@sfonoti You actually did everything right (aside from trying to get paid under the table, LOL). While Brock is correct that you are supposed to report hours as you work them, not when you get paid, that is not possible in this type of position (I was a legal recruiter previously) because you have NO CLUE if a deal is going to go through that will result in payment. So, if you are working as an independent contractor, you need to be as honest as possible with reporting and sometimes that means you report the income when you receive it. There is simply no other way to do it in this situation.
So, you will report that you work a couple of hours, made $4000 that week and you will have Excessive Earnings that one week and not get benefits. You also will likely trigger an inquiry as to whether you had a new job separation, so, be prepared to watch for that and respond immediately otherwise it WILL affect your benefits going forward.
Let me know if you need clarification. This isn't based specifically on PA law, this is just "the way it works" with UI which is based on federal guidelines.
