to consider - make sure you file within the appropriate timeframe. In PA, you should file your initial claim during the first week you are unemployed. Filing late can complicate things unnecessarily. Also, be prepared that the initial determination might take longer in cases involving medical issues because they often require additional fact-finding.