I'm going through something similar right now - missed their call yesterday while I was in a meeting and now I'm stressed about what to do next. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like the consensus is to be proactive and try calling back rather than waiting. The idea that they might only make two attempts before deciding on your claim is terrifying! I had no idea the system worked that way. Definitely going to try the 8am strategy tomorrow and keep my phone volume up for any PA numbers. It's honestly ridiculous that we have to strategize this much just to receive the benefits we're entitled to, but I appreciate everyone sharing their real experiences. At least now I know I'm not alone in dealing with this broken system!

This is exactly why I keep telling people that PA UC's phone system is basically designed to fail claimants. I've been helping people navigate this mess for years through my local community center, and the "two call rule" is real but inconsistently applied. Some examiners are more diligent about making that second attempt, others will mark cases as "contact attempted - no response" after just one missed call. Here's what I always tell people: treat EVERY missed call from PA UC like it might be your only chance. The voicemail they left you is actually a good sign - it means they're documenting their attempt properly. But don't wait around hoping they'll call back on a schedule that works for you. The 8am calling strategy mentioned here is solid, but also try calling about 15 minutes before they close (4:45pm). Sometimes you can catch agents who are wrapping up their day and have a few minutes to help. And yes, answer every PA area code during business hours - I've seen UC calls come from 717, 570, 215, 610, and even some random numbers that don't look official at all. It's a broken system that puts the burden on us to work around THEIR limitations, but understanding how it actually operates (vs how it should operate) can save you weeks of stress and lost benefits.

Great question about business licenses! In Pennsylvania, you generally don't need a business license just for occasional freelance work. The requirement usually kicks in when you're operating as a formal business entity or if your specific type of work requires professional licensing (like certain trades or professions). For graphic design freelancing, you'd typically only need to worry about licensing if you: 1. Register as an LLC or corporation 2. Have a physical business location (home office doesn't count) 3. Hire employees 4. Reach a certain revenue threshold (varies by municipality) Most freelancers doing occasional projects can operate under their SSN without needing formal business registration. However, some cities/counties have local business privilege taxes that might apply even to small freelancers, so it's worth checking with your local tax office. The bigger concern for UC purposes is just making sure you're not crossing into "self-employed as primary occupation" territory. Sounds like you're being smart about keeping it limited while job searching. When in doubt, you can always call the PA Department of State's business services line - they're pretty helpful with questions about when registration becomes necessary.

One more thing I'd add - if you do start freelancing while on UC, consider opening a separate checking account just for your freelance income and expenses. It makes tracking so much easier when everything is separated from your personal finances. I learned this tip from my accountant and it saved me hours during tax season. Also, don't forget that you can deduct business expenses from your freelance income on your taxes - things like software subscriptions, equipment, even a portion of your internet bill if you work from home. Keep receipts for everything! Even though you're keeping the work minimal while job searching, those deductions can still add up and reduce your tax burden on the 1099 income. The fact that you're being so proactive about understanding the rules and staying compliant is really smart. A lot of people just wing it and end up in trouble later. Good luck with both the freelancing and your job search!

This is exactly why I always keep a backup spreadsheet of my work search activities! CareerLink seems to go down at the worst possible times. For anyone dealing with this in the future - I've learned to document everything in multiple ways: screenshots of applications, a simple Excel file with dates/companies/positions, and even photos of any paper applications I fill out at career fairs. That way if the system is down when I need to file my weekly claim, I still have proof of my activities. It's a pain to maintain duplicate records, but it's saved me from stress like this more than once!

This happened to me last week too! I was panicking because I couldn't log in on Sunday night before my filing deadline. What I learned from calling UC is that as long as you're actually doing your work search activities (applying to jobs, networking, etc.), the technical issues with CareerLink won't hurt your claim. They told me to keep detailed records and if there's ever an audit, just explain that the system was down. I now keep a simple Word document with the date, company name, position, and how I applied (website, email, etc.) as backup. It's given me so much peace of mind knowing I have that safety net when CareerLink inevitably crashes again!

Just as an update - if your payment was already processed (showed as issued in the system), you should definitely receive it by Monday or Tuesday at latest. If it doesn't arrive by then, you'll need to call UC to request a replacement check, but they typically won't start that process until 10 business days have passed. Make sure you're also keeping up with your weekly claims during the wait!

Good luck with your job interview on Tuesday! That's awesome news. For what it's worth, I went through a similar delay about 6 months ago and my check showed up on the following Monday morning. The PA system is definitely frustrating with these quarterly maintenance periods, but at least when it shows "issued" in your payment history you know the money is coming. Hang in there!

I'm in a similar boat - just got denied at my referee hearing last month and filed my Board appeal two weeks ago. Reading through all these responses is really encouraging, especially hearing from people who actually won their appeals after losing at the referee level. My case also involves attendance issues due to medical problems (chronic migraines), and like you, I had documentation but the referee seemed to focus more on the company's policy than the medical necessity of my absences. The whole hearing felt like the referee had already made up their mind before I even spoke. I'm definitely going to take the advice here about focusing on legal errors in my appeal rather than just repeating my story. It sounds like the Board really does look at whether the law was properly applied, which gives me hope since I feel like the referee completely ignored the medical exemptions in PA law. Thanks for posting this question - it's exactly what I needed to read today. We've got to stick together and not let this broken system defeat us!

I can't speak to the PA system specifically, but I went through a similar Board appeal process in another state and won after being denied at the hearing level. The key thing that helped me was getting advice from a legal aid clinic - they helped me understand that Board appeals are really about legal interpretation, not relitigating the facts. In my case, the referee had applied the wrong standard for what constitutes "misconduct" when medical issues are involved. The Board corrected that error and overturned the decision. From what I'm reading here, it sounds like you have strong grounds for appeal, especially with the ER documentation for those notification timing issues. That's exactly the kind of situation where a referee might misapply the "willful misconduct" standard. One thing I'd add to all the great advice here - if you can find any free legal resources or worker advocacy groups in PA, they might be able to help you frame your appeal letter in the most effective way. Sometimes having someone with legal experience review your arguments can make a big difference in how you present the case to the Board. Don't give up - the statistics show these appeals succeed more often than people think!