I've been through this exact same situation! The combination of reporting part-time earnings and it being your second payment request is definitely why you're seeing the delay. When I first started collecting benefits, my initial payment was super fast (came with the card), but then my second payment took almost a full week because I had also reported some freelance work I did. The "pending review" status is totally normal when you report earnings - they have to manually verify everything matches up. Since you earned $180 and assuming your weekly benefit is around $400 (just guessing), you should still get a decent payment once it processes. The waiting is the worst part, but it sounds like you're doing everything right by reporting honestly and keeping up with work searches. Hang in there - it should show up early next week if the timeline follows what most of us have experienced!

I went through something very similar when I started collecting benefits! The first payment comes loaded on the ReliaCard when they mail it to you, but after that, regular payment requests follow TWC's normal processing timeline. When you report part-time earnings like you did, it triggers a manual review process that adds several extra days. The good news is that "pending review" for reported earnings is completely routine - they just need to verify your work hours and calculate the correct benefit reduction. Since you earned $180, depending on your weekly benefit amount, you should still receive a partial payment once the review is complete. I'd expect to see movement in your claim status by Monday or Tuesday of next week. The waiting is stressful when bills are due, but you're doing everything correctly by reporting your earnings honestly. That's actually going to work in your favor long-term with TWC!

This is such a relief to read! I'm new to the unemployment system and stories like this really help ease the anxiety about navigating TWC. The fact that you were able to claim both weeks and explain your illness situation gives me hope that the system isn't as unforgiving as I initially thought. I'm keeping a calendar reminder now for my filing days after reading about how stressful it can be to miss them. Thanks for sharing your experience - it's posts like these that make this community so valuable for people trying to figure out the TWC maze!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently dealing with a similar situation - had to take my elderly mom to the ER last week and completely forgot about my TWC filing day. Been stressed all weekend thinking I lost those benefits. Reading everyone's experiences, especially the successful resolution, gives me so much peace of mind. It's reassuring to know that TWC does account for life emergencies and that the two-week policy actually works as intended. Setting multiple phone alarms for my Wednesday filing day now - lesson learned! Thanks to everyone who shared their stories, this community is a lifesaver for navigating the TWC system.

Congratulations on getting approved! This is such a perfect example of why documentation matters so much in these cases. The fact that you clearly explained the inadequate training situation and the employer couldn't provide any performance-related justification really made the difference. For anyone else reading this thread in a similar situation - this case shows that even very short employment periods can be investigated by TWC, but as long as you can demonstrate that the separation wasn't due to misconduct on your part, you should be fine. The key is being thorough and honest when they interview you about what happened. Good luck with your continued job search, Taylor!

As a newcomer here, I just wanted to say how relieved I am to see your positive outcome, Taylor! Your story really resonates with me because I'm dealing with some workplace issues myself right now. It's incredibly reassuring to see how this community rallied around you with solid advice and support. What strikes me most about your case is how clearly it demonstrates that TWC really does look at the facts objectively. The combination of inadequate training, no system access until day 3, zero documentation of performance issues, and the employer's own admission that it was "out of their control" painted a very clear picture. Your experience is going to be so valuable for others in similar situations. Thanks for taking the time to update us with the final outcome - it gives hope to those of us navigating the unemployment system for the first time!

Thanks everybody for all this helpful info! I'm going to: 1. Reapply today and make sure I list the return date in March 2. Keep my employer's recall letter ready if they request it 3. Start doing my 3 weekly work searches right away until told otherwise 4. Request payments on schedule even while waiting for the new determination It sounds like I should expect 3-5 weeks of processing time, which is going to be tight financially but at least I know to plan for it. I'll update here if I run into any other issues or once my claim gets approved with the new benefit amount. Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly!

One more tip that saved me a lot of stress - if you have any side income or freelance work during your unemployment, make sure to report it accurately on your payment requests. Even small amounts like $50 from odd jobs need to be reported. TWC will reduce your weekly benefit by the amount you earned, but failing to report it can cause overpayment issues later. Also, since you're in construction, be aware that if you get any temporary or day labor work while waiting for your seasonal recall, you still need to report those wages even if it's just a one-day gig. The construction industry has a lot of informal work arrangements that people sometimes forget to report. Good luck with your reapplication! The waiting period is the worst part, but once it's processed you should be in much better shape financially through the winter.

One last piece of advice for your hearing - be very careful what you say about your availability for work during that period. The school might try to trip you up by asking if you were "ready and available" to return to work at any point. The correct answer is "Yes, I was available to return when the school reopened for normal operations and I was called back." Don't fall into the trap of saying you wouldn't have returned under certain conditions (unless you had legitimate health concerns that are protected). Remember that to qualify for unemployment, you needed to be ready and available for suitable work. Good luck with your hearing! Please let us know how it goes - your experience could help others in the same situation.

I'm dealing with something similar right now with my district! They're claiming I "abandoned" my position as a bus driver even though I was laid off due to reduced routes during COVID. It's so frustrating how they wait months to challenge these claims hoping we won't fight back. One thing that really helped me was getting a copy of my personnel file from HR (you have a right to this in Texas). It showed there was NO resignation letter or termination paperwork on file - just notes about the layoff. This was crucial evidence that I never quit. Also, if you have any coworkers who were in similar situations, see if they'd be willing to provide a statement about the school's communications during that time. Sometimes having witness testimony about what management was telling everyone can really strengthen your case. You've got this! Don't let them intimidate you with their fancy lawyers - the facts are on your side.