To answer your follow-up question about weekly certifications: Yes, you should file every week, even when your bartending income exceeds your benefit amount. This keeps your claim active and prevents issues if your income drops in future weeks. For tips, you report them in the week you receive them, not when they appear on your paycheck. The UC system asks for all income earned during the week, which includes tips earned that week. Remember that the PA UC definition of a week is Sunday through Saturday. So when you certify, make sure you're reporting all earnings from that specific Sunday-Saturday period, regardless of when you actually receive your paycheck.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago when I got laid off from my marketing job but kept my weekend catering gig. Everyone here has given you solid advice - definitely use "Other" and write "Still employed part-time" for your bartending job. One thing I'll add that helped me: keep really detailed records of your bartending income week by week. I use a simple notebook to track dates worked, hours, and total earnings (including tips) for each shift. Makes filling out the weekly certifications so much easier and you won't accidentally forget to report something. Also, don't stress too much about the partial benefit calculation - the UC system handles all the math automatically once you enter your earnings. Just focus on being accurate and consistent with your reporting. Good luck with your claim!

This thread is incredibly helpful! I've been dealing with the same nightmare for the past 3 weeks. My claim got flagged with an "open issue" and like everyone else, I've been getting nothing but busy signals on that main 888 number. It's beyond frustrating when you're already stressed about finances and then can't even get basic help from the system that's supposed to support you. I'm definitely going to try some of these strategies tomorrow - especially the local service center number approach since multiple people have had success with that. I found my county's direct line and I'm setting my alarm for 7:45am to start calling. I also never thought about the ID.me thing - going to check that separately tonight to make sure there aren't any hidden steps I missed. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and actual solutions instead of just complaining (though the complaining is totally valid!). It's really encouraging to see that people ARE getting through and getting their issues resolved. This community has been more helpful than the actual UC website!

Reading through all these experiences really hits home - I've been in the exact same boat for the past 2.5 weeks! My claim got stuck with an "open issue" and I was starting to think I was losing my mind with all the busy signals. But seeing so many people actually get through using the local service center numbers gives me real hope. I just spent the last hour going through my dashboard with a fine-tooth comb and found my county's direct number. Planning to start calling at 7:50am sharp tomorrow. Also going to double-check my ID.me account separately like a few people suggested - never occurred to me that there might be steps not showing through the UC portal. It's honestly both frustrating and comforting to know I'm not the only one dealing with this broken system. The fact that we have to become experts at gaming a phone system just to access benefits we're entitled to is ridiculous. But this thread has been more helpful than anything I've found on the actual PA UC website. Thanks to everyone sharing real solutions and success stories - it's keeping me motivated to keep fighting through this mess!

Ugh, I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Been trying to get through for over a week about a payment issue. One thing I discovered is that if you call right at 12:01pm during their lunch hour, sometimes you can slip through when other people aren't calling. Also, try pressing different numbers in their phone tree - sometimes pressing 0 or # repeatedly will get you to a different queue. I know it sounds desperate but when you're dealing with rent money, you gotta try everything! Let us know if any of the suggestions here work for you.

I had this exact same problem a few months ago - the busy signal nightmare is so frustrating when you need to resolve payment issues! One trick that finally worked for me was calling exactly at 4:25pm, about 5 minutes before they close. I think most people assume it's too late to call then, so there might be less volume. I got through on my second try that way. Also, if you're specifically dealing with Money Network card issues, definitely try calling them directly first at the number Zoe mentioned - sometimes the delay is on their end, not UC's. The Money Network reps can tell you if the payment was actually sent and when to expect it. Hang in there, the phone system is definitely broken but you'll eventually get through!

Pro tip: Once you get the Money Network Mobile app set up, enable push notifications for deposits and low balance alerts. Really helpful to know right away when your weekly benefits hit your card. Also, if you're having trouble with the app crashing like some others mentioned, try force-closing it completely and reopening rather than just switching between apps - seems to help with the stability issues.

Another useful feature in the Money Network Mobile app is the ATM locator - it shows you nearby fee-free ATMs where you can withdraw cash without extra charges. Just tap the "Locations" tab in the app. This saved me a lot in ATM fees since some machines charge $3-4 for non-network withdrawals. Also, you can set up direct deposit to move funds to your regular bank account if you prefer, though there might be a small transfer fee depending on how you do it.

Update: I submitted my new application yesterday and the system is showing an "open issue" already. Is this normal? Should I try calling them to find out what the issue is? I'm getting really anxious about this whole process.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My benefit year just ended last week and I'm terrified about reapplying. Reading everyone's experiences here is both helpful and scary - sounds like it really varies from person to person. I've been working part-time too (about 20 hours/week at a restaurant) so I'm hoping that's enough to qualify for a new claim. The waiting period is what's killing me though. Bills don't stop coming just because UC takes weeks to process applications! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, it helps to know I'm not alone in this stressful situation.