Update: I just wanted to add something important - when you file, TWC will ask about the reason for your separation from employment. Make sure you accurately indicate you were laid off (not fired for cause or that you quit). This affects your eligibility. Since your employer is continuing to pay you, they might not have reported your separation to TWC yet, which could cause confusion. You might want to speak with your former employer to ensure you're both on the same page about how your separation is classified.

Just one more thing - make sure you setup direct deposit right away in the TWC system! The debit card option takes way longer to get your money and has all kinds of weird fees. The direct deposit option is buried deep in the account settings and easy to miss.

my cousin works at twc (not a claims person just admin) and she says they're SUPER backed up right now with all these disaster claims from that storm last month. might be part of why ur stuff is messed up, they're entering things manually and making mistakes

Just to clarify for everyone - under current TWC rules, you cannot receive both regular unemployment and disaster unemployment benefits simultaneously. When a disaster declaration affects your area, the system may automatically create a disaster claim, but a determination should be made about which program is appropriate for your situation. I'd recommend doing the following: 1. Continue requesting payment on whichever claim type you can access (if any) 2. Document all communications with TWC 3. Keep records of all work search activities 4. Contact a claims specialist who can review both claims 5. Ask them specifically which claim type you should be on and have them close the other one 6. Get them to remove any redundant ID verification requirements This needs to be fixed properly to avoid future overpayment issues.

my cousin had this same problem!!! she had to wait for appeal but they did pay her all the back money once they fixed it. took like a month tho

One more important thing - when you have your appeal hearing, if the TWC representative asks when you realized you made a mistake, be honest about the exact date. If you say you knew immediately but waited several days to try to fix it, that could hurt your case. Also, keep a log of all your work search activities during this time and be prepared to show you've been actively looking for work. This proves you really are available for full-time work despite the button error. Good luck with everything!

One important thing to remember: even after your benefits exhaust, continue to request payment every two weeks as scheduled until your benefit year ends. Sometimes TWC releases additional funds or makes retroactive adjustments, and you won't receive those if you've stopped requesting payment. Also, triple-check that you've provided ALL employment from your base period. Sometimes people forget about a part-time job or short-term position that could add to their total benefit amount. If you left anything out, contact TWC immediately to have your monetary determination recalculated. Lastly, make sure you're documenting all your work search activities correctly. If TWC finds additional wages or determines you were eligible for more than initially calculated, you'll want to ensure you've met all requirements to receive those funds.

Yes, absolutely continue requesting payment until your benefit year expires (usually 12 months from when you first filed). The system will show you have $0 remaining, but still complete the process. One other thing to check - log into your TWC account and make sure your previous employer didn't contest your unemployment claim. Sometimes they do this at the last minute, and if TWC sides with you, they might add additional weeks to your claim. Also verify that your work search activities are all being properly recorded - sometimes a technical glitch can cause benefits to stop prematurely. I'd also recommend updating your resume on WorkInTexas.com weekly - this makes it appear at the top of employer searches and counts as a work search activity. The holiday season actually has decent hiring for temporary positions that sometimes convert to permanent.

This happened to my brother-in-law and the worst part was that the IRS tried to make him pay taxes on "benefits" he never received or applied for! Fight this aggressively and document EVERYTHING. The burden of proof somehow falls on the victim which is completely backwards. The system is broken.

Final update: I've reported the fraud to West Virginia, filed an FTC report, put freezes on my credit, and my bank is helping return the money. West Virginia said they're seeing a lot of these cases and promised to send me something in writing confirming this was fraud for my tax records. Thanks everyone for your help! This community has been amazing with advice during a stressful situation.