UPDATE: My money showed up in my account this morning (Wednesday) - right around the 3 business day mark like many of you said. Thanks for all the advice! I'm definitely switching to direct deposit so I don't have to deal with this again.

Glad everything worked out for you! Just wanted to add that if you do switch to direct deposit, make sure your bank account info is 100% correct when you enter it. I made a typo in my routing number once and it delayed my payment by almost two weeks while they sorted it out. Double and triple check those numbers before submitting the change!

I had my PA UC appeal hearing about 3 months ago and won! Reading through all these responses brings back memories of how stressed I was beforehand. One thing I wish I had known is that the referee will often ask very specific questions about the timeline leading up to your separation. They asked me things like "What exactly did your supervisor say when they informed you?" and "Were there any other employees laid off around the same time?" The company-wide email about cost-cutting that someone mentioned is HUGE - that kind of documentation really strengthens your case because it shows the layoffs weren't personal or performance-related. I had a similar email and the referee specifically asked about it during my hearing. Also, don't be surprised if the call quality isn't perfect. Mine had some technical issues where we had to dial back in, but the referee was very patient about it. Make sure you're calling from a landline if possible, or at least somewhere with strong cell signal. One tactical tip: when they ask you to explain what happened, start with the company's situation (budget cuts, restructuring, etc.) and then move to your specific layoff. This helps establish the context that it was a business decision, not something you did wrong. You've got great advice from everyone here - you're going to do fine!

One more thing that might help with your nerves - the referee will usually start the hearing by explaining exactly how the process will work, who will speak when, and what they're trying to determine. This really helped me relax because I knew what to expect step by step. Also, I found it helpful to have a glass of water nearby during the call. Talking for an hour straight can make your mouth dry, especially when you're nervous! And don't forget to speak up if you can't hear something clearly - the phone quality isn't always perfect and the referee would rather repeat something than have you miss important information. The fact that you're preparing this thoroughly already puts you ahead of many people who go into these hearings unprepared. Your documentation sounds solid, and remember - you're not trying to "win" against your employer, you're just presenting the facts about what actually happened. The truth is on your side here. You've got this!

I'm going through the exact same situation and this thread has been a lifesaver! I live in Camden County NJ but work in Center City Philadelphia, and just got hit with a major hours reduction. Like many others here, I made the mistake of filing with PA first and got that confusing "monetarily ineligible" status even though I know I've earned enough. Reading everyone's experiences has been so much more helpful than trying to navigate the official websites. @Ryan Young thank you for that specific NJ phone number and the 8am calling strategy - I'm definitely going to try that tomorrow morning and ask directly for the Interstate Claims Unit. It's crazy how this interstate situation isn't explained clearly anywhere official, but this community has provided the best guidance I've found. Planning to gather all my PA employer info and pay stubs tonight so I'm ready for the call. Really hoping I can get this sorted out soon - bills don't wait for bureaucracy! Will update here if I learn anything useful that might help others in this same boat.

I'm dealing with this exact same interstate situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I live in NJ but work in PA, got my hours cut significantly, and made the same mistake of filing with PA only to get that "monetarily ineligible" status. After reading everyone's experiences here, I now understand I need to file an interstate claim with NJ instead. @Ryan Young your advice about calling NJ at exactly 8am (732-761-2020) and asking specifically for the "Interstate Claims Unit" is invaluable - I'm definitely trying that tomorrow morning. It's so frustrating that this cross-state process isn't clearly explained on the official websites, but this community has provided better guidance than anything I found elsewhere. Planning to have all my PA employer info, FEIN number, and recent pay stubs ready for the call. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences - gives me hope this will actually get resolved! Will update here after my call in case it helps others in this same confusing situation.

Just wanted to add my experience to this thread since I went through the exact same confusion about a month ago! I spent literally 3 hours clicking through every single page on CareerLink trying to find this RESEA thing before I realized I was in completely the wrong place. Like everyone else has said - you need to go to www.uc.pa.gov first (your regular UC portal where you file weekly claims), NOT CareerLink. Once you're logged in, mine was under a section called "Notifications" but I've seen others mention it could be under "Messages," "To Do," or "Action Required" depending on your account setup. The whole thing is so poorly designed! The initial notification email really makes it sound like you need to go to CareerLink, but the actual scheduling link is buried in your UC Dashboard. I was freaking out about missing the deadline too, but honestly they're pretty understanding about the technical difficulties with their system. For the actual appointment - bring a draft resume (they'll help you improve it), records of your recent job applications, and block out about 90 minutes. It's really not as scary as it sounds! The hardest part is just finding the darn link in the first place. Hope this helps and don't stress too much about the deadline - you've got plenty of time to figure this out!

I'm going through this exact same issue right now and this thread has been a lifesaver! I've been frantically searching CareerLink for the past two days with no luck. Reading everyone's experiences, I now realize I was looking in completely the wrong place. Just to make sure I have this right - I need to go to www.uc.pa.gov (NOT CareerLink), log in with my regular weekly claim credentials, and then check sections like "Messages," "Important Messages," "To Do," "Notifications," or "Action Required" to find the RESEA link, correct? I'm on day 9 of my 14-day deadline and was really starting to panic, but it's so reassuring to hear that others have found it even later than that without issues. The fact that their notification email points you toward CareerLink when the actual link is in the UC Dashboard is just terrible system design! Going to try this approach right now and will definitely screenshot the confirmation page once I get it scheduled. Thank you all so much for sharing your detailed experiences - this has been way more helpful than anything on the official sites!

I'm currently dealing with this exact situation! Just switched to paper checks 4 days ago when my bank had to freeze my account due to fraud. My payment shows "issued" since Tuesday but nothing yet. This thread has been incredibly reassuring - I was starting to worry something went wrong, but it sounds like 7-10 business days is totally normal for the first check after switching from direct deposit. The tip about that 3-4 day processing delay between "payment issued" and actually mailing really explains everything! I had no idea there was that gap, which is why checking online status doesn't give you the full picture. I'm signing up for USPS Informed Delivery right now - seems like such a simple way to reduce the daily mailbox anxiety. Also planning to call PA UC tomorrow to double-check my address since I moved about 5 months ago. Better safe than sorry with potential address issues causing even more delays. Once this first paper check nightmare is over, I'm definitely switching to the Money Network card - the consensus here seems unanimous that it's way more reliable. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps knowing this frustrating wait is completely normal!

I'm going through the exact same situation right now! Just had to switch to paper checks 3 days ago after my bank account got compromised in a phishing scam. My payment shows "issued" since Monday but mailbox has been empty every day. Reading through all these experiences has been both stressful and incredibly helpful - I had no idea that 7-10 business days was standard for the first check after switching from direct deposit! The information about that 3-4 day processing delay between "payment issued" status and actually mailing is a game-changer. That explains why obsessively checking the online status doesn't really tell you when to expect it. I'm signing up for USPS Informed Delivery right after this - seems like everyone agrees it's the best way to manage the daily anxiety of wondering if today's the day. Definitely calling PA UC first thing tomorrow to verify my address is correct since I moved about 4 months ago. After reading about address discrepancies causing major delays, I want to eliminate that as a potential issue. It's honestly such a relief to know this frustrating wait is completely normal and that I'm not the only one dealing with it right now. Once this first paper check finally shows up, I'm immediately switching to the Money Network card - the consensus here is crystal clear that it's way more reliable than these paper check delays!