One more important tip: during your appeal hearing, focus ONLY on the natural disaster aspects. Don't get drawn into arguments about other attendance issues even if your employer brings them up. The hearing officer only cares about the specific reason for your termination as it relates to the determination letter. Also, request a copy of your TWC claim file before the hearing so you can see exactly what your employer told TWC. Sometimes employers will change their story or add details that weren't part of the original termination reason.

Update: I submitted my appeal yesterday with all the documentation suggested here. I included 12 photos of flooding, screenshots of my texts to my supervisor, local news reports about the storm, and the county disaster declaration. Now just waiting for my hearing date. Thanks everyone for your help - I'll update when I hear something!

Update! Called the number at 7am and was on hold for 30 minutes. It turns out someone stole my husband's identity and filed for benefits during Covid. They told him to send in some proof of identification and will proceed from there. Thank you all for your help.

This is exactly what happened to my brother! Once he sent in his ID documents, they cleared the fraudulent account within about 10 days and he was able to set up a legitimate account with a new PIN. Definitely follow the advice about filing identity theft reports too - my brother ended up finding other accounts opened in his name when he checked his credit reports.

My neighbor did seasonal farm work for years and sometimes the employer would fight his claim and sometimes not. It seemed to depend on how good their year was financially. One time they even told him straight up "we had a bad year, so we're contesting unemployment claims" lol. He still got his benefits most times tho!!

Just to follow up on my earlier comment - I want to emphasize that you should file your initial claim exactly as you have done in previous years. Be consistent with your reporting. TWC maintains records of your previous claims, so they'll be able to see that nothing has changed in your employment situation. The fact that you've been approved for 13 consecutive years creates a presumption in your favor. If your employer contests the claim, TWC will notify you and give you an opportunity to respond. At that point, you should explain the consistent pattern of seasonal employment and emphasize that nothing has changed in your work arrangement. Keep in mind that unemployment insurance exists precisely for situations like yours - temporary periods without work when you have a history of consistent employment. Don't let your employer's tax concerns prevent you from accessing benefits you're legally entitled to receive.

Quick update: We finally got through! Used Claimyr this morning and got connected to a TWC agent in about 30 minutes. They transferred us to the fraud department, and it turns out the flag was automatically triggered because of the Tennessee address + Texas employer combination. The agent said they need copies of his travel receipts, W-2 forms, and a letter from his employer confirming the travel arrangement. We're gathering everything now and will fax it over today. They said once they receive and verify the documents, the hold should be removed within 3-5 business days. Thank you all for your help and suggestions!

Excellent progress! A few tips for the documentation: 1. Include a cover sheet with his name, claim ID number, and contact information 2. Number each page clearly 3. Keep the fax confirmation receipt 4. Call back in exactly 5 business days if you don't see the hold removed Once the fraud hold is removed, any payments owed should be released relatively quickly. Just make sure he continues requesting payments on his assigned day, even while waiting for the hold to be removed.

ur lucky to get severance! my company gave us nothin when they shut down. just "sorry bye" 🤷‍♀️

Quick update - I called the TWC office and they confirmed I need to wait until May 1st to file, and I should report my severance payment. They also gave me some info about the training programs that might be available through Workforce Solutions. Thank you all for the advice! This has been really helpful. I'm meeting with a career counselor next week to discuss school options that would qualify under their training program.