I'm absolutely horrified reading through all of these experiences - it's clear that TWC's Commission Appeal process is completely broken and systematically failing people when they need help most. A year+ wait with zero communication is unconscionable for any government agency. What really gets me is that we're all having to become experts in bureaucratic warfare just to get basic services we're legally entitled to. The fact that multiple people have found success with the "shotgun approach" (state senators, ombudsman, BBB complaints, individual Commissioner letters, media outreach) shows that TWC only responds to external pressure, not to serving the people who depend on them. For anyone just starting this process, please learn from everyone's experiences here: - Document EVERYTHING from day one (dates, times, names, reference numbers) - Don't rely on just one avenue - hit them from multiple angles simultaneously - State senators seem more effective than state reps - BBB complaints actually get responses (bizarre but apparently true) - Local investigative reporters love these government dysfunction stories The systemic nature of these delays really does seem like it could warrant legal action or at minimum a formal investigation by the State Auditor. When this many people are experiencing identical problems (cases sitting unassigned, zero communication, excessive delays), that's not individual failures - that's institutional dysfunction. Keep fighting everyone. The system is designed to make you give up, but your stories prove that persistence and strategic pressure actually work. We shouldn't have to do this, but since we do, at least we can support each other through it!

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation and this thread has been incredibly validating - I thought I was going crazy! I've been waiting 15 months for my Commission Appeal decision after my employer falsely claimed I was terminated for "poor performance" (I have emails proving otherwise). What's particularly maddening is that I actually called TWC yesterday using the Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier, and even the Tier 2 rep told me they have "no visibility" into Commission Appeals once they're submitted. She literally said "it's like they disappear into a black hole." At least she was honest! I'm going to implement the multi-pronged strategy everyone's outlined here - state senator, ombudsman, BBB complaint, and individual Commissioner letters. The fact that so many people have found success with this approach gives me hope that persistence really does pay off. One thing I wanted to add based on my research - I found out that TWC is required to maintain certain performance standards under federal law for processing unemployment appeals. If anyone has documentation of these excessive delays, it might be worth filing a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor as well. Federal oversight might carry more weight than state-level complaints. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and strategies. It's awful that we need this information, but this community is a lifeline for people navigating this broken system. I'll definitely update with my progress!

My unemployment check was sent last Monday and I still haven't received it. I have USPS informed delivery and it's not in the mail today either. I live in Dallas, it shouldn't take over a week to arrive from Austin. I have received all of their other mailed correspondence within 2 days of sending it out. This is ridiculous, if I don't receive it tomorrow then the earliest will be Friday. I have another payment request on Sunday, at this rate I'll be getting 2 payments at the same time.

That's definitely unusual for Dallas! I'm also in the DFW area and my checks have consistently arrived within 4-5 business days. Since you have informed delivery and can confirm it's not coming, I'd definitely call TWC first thing tomorrow morning. The early morning tip (7:30-8:00 AM) that others mentioned really works - I got through in under 20 minutes when I called early. Since it's been over a week and you're approaching your next payment request, ask them about issuing a replacement check or if they can expedite it somehow. Also double-check with your apartment complex/neighbors in case it got misdelivered - that seems to happen more often than it should with these checks. The good news is that your next payment request won't interfere with the missing one - they're processed separately. But definitely get this sorted out ASAP since waiting for two checks to arrive would be even more stressful! Let us know what TWC says when you call.

Just went through this exact scenario last month! You definitely still need to file your payment request even if you made more than your weekly benefit amount - this keeps your claim active. When you report earnings that exceed your WBA, you'll get $0 for that week, but those benefits aren't lost forever. They stay in your account for future weeks when you might not have work or earn less. The key is to always report your earnings for the week you actually WORKED (not when you got paid) and keep doing your required work search activities. I made the mistake of thinking I didn't need to do work searches during a week I was working temp jobs and almost got hit with an overpayment issue. TWC's system will automatically calculate everything once you report honestly, so don't stress too much about the math - just focus on filing on time and being accurate with your reports!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - if you're doing temp work through an agency, make sure you understand how they report your earnings to TWC. Some agencies report weekly, others bi-weekly, and timing can affect which certification period your earnings get attributed to. I had a temp agency job where they paid me for week 1 and week 2 together at the end of week 2, but I had to report the earnings separately for each week I actually worked. Also, keep all your pay stubs from temp work - TWC sometimes asks for documentation during reviews, especially if there are any discrepancies in their system. Better to have everything organized from the start than scramble to find paperwork later!

That's wonderful news about finally getting through to TWC! It's such a relief when you can actually speak to someone who can look into your specific situation. The employer response delay is unfortunately very common, especially during company restructuring when HR departments are overwhelmed. I'm really glad TWC will make a determination even without the employer response - that's actually a protection for claimants so unresponsive employers can't indefinitely delay benefits. The payment advance option is something many people don't know about, so definitely worth exploring for your car payment situation. Thanks for sharing the update - it gives hope to others dealing with similar delays that persistence with calling really does pay off!

I went through something very similar last month! My ID.me verification was complete but my benefits were stuck in "pending" status for almost 4 weeks. Turns out there was a wage discrepancy - TWC had different employment dates than what I reported, and they were waiting for my employer to clarify. The frustrating part is they never sent me any notice about this issue, I only found out when I finally got through to an agent. My advice: keep calling early morning (around 7:15am works best for me), and don't give up on requesting your weekly payments even though nothing seems to be happening. Once they resolve whatever secondary issue is causing the delay, all those pending payments will process at once. Hope you get it sorted out soon!

I went through the exact same thing a few months ago! Got denied initially but kept getting those ID.me emails and was so confused. Turns out it's completely normal - the ID.me verification is required for your TWC account regardless of whether your initial claim was approved or denied. I actually called it the "bureaucratic chicken and egg problem" because you need to verify to appeal, but you get denied before verifying! The good news is that once I completed the ID.me verification and filed an interstate claim (I had worked in New Mexico), everything got sorted out. The verification itself took maybe 15 minutes - just have your driver's license ready and make sure you're in good lighting for the video selfie part. One tip that saved me a lot of headache: when you do get through to TWC, ask them to put a note in your file that you completed the ID.me verification on [whatever date you do it]. Sometimes there's a delay between when you complete it and when it shows up in their system, and having that note prevented me from having to redo the process later. Hang in there - the system is definitely confusing but it sounds like you're on the right track with the interstate claim angle!

I just went through this same process last month and wanted to share what I learned! The ID.me verification is actually required for ALL TWC accounts now, regardless of your claim status. So even though you got denied, you still need to complete it because it's tied to your account, not your specific claim. The really important thing here is that your denial was likely because TWC's system initially only looks at Texas wages. Since you worked in Oklahoma, you'll probably need to file what's called an interstate claim or combined wage claim to include those out-of-state wages. I had a similar situation with Arizona wages and once I got the right type of claim filed, I qualified easily. My advice: Complete the ID.me verification ASAP (it's pretty quick - just need your driver's license and decent lighting), then focus on getting through to TWC to discuss filing an interstate claim. The verification requirement isn't going away, so you might as well get it done now rather than having it delay things later if your appeal or new claim gets approved. Don't let the confusing system discourage you - it sounds like you should definitely qualify once they look at your Oklahoma wages!