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I'm in a really tough spot with my TWC situation and hoping someone has been through something similar. Last year (August 2023) I qualified for unemployment under the trailing spouse provision when my husband's job moved us across Texas. After serving the 6-week disqualification period, I collected benefits for the remainder of my 26-week entitlement. I found a job right as my benefits were running out (working as a PRN medical assistant at a hospital, about 30 hrs/week). Here's where it gets complicated - I've been at this job for 6 months now, but TODAY I was informed my department is cutting hours and since I'm PRN status, I'm basically being let go. My last day will be almost exactly August 10th, which coincidentally is when my original benefit year started last year. To make matters worse, my husband just relocated AGAIN for his job last week - but this time out of state! We have two young children and his salary isn't enough to support us (under $50K). When my previous claim exhausted, TWC reps told me I could reapply after September 13, 2024 if I didn't have permanent employment. Can I file a new claim now since it's been almost a year? Would the trailing spouse provision apply again since his job moved us out of state? Will my 6 months of work be enough to qualify for a new claim? I'm honestly panicking about supporting our kids.
I lost my job on 3/15/25 and filed for unemployment right away. After my waiting period, I requested my first payment but TWC denied it because of my severance package. When I called, the agent explained I shouldn't receive benefits during severance period and should've waited until severance ended before filing. I was dealing with some serious anxiety at that time and misunderstood, thinking I needed to STOP requesting payments until severance ended. My severance payments stopped on 6/18/25. I did some freelance work afterward so I assumed I was ineligible anyway. I'd read that self-employed people don't qualify for unemployment, so I just gave up on getting benefits. My contract ended 7/23/25, and I've been without income since. Fast forward to last week - still jobless and completely broke. My sister mentioned I should still be getting unemployment. I found information suggesting that because I was paying myself as a W-2 employee through my LLC (with unemployment taxes paid), I might still qualify. I called TWC yesterday to check. The representative asked if I wanted to reopen my original claim (which expires in March 2026) or file new. I chose to reopen and asked about backpay for all those weeks I was eligible but didn't request payment due to my misunderstanding. The rep said backpay wasn't possible. Today I called again for clarification, and a different agent immediately said he could see my backpay request was already marked for denial in the system. Is there ANY way to appeal this? I'm a single parent with two kids, my savings are gone, and I'm barely keeping up with rent. Has anyone successfully gotten backpay after missing payment requests due to confusion about the rules? I'm desperate for any advice!
To follow up on my earlier comment - I'd recommend you also: 1. Contact your state representative's office. They often have staff who can help with TWC issues and sometimes get faster responses. 2. Submit a formal appeal as soon as you receive the official denial letter. Don't wait - you only have 14 calendar days. 3. In your appeal letter, be very specific about the date you called TWC, what you were told, and how you understood it. Explain that you were experiencing anxiety that affected your comprehension. 4. Request a phone hearing rather than just a document review. 5. Continue requesting payments every two weeks while your appeal is pending. Finally, if you're still struggling financially, check with local community organizations that might offer emergency assistance while you sort this out. Many counties have short-term help programs for families in crisis.
I'm really sorry you're going through this - the system can be incredibly confusing, especially when you're already dealing with job loss and financial stress. I went through something similar a few years ago where I missed several payment requests due to a misunderstanding about work search requirements during COVID. Here's what worked for me: I filed my appeal and included a detailed timeline of events, including the specific date I called TWC and what I was told. Even though I didn't have the rep's name, I provided my phone records showing the call. I also explained how my understanding of their instructions led to my actions. The key things that helped my case were: 1. Being very specific about the verbal instructions I received 2. Showing that I took immediate action once I realized my error 3. Demonstrating that I had been eligible during those missed weeks My appeal took about 6 weeks, but I was ultimately approved for most of my backpay. The hearing officer said the fact that I had documentation showing I called TWC and received what I interpreted as guidance to wait was important. Don't give up - you have legitimate grounds for an appeal. Make sure to emphasize that you were following what you understood to be official TWC guidance. Good luck!
I requested my TWC payment yesterday morning through the Tele-Serv system but I'm getting worried because nothing is showing up in my payment status yet - not even a 'pending' notice. Usually by now I can at least see that it's being processed. Anyone else having similar issues with this week's payment? Is TWC experiencing delays? I've got rent coming up and really need this to hit my account on the normal schedule.
UPDATE: Just checked again and now my payment is showing as pending! Looks like it was just delayed by a day. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions. For anyone else experiencing this, it seems like there's just a system delay this week.
Thanks for posting this update! I was getting worried about my payment too since I requested yesterday and hadn't seen anything yet. Really glad to hear yours showed up - gives me hope that mine will appear soon too. It's frustrating when they do system maintenance without better communication, but at least we know what's causing the delay now.
Totally freaking out right now. I've been claiming benefits since January and my benefit year doesn't end until May 2025. But when I logged in today to request payment, the system is showing me as INELIGIBLE and displaying my old expired claim from June 2021!? The only thing different is that I received an ID.me verification request last week, which I completed right away. Has the ID.me verification somehow messed up my current claim? I've got bills due next week and was counting on this payment. Has anyone else had their claim suddenly flip back to an old expired one? How do I get this fixed ASAP?
UPDATE: Finally got through to TWC this morning! Used the Claimyr service that someone recommended here and got connected in about 20 minutes. The rep immediately knew what the problem was when I mentioned "identity resolution conflict." They had to transfer me to a claims specialist who fixed it while I was on the phone. My correct claim is showing now and I was able to request payment for last week! They said the payment should process normally in 2-3 business days. What a relief! Thanks everyone for your help!
Wow, this exact same thing just happened to me yesterday! I completed my ID.me verification on Monday and when I went to request payment today, boom - suddenly showing my old expired claim from 2020. I was panicking thinking I'd somehow lost my current benefits. Reading through all these responses is such a relief - at least I know it's a known issue and fixable. Going to try calling first thing tomorrow morning with all my documents ready. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially the tip about mentioning "identity resolution conflict" to get routed faster!
I've been on unemployment for about 3 weeks now after getting laid off from construction work. When I filed my claim, the TWC rep told me that I'd get paid for the waiting week after I've received 3 payments. But I was talking to my buddy yesterday who filed last month, and he swears Texas stopped doing that backpay thing for the waiting week altogether. He said it was some budget cut thing they implemented in 2025? I've been counting on getting that extra week's payment to cover my truck payment. Can anyone confirm if TWC is still paying for the waiting week or not? The website is confusing and doesn't seem updated.
hey just wanted to update that i checked my account and my waiting week payment came exactly 4 days after my third regular payment hit. so you should be fine just keep an eye on your account
Just wanted to add my recent experience - I filed in early February and was in the exact same situation as you. Construction worker, laid off due to lack of work. Got my waiting week payment automatically 3 days after my third regular payment posted. One thing that helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track everything - payment request dates, when payments hit my account, work search activities, etc. Made it way easier to know exactly when to expect the waiting week payment and helped when I had questions for TWC. Your buddy might be thinking of some other state or maybe got confused with the federal pandemic programs that ended a while back. Texas still does the waiting week backpay - just keep doing your payment requests on schedule and it should come through automatically after that third payment.
Nina Chan
My sis works for twc and says you should be fine to file a new claim after aug 10 based on what u described. The out of state thing isn't a big deal except you'll need to register with their workforce commission too and do work searches in that state. Most states require fewer work searches than texas (we require 3 per week which is high).
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Isaac Wright
AuthorThanks for the insider perspective! That's reassuring. I'll definitely wait until after Aug 10th to file the new claim, and I'll look into the work search requirements for the state we're moving to.
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Amina Sow
I went through something very similar about 18 months ago! The key thing is timing - definitely wait until August 10th to file since that's when your benefit year ends. Filing even one day early will just reopen your exhausted claim instead of starting a new one. A few things that might help based on my experience: 1. Your job loss due to hours being cut should qualify you for regular UI benefits (no 6-week waiting period like with trailing spouse) 2. You'll likely qualify for the new claim since you've worked 6 months - just make sure you've earned at least 6x your previous weekly benefit amount 3. When you move out of state, you can continue collecting Texas benefits but you'll need to register with the new state's workforce system too The hardest part will probably be the work search requirements while you're preparing to move. I'd suggest starting to document potential remote opportunities or jobs in your new state before you relocate. Good luck - it sounds like you should be able to get through this!
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