Texas Unemployment
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Can't reach Texas Unemployment? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the TWC
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the TWC drops your call
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
Company suddenly shut down today - urgent questions about final paycheck and TWC benefits
My husband just came home shell-shocked. His entire company literally shut down without warning today! Everyone showed up to work and couldn't log into their computers. Even his supervisor had NO IDEA this was happening - she was just as blindsided as everyone else. The whole place is in chaos.\n\nWe have two pressing concerns right now:\n\n1) How will he get his final paycheck? Will it still be direct deposited like normal or should we expect something in the mail? I read Texas law says employers have 6 days to pay final wages, but with the company abruptly closing, I'm worried they might not comply. His supervisor couldn't answer because she's just as confused.\n\n2) He already filed for unemployment benefits this afternoon. What's the typical timeline for TWC to process new claims right now? Also, I've heard unemployment only pays about half of your normal wages - is that accurate? We've never been through this before and I'm trying to figure out how to adjust our budget over the next few months.\n\nThis situation is incredibly stressful. Any advice from people who've been through similar company shutdowns would be SO appreciated.
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TWC application submitted Aug 21 - still no approval decision. Normal wait time?
Hey everyone, I submitted my Texas unemployment application on August 21st (about 2.5 weeks ago) and haven't heard anything back about whether I'm approved or denied. My online account just shows "pending" with no other details. Is this normal? How long did it take for y'all to get a decision? I'm starting to worry because rent is coming up soon and I've got about $230 left in my account. Should I be trying to call them or just keep waiting? Never been through this process before so any insight would be super helpful!
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applied in june took forever got approved then they said i needed to do id.me even tho website never told me that and then my benefits got put on hold for another month while i tried to get it sorted out make sure u check ur correspondence box every day
One additional thing to check: make sure you've registered with WorkInTexas.com. This is a requirement for receiving benefits, and sometimes claims get held up because claimants haven't completed this step. It's separate from your TWC unemployment account.
Oh! I didn't know about this requirement. Going to register right now - thank you for the heads up! Could that be what's holding things up?
It's definitely a possibility. After you register, your claim should move forward within 3-5 business days if that was the only issue. You'll also need to upload your resume there as part of the work search requirements.
TWC system glitch not processing claims or allowing payment requests after January filing
Anyone else experiencing issues with the TWC system today? I submitted my unemployment claim yesterday (January 7th) but nothing's showing as processed or approved in my account. When I tried to request payment, the system says I have to wait until January 15th. What's weirder is that Tele-Serv is showing my last payment as December 19th, but won't let me request a new payment either. I've been trying to get through to TWC all morning but just keep getting the "we're too busy to handle your call" message. I'm starting to worry something's wrong with my claim. Is the system glitching out, or is this normal for January?
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My mother-in-law is having the same issue right now. Filed last week, system keeps showing her last payment from 2020!! TWC definitely has a database problem right now mixing old and new claims. Waiting on hold with them now... going on 1 hour and 22 minutes...
UPDATE: I finally got through to TWC this morning! Called right when they opened at 7am. The rep confirmed there IS a glitch in their system where it's pulling old claim history for new claims filed in January. She fixed it on her end and now my account shows the correct info. My first payment request date IS supposed to be Jan 15th, so that part was correct. She said they're aware of the issue and working on it, but anyone experiencing this should call to have their account manually updated. Thanks everyone for your help!
thx for update!! gonna try calling at 7am tomorrow
Glad you got it sorted out! January and TWC systems... never a good combination.
TWC appeal won - need help backdating payment requests with a real agent
I've been fighting my disqualification for months and FINALLY won my appeal last week! The determination letter says I'm eligible for benefits going back to January, but I wasn't able to request payments during the appeal process. Now I need to backdate like 12 weeks of payment requests, but the website won't let me do it. The online system just gives me an error saying "payment request period not eligible" when I try. I've called the TWC number literally 53 times over 3 days and either get a busy signal or the automated system that doesn't have options for my situation. How do I actually speak to a human being who can help manually process these backdated payment requests? I'm getting desperate since I've got $5,700+ in approved benefits I can't access! Has anyone successfully gotten through recently?
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Has anyone here actually gone in person to a TWC office for this kind of situation? I've been wondering if that might work better than phoning.
In-person visits to Workforce Solutions offices can sometimes work, but they primarily handle job search assistance rather than claim issues. For backdating payment requests specifically, most local offices will still need to call the same TWC claim center on your behalf. However, some offices have direct lines or special contacts that can be helpful. It's worth trying if you live near an office and have exhausted phone options.
Update: I finally got through! After trying all weekend with no luck, I used the Claimyr service that someone mentioned above. Got connected to a TWC agent in about 15 minutes. The agent was able to backdate all 12 of my payment requests in one call! She said the payments should hit my account within 3 business days. Such a relief after weeks of stress. Thanks everyone for your suggestions!
AMAZING! Did they say why the system wouldn't let you backdate online? This might help others with similar problems.
Yes! The agent explained that the online system can only handle backdating 2 weeks on its own. Anything more than that (especially after an appeal) requires manual intervention by a claims specialist. Apparently it's a limitation of their software that they've been "working on fixing" for years.
Can my mechanic husband get TWC benefits while working reduced flag hours at dealership?
Hi everyone! Quick question about partial unemployment in Texas. My husband worked in the oil industry for 10 years until he got laid off in 2020. After struggling for a while, he finally found work as a mechanic at a car dealership, but he's paid by flag hours (basically only paid for completed work). Some weeks are super busy and he makes decent money, but other weeks are painfully slow and he barely brings home $300-400. Is he eligible for any kind of partial unemployment benefits during those slow weeks? He never claimed unemployment after his oil field layoff because he was too proud, but now we're really feeling the pinch when he has slow weeks. Would TWC even consider this situation? Thanks for any advice!
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my buddie works construction and gets TWC when its raining for like weeks. he said it works ok but sometimes theres like delays with the payments. bettr than nothing tho
Those delays are THE WORST though! One time I waited 5 weeks for payment because of some "pending issue" that nobody would explain to me! And you can't talk to a REAL PERSON to fix anything! The whole system needs to be rebuilt from scratch if you ask me.
Doesn't the dealership have to agree to this? My daughter tried to get unemployment when her retail hours got cut and her employer fought it saying she was still employed. The whole thing turned into a mess with TWC sending her overpayment notices later.
That's a good question about employer involvement. For partial unemployment, the employer doesn't need to "agree" to it - it's the employee's right to file if their hours have been reduced through no fault of their own. However, TWC will contact the employer to verify the reason for reduced earnings. If the employer incorrectly reports that the reduction was due to employee choice or misconduct, that could create problems. It's best for your husband to give his employer a heads-up that he's applying for partial benefits due to the fluctuating flag hours. Most employers understand this process, especially in industries where work fluctuates seasonally or based on customer demand.
Elijah Brown
btw after u do the id.me thing make sure u log back into the twc unemployment account again. alot of ppl think there done after id.me but u have to go back and finish the claim on the twc site. also the first payment is always the slowest, after that its usualy pretty quick if u do the payment requests right
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Emily Thompson
That's great to know! I'll make sure he completes both steps. So after the initial approval, the subsequent payments should come more quickly?
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