Are there Unemployment Comp representatives/guides available? (PA, obvi)

Submitted by ipmcc t3_10az5jq in Pennsylvania

I was informed I was being laid off three weeks before the effective date. I worked out my last three weeks, but I was implored over and over to apply for UC as quickly as possible, so I applied right after I found out I was being laid off. This apparently made the UC system explode. I've had to reapply, and the system is just so completely not designed to handle my situation it's laughable. (...if it weren't even more cry-able.)

I've made hundreds of calls to the UC phone number -- busy signal (or message that they're closed) every single time. I've tried to use their online appeals system, but it won't let me, because it's waiting to hear back from my prior, out-of-state employer, who has since gone out of business, and will never get back to them. I've emailed half a dozen times, with only automated responses to the effect of 'Your email will be answered in the order received'.

I'm an experienced engineering manager with 25+ years of experience in the industry, so the system is obviously not designed for my situation in which getting a job often takes months of interviews (even with a single opportunity), or long drawn-out "exec search" processes. I'm not crying poor here, but I've paid into the system for all those years, I have bills to pay, and I was legitimately laid off, so I feel like I have every right to claim UC. Is there someone who knows how this all works, whom I can enlist/pay to help me wade through this morass?

Is this system horrible for everyone? Or just me?

I know the sub bans solicitation of services, so DMs are fine, if necessary.

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C4bl3Fl4m3 t1_j4782dy wrote

This is general advice for whenever you keep banging your head against a brick wall re: anything dealing with gov't.

Contact your applicable representatives. Esp. your House rep. They hire people for their office that are there explicitly to help constituents navigate gov't problems. Sometimes when nothing's happening for you, a call from a rep's office is just the push the relevant agency needs to really start getting things done, because now they know they're being watched and being held accountable. Plus, these agencies are sometimes used to working with these folks and the wheels are already greased for them.

This has worked for my PA mother with tax issues (she was called back by someone working for her rep that explicitly handles tax problems and only tax problems and they got things sorted out), this has worked for my partner in VA when the state tried to pull some blatantly illegal shit with layoffs/firing during COVID because that particular agency was being run like a corporation and didn't want to follow the emergency laws that the legislature passed.

Your reps are there to help you and make gov't work for you. It's what your tax dollars are paying them for. Utilize them.

Good luck!

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invisiblearchives t1_j4b955s wrote

this - during covid when my UC claim went missing for 8+ months, one of the house rep's offices got me paid within 3 weeks.

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queenoftheidiots t1_j47snp4 wrote

Contact your state senators office and explain. They have constituent services that can contact someone in Harrisburg and help. Keep tract of everything you are doing, every email, call, attempt to call or go online. Over half the people that work for them have no idea what they are doing or the actually rules and laws. They will make tons of mistakes but you will be the one blamed. The state knows UE is a huge problem but they haven’t been able to fix it. The best thing to do is get the senators office involved and have a timeline of events. The putting the stuff in on the UE is easy but they can’t seem to get it together.

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CansPGH t1_j47xyrw wrote

call your local 'career link' office. they'll help. they used to be called the unemployment offices, for a reason.

good luck!

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nachobitxh t1_j4agg8d wrote

I believe most (if not all) career link offices have a direct line phone unemployed people can use. It goes to the front of the queue at the call center

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sandmanrdv t1_j4f3xwu wrote

UC phones in CareerLink offices were shutdown in March 2020 and they ain’t coming back. As of right now, UC reps are in full service CareerLink offices two days a week by appointment only.

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glenn3k t1_j48poc1 wrote

Just keep hitting redial before it disconnects you when you get a busy signal. Eventually it will answer and put you on hold. I’ve had to call them multiple times because of glitches with the online system and have been able to get through doing it that way. Unfortunately it usually takes 1 or 2 hours after all is said and done so be patient.

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ipmcc OP t1_j4a07wf wrote

I have sat for hours and hours hitting redial over and over and over till I'm blue in the face. It never works (for me). If I had a landline I could do *66, but alas, cell phone, only phone. I appreciate the input, and I'm glad it worked for you, but it didn't work for me.

Today was my last day to file a "timely appeal" so I spent, no joke, FOUR STRAIGHT HOURS hitting redial over and over, desperate to get through starting at 8am, before I gave up, had a stiff drink, made this post, and moved on with the other things I needed to do today. I never got anything but a busy signal. IMO, the system is broken.

I emailed every relevant email address I could find (while spamming the redial button) so at least there's evidence that I tried. It sounds like hitting up reps is the way to go though. I guess that's my next step.

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dogmomdrinkstea t1_j48e0uh wrote

I've said it once and I'll say it again, message Shapiro's office. I didn't get my UC for 16 months until his office helped.

Bob Casey's office told me to ask Mastriano for help, so fuck them.

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baubt t1_j493k5a wrote

Casey isn't a state level senator, unemployment would be your PA congressmen.

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dogmomdrinkstea t1_j4apxgo wrote

Regardless, Shapiro was great for results so idk why the downvotes but whatevs.

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