my cousin works for twc and says theres a huge backlog of employer appeals right now so get your paperwork in asap and be super thorough the first time

Just to follow up on my earlier comment - since you mentioned these are seasonal workers you regularly rehire, you should specifically look into TWC's "Seasonal Employer" designation. There's an actual formal process to be designated as a seasonal employer (Form C-24), and it's different from just having workers you consider "seasonal". If you get this designation, benefits paid during your designated off-season won't affect your tax rate as much. But you must apply for this status before the claims happen, not retroactively, unfortunately. Also, for future reference, always respond to ALL claim notices, even if you're not contesting them. Simply saying "claim is valid, separation was due to lack of work" helps establish your responsiveness pattern with TWC.

Just to follow up - I just checked and it looks like TWC hasn't posted anything about recent flooding disaster unemployment yet. They usually send out a press release first, then update the website. You might want to sign up for their news alerts at https://www.twc.texas.gov/news to get notified as soon as they announce the DUA program for your disaster. The deadline to apply is usually 30 days after the announcement, so you don't want to miss it!

kinda off topic but make sure u do ur work search stuff even with disaster benefits they still made me do that

Important clarification about tax refund intercepts: TWC has to certify the debt to the Treasury Offset Program, which doesn't happen immediately. Typically, they must send you multiple notices before your debt gets sent to TOP. Additionally, there's processing time involved. If you resolve the identity verification issue quickly (within 2-3 weeks), you can likely prevent the refund intercept. Call TWC's Benefit Overpayment collections department directly at 512-936-3338 rather than the general unemployment line - they can help with setting up payment plans or holds while you resolve the verification issue.

UPDATE: I finally got the ID.me verification to work! Used my roommate's laptop with better camera and made sure to have good lighting. Then I called that direct number for overpayments (512-936-3338) and after about an hour on hold, I got through to someone who was super helpful. They put a hold on my account and said they'll review it within 7-10 business days. They said if everything checks out with my identity, the overpayment should be removed from my account. Fingers crossed my tax refund will be safe! Thanks everyone for all your help!

Thanks everyone for the helpful info. I just checked my TWC account and found my determination letter - looks like my DUA runs until September 15th (exactly 26 weeks from when I applied). That gives me about 10 weeks to get my business back to at least partial capacity. Going to look into those SBA disaster loans too as a backup plan. Really appreciate all the advice!

Glad you found your end date! Just remember if anything changes with your income before September 15th, you need to report it on your payment requests. If you start making money from your business, even if it's not back to normal levels, you have to report it and TWC will adjust your benefit amount. A lot of people miss this part and end up with overpayment notices later.

hi there, just went thru something similar with my cousin who moved from oklahoma. what finally worked was having her create a new TWC account using her SSN only, then immediately requesting a PIN reset. for some reason this bypassed the DL verification for her and she got to the next step. not sure if it will work for everyone but worth a shot!

Just checking back - were you able to get through using any of these methods? The Tele-Serv option that @helpful_user1 mentioned is usually the most reliable in my experience. Also, worth noting that with her nursing background, she might qualify for certain priority processing since healthcare workers sometimes have different unemployment rules. Make sure to specifically mention she's a nurse when you do connect with someone.