UPDATE: I wanted to thank everyone for the helpful advice! I spoke with my HR department and showed them the handbook section about salary continuation. They're processing it now and said I should be covered for this week at 60% of my normal pay. Not perfect but WAY better than nothing! Also talked to my landlord who said he'd work with me if the payment is a few days late. Sometimes just asking directly for help works better than I expected. Thanks again everyone!

This is such a great outcome! Your experience is a perfect example of why it's so important to thoroughly read through your employee handbook - there are often benefits and protections that people don't know exist. The salary continuation benefit you found is exactly the kind of safety net that should bridge these gaps between sick leave and other programs. Also really glad to hear your landlord was understanding. Many landlords would rather work with a good tenant who communicates proactively than deal with the hassle of eviction proceedings. Hope your recovery goes smoothly and you're back to 100% soon! Thanks for updating us - it's helpful for others who might find themselves in similar situations to see that there can be solutions beyond just TWC unemployment benefits.

Thank you all SO much for the advice! I think I'm going to take the startup position but with some serious precautions: 1. I'll make sure the contract clearly outlines early termination conditions 2. I'll build up emergency savings to cover at least 3 months in case there's a TWC fight 3. I'll look into that Self-Employment Assistance Program 4. I'll keep detailed documentation of all communications about the job It sounds like I might qualify based on my W2 base period, but that I should expect challenges and possibly appeals if I need to file. This has been incredibly helpful - exactly the real-world insight I was looking for!

Smart plan! One additional tip - when you're documenting everything, also keep records of your job search efforts even while you're working the 1099 contract. If the startup does fold and you need to file for unemployment, having a history of networking and staying connected to the job market can help demonstrate that you remained engaged with traditional employment opportunities, not just freelancing. This can counter any argument that you "abandoned" W2 work permanently. Good luck with the startup - sounds like you're going in with your eyes wide open!

Just to confirm what others have said - once your benefits remaining amount hits zero, your payments stop regardless of the benefit year end date. But I wanted to add something important: How quickly you use up your benefits depends on your Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA). For example, if your WBA is $580, then your $5,820 would last about 10 weeks. You can calculate roughly how many more weeks of full benefits you have by dividing your remaining balance by your weekly amount. This can help you budget and plan for how long your benefits will last if you continue getting full payments each week. And as others mentioned, part-time work can help stretch this further.

Hey Ava, I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago when I got laid off from my tech job. The confusion is totally understandable - TWC's explanations are pretty unclear about this. Everyone here is right that once your "Benefits Remaining" hits zero, you're done regardless of your benefit year end date. What helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track my remaining balance each week so I could see exactly how much time I had left. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier: start networking NOW, not just applying to job postings. LinkedIn, industry meetups, reaching out to former colleagues - these "hidden" opportunities often move faster than public postings. With marketing layoffs everywhere, the competition for posted jobs is brutal, but many positions get filled through connections before they're even advertised. Also, consider broadening your search to adjacent fields like digital marketing for non-tech companies, content strategy, or even sales enablement roles. Sometimes a "bridge job" in a related field can keep your income flowing while you continue looking for your ideal marketing position. Good luck - the job market is rough right now but it's definitely not impossible. Just make sure you're being strategic with the time your benefits give you!

Based on your comments about having worked some small jobs since your last claim, I'd recommend filing a new initial claim immediately. Bring all documentation of those jobs - even if they were short-term. TWC will calculate if you've earned enough in your base period to qualify. Regarding your housing situation, contact your county's Health and Human Services department. Many counties have emergency housing assistance, especially if you're actively looking for work. As for your former employer, while they don't have to rehire you, if you believe their refusal is based on retaliation for filing unemployment or based on a protected characteristic (race, gender, age, disability, etc.), you might have grounds for a discrimination complaint. The Texas Workforce Commission's Civil Rights Division handles these types of complaints.

I went through something similar last year and it's really tough. One thing that helped me was applying for emergency rental assistance through 211 (just dial 2-1-1). They connected me with local programs that could help with hotel costs while I got back on my feet. Also, when you file that new claim, make sure to mention you're experiencing homelessness - TWC sometimes has expedited processing for people in crisis situations. Don't give up! It took me about 2 months to get everything sorted out but I eventually found something better than my old job anyway. Hang in there and keep us posted on how the new claim goes!

Just to clarify for everyone - there's an important distinction between regular Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits exhaustion and Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). When your regular UI benefits exhaust, you typically don't automatically qualify for DUA unless you're in an area affected by a federally declared disaster AND your continued unemployment is directly related to that disaster. The OP may have qualified because they were in an affected area and could demonstrate their continued unemployment was disaster-related. For most people whose benefits have exhausted, Extended Benefits or other UI extensions would be more appropriate than DUA (when available). If you need to contact TWC about your specific situation, persistence is key. If you're struggling to get through on the phone, consider scheduling an in-person appointment at your local Workforce Solutions office. They can sometimes help facilitate communication with TWC.

This is really helpful to hear! I've been struggling to get through to TWC for weeks after my benefits exhausted in early July. I'm also in one of the flood-affected counties but didn't realize I might still be able to apply for DUA. Did you have to provide any documentation proving your job loss was disaster-related, or was being in an affected county enough? Also, when you say you "completed 6 payment requests" - were those for all the weeks between when your regular benefits ended and when the DUA was approved? I'm trying to figure out how much backpay might be possible if I can get through to someone helpful like you did.