Thank you all for the helpful information! I'm going to reopen my claim next week and make sure I have all my employment information and work search records organized. It's a relief to know I shouldn't have to go through another hearing about my original separation. I'll update here if I run into any issues with the process for anyone who might be in a similar situation in the future.

I went through a similar situation last year - had a favorable hearing decision and then reopened my claim about 6 months later. The good news is that your previous employer can't challenge the same separation issue that was already ruled on. The "no fault" decision is final for that employment period. When you reopen, you're essentially continuing your existing benefit year with the 30% reduction, not starting a brand new claim. Just make sure you have documentation of your part-time work ready and keep detailed records of your job search activities. The process was pretty straightforward for me once I got through the initial reopening steps. Hope this helps ease some of your worries!

I've been on PA UC for about 8 months and that 2-day delay used to drive me crazy too! What I learned is that it's actually pretty reliable once you know the pattern. I file Sunday night, get the "processed" message Tuesday, and money hits my account Thursday morning like clockwork. The waiting is stressful when you're behind on bills, but at least you can count on the timing being consistent. One tip that helped me - I started keeping a little calendar marking when I file vs when I should expect payment, so I could plan better and not panic when the money wasn't there immediately.

I've been on PA UC for almost a year now and can add some context to what others have shared. The 2-day delay is definitely standard, but what I've noticed is that holidays can throw off the timing. If there's a federal holiday on Monday or Tuesday, everything gets pushed back an extra day. Also, if you ever switch from the Money Network card to direct deposit (or vice versa), expect your first payment on the new method to take an extra day or two while they update their system. Just wanted to mention that since I learned it the hard way when I switched to direct deposit and panicked thinking something was wrong!

Another approach that worked for me when I had a similar benefit year renewal issue - try calling the main line (888-313-7284) during your lunch break around 12:30-1:00 PM on weekdays. I noticed the hold times were shorter during that window, maybe because fewer people think to call during lunch hours. Also, when you do get through to an agent, ask them to add notes to your file about the verification issue - this way if you have to call back, the next agent can see what you've already discussed and won't make you start from scratch. I had to call three times before my issue was fully resolved, but having those notes in my file made the follow-up calls much smoother. The whole system is frustrating but don't lose hope - between all the strategies people have shared here, something will eventually work!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago when my benefit year renewed and I had that dreaded "needs staff review" status. After reading through all these incredible strategies everyone has shared, here's what I'd recommend based on what actually worked for me: 1. **Start with the email approach today** - Send a detailed message to [email protected] with your full name, last 4 SSN digits, and explain your specific verification issue. This gives you a paper trail while you try other methods. 2. **Try the Tuesday 8:00 AM sharp strategy** - Set multiple alarms for 7:55 AM, have the number ready, and dial exactly at 8:00. Use the button sequence: 1 for English, 3 for filing claims, then 0 for an agent. 3. **Download an auto-redial app** - This was a game changer for me. Let it run while you do other things instead of manually dialing hundreds of times. 4. **Keep filing your weekly claims no matter what** - This is crucial! Even with the open issue, you need to maintain your filing dates to get backpay once it's resolved. The combination of persistence and timing is everything with this broken system. I probably made 200+ call attempts over two weeks, but when I finally got through, the agent resolved everything in 15 minutes. Don't give up - this thread proves that people do eventually get through with the right approach!

dont forget u have to do the work search activities again while waiting for the new claim. my buddy got denied cuz he thought he could skip those while waiting for approval

Just checking back - did you receive your financial determination yet? If it's been more than 10 days and you haven't received anything, I'd definitely recommend reaching out to the UC office directly.

Congrats on winning your appeal! Based on my experience and what I've seen others go through, here's what you can expect: For timing, most people see their backpay within 10-14 business days after the appeal decision. Mine took exactly 12 days and came as two separate deposits (which is totally normal for larger amounts like yours). Definitely call about that waiting week ASAP - you're absolutely right that you shouldn't have two in the same benefit year. When you call, be very specific and say "I already served my waiting week in January 2025 and should not have a second waiting week applied to my backdated claim period." Have your determination letter handy with the dates. One thing I learned the hard way - keep filing your weekly claims while waiting for the backpay to process, and check your dashboard daily for any new issues that might pop up requiring verification. Sometimes they hold up large backpay amounts if there are any unresolved items on your account. The money will go directly to your Money Network card, so make sure it's active and your address is current with them. Hope this helps and you get everything sorted out quickly!

I went through this exact situation last year and wanted to share some practical tips! First, regarding timing - my backpay took 8 business days to hit my card after winning my appeal, but I've seen it range anywhere from 5 days to 3 weeks depending on complexity. Since yours was a separation/misconduct issue that got overturned, expect closer to 2 weeks. For the waiting week problem, call them IMMEDIATELY and don't let them brush you off. I had to escalate to a supervisor because the first rep didn't understand the issue. Tell them to look at your claim history from January - you should see "Waiting Week Applied" AND "Waiting Week Served" for the same week. If they show a second "Applied" without "Served" for March, that's the error. One thing that helped me was having my original determination letter from January ready when I called, showing I already served the waiting week. Also, write down the rep's name and employee ID - if they can't fix it, ask for a supervisor immediately rather than calling back multiple times. The good news is once they fix it, the correction usually processes within 24-48 hours and gets added to your backpay. That extra $580 is definitely worth the phone hassle!