As someone brand new to this community, I can't express how helpful this entire thread has been! I'm currently 9 weeks out from losing my healthcare administration job and have been paralyzed by indecision about filing for UC. Like so many others here, I kept convincing myself that something would come through "next week" and didn't want to deal with the bureaucracy. Reading @Kendrick Webb's complete journey from the initial 3-month delay to successful claim approval has been both eye-opening and motivating. The detailed explanations from @Emma Wilson, @Anna Xian, @Rajan Walker, and others about the 6-week backdate rule, work search requirements, and what to expect with processing delays has finally given me the confidence to stop procrastinating. I'm kicking myself for waiting this long, but I'm filing my claim tomorrow morning and will start proper documentation of all job search activities going forward. It's incredibly reassuring to see how supportive this community is and how people genuinely want to help each other navigate this complex system. For anyone else who's been hesitating like I was - don't wait another day! This thread proves that while the process can be frustrating and slow, people do get their claims approved and receive the benefits they're entitled to. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences and creating such an invaluable resource!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread! I'm currently 5 weeks out from losing my job at a local credit union and have been going back and forth about filing for UC. Reading through @Kendrick Webb's complete experience from the initial delay to successful approval has been incredibly reassuring, and all the detailed advice from @Emma Wilson, @Anna Xian, @Rajan Walker, and others has given me the roadmap I needed to finally take action. The information about the 6-week backdate rule is crucial - I had no idea that was even a thing! It's both nerve-wracking and comforting to see that processing delays and "open issues" are normal but usually get resolved. I'm planning to file my claim this evening and will make sure to organize all my employment documents ahead of time. The emphasis on documenting job search activities from day one is something I definitely wouldn't have known without reading this thread. For anyone else who's been hesitating like I was - this community has shown that while the UC system can be frustrating, people do successfully navigate it and get the support they need. Filing at 5 weeks feels much better than waiting any longer! Thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative resource.

I'm going through this exact same thing right now and this thread has been a lifesaver! Got my BPC audit notice yesterday and immediately started panicking, thinking I'd done something wrong. Like so many others here, I also reported part-time earnings from some freelance work I did a few weeks ago - seems like that's the common trigger for these audits. The lack of explanation from PA UC is really frustrating when you're already stressed about money. Reading everyone's experiences here is so reassuring though - it sounds like these are pretty routine when you report any kind of earnings and most get resolved in 2-3 weeks with full back pay. I'm definitely going to keep filing my weekly claims and try calling tomorrow. If I can't get through, I'll look into that Claimyr service since so many people had success with it. Thank you all for sharing your stories - knowing I'm not alone in this makes it so much less scary!

I'm currently dealing with this same situation and this thread has been incredibly reassuring! Got my BPC audit notice 3 days ago after reporting earnings from a short-term retail job I worked for about a week. Like everyone else, I was completely panicked at first thinking I'd done something wrong, but reading all these experiences shows this is way more common than PA UC lets on. It's so frustrating that they don't provide any explanation of what the audit means or how long it might take - just seeing those words pop up with your payments suddenly stopped is terrifying when you're counting on that money for bills. I'm definitely going to keep filing my weekly claims and try calling tomorrow morning. If I can't get through, I'll give Claimyr a try since multiple people here have had success with it. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories - it's such a relief to know that most of these get resolved in 2-3 weeks with back pay when you've been reporting honestly. This community support means everything when dealing with this kind of stress!

This entire thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! As someone who just started dealing with PA UC issues this week, I feel like I've gotten a PhD in troubleshooting their broken system just from reading everyone's experiences. The collective knowledge here is amazing - from @Danielle Campbell's step-by-step PIN reset process to @Elijah Knight's VPN extension tip to @Zoe Dimitriou's insight about IP flagging. I'm currently locked out after a PIN reset attempt yesterday and was completely panicking until I found this thread. Now I have a whole arsenal of strategies to try: waiting 24 hours, using incognito mode, checking for hidden notifications, trying the mobile app as backup, and making sure my browser extensions aren't interfering. It's ridiculous that accessing unemployment benefits requires this level of technical detective work, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing all these workarounds. One question for the group - has anyone noticed if the system is more stable during certain months? I'm wondering if the issues get worse during peak unemployment periods when more people are trying to access the system. Either way, thank you all for creating this incredible resource. You're literally helping people keep roofs over their heads when the official system fails them!

Just wanted to jump in and say this thread has been absolutely life-saving! I've been dealing with similar PA UC lockout issues and was at my wit's end until I found all these solutions. What really helped me was the combination approach - I waited the full 24 hours, then used the forgotten PIN option in a private browser window with all extensions disabled. But the real game-changer was @Natasha Volkov's tip about checking for hidden action items. I had a tiny "Document Upload Required" notification buried at the bottom that I'd completely missed! Once I uploaded the requested document, the lockout issue resolved immediately. It's incredible how this community has basically reverse-engineered solutions to problems that PA UC's own help desk can't seem to fix. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - you're genuinely helping people survive this broken system and keep their benefits flowing when they need them most!

To answer your follow-up question - you don't need to submit your work search details every week. The system will just ask "Did you complete your work search activities?" and you select Yes. However, they do occasionally select people for verification where you'll need to provide the details of your activities for certain weeks. This is why keeping good records is important. Some people never get selected for verification, others might get checked multiple times. And as for your question about just doing resume uploads - while that technically counts, I wouldn't recommend doing ONLY that type of activity every week. Mix in some actual job applications too. The point of the requirement is to help you find work, after all.

Just wanted to add that PA CareerLink (www.pacareerlink.pa.gov) is a really valuable resource that many people overlook! Not only can you search and apply for jobs there (which counts as work search activities), but they also offer free workshops, career counseling, and job placement services. I attended their resume writing workshop last month and it was actually really helpful. Plus, attending any of their workshops or meetings counts as a work search activity, so it's a great way to get genuine help while meeting your requirements. They have both in-person and virtual options available.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation with seasonal work and had no idea about the difference between reopening vs filing new claims. @Christopher Morgan I really hope your appeal works out - please keep us posted on how it goes. It's crazy how many people probably make this same mistake because the system isn't clear about it. I'm bookmarking this post for reference when I inevitably get laid off again this winter!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! I'm a roofer and got laid off twice this winter already due to weather. Both times I filed what I thought was a "new claim" and got hit with the waiting week. Reading through all these responses, I now realize I should have been reopening my existing claim instead. This is so frustrating - the PA UC website really doesn't make this clear at all. @Christopher Morgan thanks for posting this question because I was starting to think I was going crazy! Going to try the reopening process next time and hopefully avoid another waiting week. Really wish they had better instructions for seasonal workers who deal with this constantly.