I'm currently in week 2 of waiting for my PA UC determination after being laid off from my tech support job, and this thread has been incredibly valuable! I just called yesterday and was told my claim is "under examiner review" which based on all your experiences here sounds like actual progress rather than just sitting in a queue. The 8am calling strategy that multiple people mentioned is genius - I tried it this morning and actually got through to a human within 15 minutes instead of the usual busy signals. The rep was able to give me more specific information about my case status than I'd gotten before. One thing I wanted to add that might help others: when I asked about the expedited review for financial hardship, the rep told me they need either a utility shutoff notice, eviction notice, or documentation that rent/mortgage is more than 30 days overdue. So if anyone is considering that route, having that paperwork ready might speed up the process. From everything I'm reading here, it sounds like once they confirm an examiner is actively reviewing (not just "pending"), most people are getting determinations within 1-2 weeks. Really hoping that holds true for all of us currently in this waiting period. The financial stress is brutal but this community has been way more helpful than any official resources! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and timelines. 🤞

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! Filed my claim about 19 days ago after getting laid off from my distribution center job and just got the "examiner is currently working on it" update when I called this morning. The financial stress is absolutely killing me - I'm already having to decide between paying utilities or buying groceries. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been SO much more helpful than anything I've gotten from official sources. It sounds like once they specifically say an examiner is working on it (vs just "pending"), most people are seeing determinations within 1-2 weeks. That 8am calling tip is gold - I actually got through this morning using that strategy after weeks of busy signals! I'm definitely going to ask about that expedited hardship review next time I call. Had no idea that was even an option until seeing it mentioned here multiple times. Also really appreciate the tip about mentioning the 21-day federal requirement - seems like that might help prioritize cases. Distribution center layoffs should be pretty straightforward since everything is documented by HR, so hopefully that works in our favor. Thanks for posting this question - it's so reassuring to know other people are going through the same waiting game and that there's actually light at the end of the tunnel! 🤞

UPDATE: Finally got through to PA UC this morning! They confirmed they mailed my 1099-G on January 29th, but said sometimes they take up to 2 weeks to arrive. The rep also offered to email me a copy right away after verifying my identity, which she just did! Problem solved! For anyone else in this situation, definitely ask if they can email it - WAY faster than waiting for remail or dealing with login issues. Thanks everyone for your help!!!

Just wanted to add that if you're having trouble getting through on the phone, try calling on different days of the week. I've noticed Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to have slightly shorter wait times than Mondays and Fridays. Also, if you do end up needing to reset your password online, make sure to write it down this time! I learned that lesson the hard way last year when I got locked out of multiple accounts during tax season. The email option that Makayla mentioned is definitely the way to go if you need it fast.

I'm dealing with this exact same IDme timeout nightmare right now! Been stuck in that endless loop for the past 3 days and was starting to think I was going crazy. This thread is an absolute goldmine of solutions - I had no idea about trying different browsers or the early morning timing trick. Going to try Microsoft Edge tomorrow around 5:30am with a cleared cache and just let it sit for the full 30 minutes without touching anything. The phone filing backup at 888-255-4728 is such a relief to know about too - I was panicking about missing my certification deadline. If all else fails, I'll definitely look into Claimyr to get connected with an actual agent who can bypass this mess. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and specific workarounds. It's so reassuring to know this is a widespread PA UC system issue and not just my setup!

Just wanted to jump in and say THANK YOU to everyone who contributed solutions to this thread! I was dealing with this exact same IDme timeout issue yesterday and was about to have a complete meltdown. Used the Microsoft Edge browser trick at 5:45am this morning (after clearing all cookies/cache) and it actually worked! Had to wait about 25 minutes on that "please wait" screen without touching anything, but it finally went through. The key really is that early morning timing when the servers aren't completely slammed. For anyone still struggling with this - don't give up! The combination of right browser + early hours + patience really does work. And knowing about the phone filing backup (888-255-4728) made all the difference in my stress levels. This community is amazing for sharing real solutions that actually work!

Congrats on getting through it! Your update is really helpful for others who might be nervous about their first RESEA appointment. It sounds like most people have positive experiences when they're prepared and honest about their job search efforts. The fact that your phone notes were accepted is especially good to know since not everyone has access to a printer. Thanks for following up to let everyone know how it went!

As someone new to this community who might be facing a RESEA appointment soon, this whole thread has been incredibly helpful! It's great to see people sharing their actual experiences rather than just speculation. @Yuki Yamamoto your update really puts things in perspective - it sounds like going in prepared and being honest about your job search efforts is the key. The fact that digital records on your phone were accepted is especially good to know since not everyone has easy access to printing. I'm curious though - did your advisor give you any specific tips during the meeting about job searching that you hadn't thought of before? Thanks for taking the time to update everyone on how it went!

I've been following this thread closely because I'm in almost the exact same situation! Just got my UC approval with a $142 partial credit and $472 WBR. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly reassuring - I was honestly scared to take any work at all because I didn't want to mess up my claim. But seeing so many people successfully managing part-time work while on UC gives me the confidence to move forward. I love all the practical tips about record-keeping, especially the photo backup system and daily tracking notebook. I'm definitely going to start that routine before I even begin working. One thing that really helped calm my anxiety was realizing that PA actually designed this system to encourage us to work while job searching, not to trap us with confusing rules. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences here - this thread should be required reading for anyone starting on PA partial benefits!

I'm also dealing with PA UC for the first time and this entire thread has been a lifesaver! I was completely overwhelmed by the partial benefits system and kept putting off taking any work because I was so scared of messing something up. My partial credit is $156 and WBR is $520, and I've been offered some shifts at a local coffee shop that would keep me well under that threshold. Reading everyone's experiences here has given me the confidence to say yes to that opportunity. The detailed advice about record-keeping is exactly what I needed - I'm going to start with the notebook + photo system that so many people recommended. It's incredible how this community has turned something that felt impossibly complicated into something manageable. Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences so openly - you're helping people like me who just want to do everything correctly while trying to make ends meet during job searching!