I'm going through this exact same thing right now! Just filed my first weekly certification yesterday and woke up to see "In Progress" on my dashboard this morning. I was immediately worried something was wrong with my claim, but after reading through all these responses, I feel so much better. It's really reassuring to see William's update that his payment processed normally after 3 business days, and that so many others have had the same experience. I also chose direct deposit, so I'm hoping that helps speed things up once it processes. This thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding that "In Progress" is actually a good sign - it means everything was accepted and is just moving through their payment system. I was starting to think I had made some mistake on my certification, but it sounds like this waiting period is just part of the normal process for first-time filers. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and experiences. This community is such a lifesaver for newcomers like me who are trying to figure out if what we're seeing is normal or cause for concern!

I'm currently experiencing this exact same situation! Filed my first weekly certification on Monday and have been seeing "In Progress" since Tuesday. Reading through this entire thread has been such a relief - I was starting to panic that something was wrong with my claim since it's been over 48 hours now. William's update showing that his status changed to an actual payment date after 3 business days is really encouraging, and it's clear from everyone's responses that this is totally normal for first-time filers. I also chose direct deposit, so hopefully that'll help speed things up once the payment processes. What really stands out to me is how many people mentioned that "In Progress" is actually a positive sign - it means your certification was accepted and you're just in the payment queue. I was worried it meant there was some hidden issue they weren't telling me about. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and experiences. This community has been invaluable for understanding what's normal vs. what's actually cause for concern. I'll try to be patient and stop checking my dashboard every few hours (though let's be honest, I'll probably still check it way too often)!

This whole thread is incredibly informative! I'm dealing with a similar recall situation and had no idea about the 16-week rule - this could definitely affect me since my layoff was in early February and my recall isn't until August. Quick question for anyone who's been through this: when you transition from recall exemption to work search requirements, do you get any advance notice from UC, or does it just happen automatically when you hit that 16-week mark? I want to make sure I'm prepared and don't accidentally miss filing requirements or mess up my benefits. Also wondering if there's any flexibility if your employer moves the date back within the 16-week window after it's already exceeded it?

This thread has been so helpful! I'm currently in week 12 of my layoff with a recall date in late July, so I'm cutting it close to that 16-week threshold. Reading about Oliver's experience makes me realize I need to be proactive about this. I'm going to call my HR department tomorrow to confirm my recall date hasn't changed, and I think I'll start preparing work search documentation just in case I need to transition to those requirements. It's frustrating that the system doesn't give you a heads up before making these changes, but at least now I know what to watch out for. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world info you can't get from the official UC website!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm in a nearly identical situation - just got laid off from my graphic design position and approved for PA UC benefits. I've been offered some freelance logo design work that would be about 10-12 hours per week at $35/hr. Reading through everyone's real-world experiences has completely changed my understanding of how the UC system handles 1099 income. The consistent message about reporting earnings when you PERFORM the work (not when paid) is so important, and I love how everyone emphasized the 40% calculation that lets you keep partial benefits. All the documentation strategies shared here are incredible - I'm definitely implementing the separate bank account, daily time tracking, and detailed project logs before I even start. One thing I'm wondering about for design work specifically - do you count time spent on initial client consultations and project planning calls as billable hours that need to be reported to UC? These discovery sessions are definitely work, but they happen before any actual design begins. Also, what about time spent on client revisions that go beyond the original project scope? Thanks to everyone who shared such detailed advice - this thread should be bookmarked by anyone doing creative freelance work while on unemployment!

@Fatima Al-Maktoum Yes, absolutely count client consultations and project planning calls as billable work time that needs to be reported to PA UC! Those discovery sessions are legitimate work activities - you're providing professional consultation services, gathering requirements, and planning the project scope. I learned this when I was doing freelance UX design while on benefits. For revisions beyond the original scope, it depends on how you handle them with your client. If you're charging for the extra revision work (which you should be!), then yes, that time gets reported to UC as well. If you're doing unlimited revisions as part of your flat project fee, you still need to report the time you spend on them since it's work you're performing. Here's what I recommend for design work: track ALL time spent on client-related activities - initial consultations, research, actual design work, revision calls, email communications about the project, even time spent uploading files or preparing deliverables. Use a time tracker like Toggl and create separate project entries for each client. Keep detailed notes like "Client X logo consultation - discussed brand vision and style preferences" or "Logo revisions round 2 - adjusted typography and color palette." This level of documentation saved me during a UC review when they wanted specifics about my work activities. The key is treating your freelance work like the legitimate business activity it is - every minute you spend serving your client is work time that should be tracked and reported!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my transitional claim about a week ago after being laid off from a job I held for 6 months following my previous unemployment period. The "under review" status has been driving me crazy with worry - I keep thinking something must be wrong or that there's an issue I don't know about. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful and reassuring! It sounds like this 10-14 day review period is just standard procedure for transitional claims where they verify your wages from the work period between claims. I had no idea that's what "transitional" even meant until reading these responses. Like many of you, I've been obsessively checking my portal multiple times a day hoping for updates. The financial stress while waiting is real, especially with bills coming due. But it's comforting to know so many others are in the same boat right now and that most people seem to get approved as long as they worked enough between claims. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and experiences - it's really helping me stay sane during this waiting period! I'll keep filing my weekly certifications and try to be more patient.

I'm in the exact same situation as so many of you! Filed my transitional claim 5 days ago after being laid off from a position I held for about 7 months following my previous unemployment period. The "under review" status has had me checking my portal constantly and losing sleep over whether something's wrong. This thread has been absolutely invaluable - I had no idea that transitional claims automatically go through this wage verification process or that 10-14 days is completely normal. I was starting to panic thinking my employer was contesting or that I'd made some mistake on my application. It's incredible how many of us are going through this identical experience right now. The waiting is brutal when you're stressed about paying bills, but reading everyone's timelines and outcomes has really helped calm my nerves. I'll keep filing my weekly certifications and try to stop obsessively refreshing the portal every few hours! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's such a relief to know we're not alone in this process.

Just wanted to add another tip that helped me when I was stuck in the lockout loop - disable any browser extensions you might have running, especially ad blockers or privacy extensions. I had uBlock Origin running and it was interfering with the PA UC site's login process. Once I disabled it and refreshed the page, I was able to stay logged in. Also, if you're using any password managers like LastPass or 1Password, try logging in manually without using the auto-fill feature. The PA UC system seems really sensitive to anything that might look like automated login attempts.

I went through this exact same nightmare last month! The PA UC system is so broken it's ridiculous. What finally worked for me was a combination of things: 1) Used Firefox browser in private/incognito mode, 2) Completely cleared all browser data (not just cache but cookies, stored passwords, everything), 3) Waited until mid-morning on a weekday to try logging in (seems like the system is less overloaded then), and 4) Made sure to type everything manually - no copy/paste, no autofill, nothing. It took me about 6 attempts over 3 days but I eventually got through. The key was being really patient and not trying to rush the process. Good luck!