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Hey everyone, I'm in a bit of a pickle here. I need to file for unemployment benefits but I'm late on it. I've been trying to reach the unemployment office for days now, but no luck. Anyone else dealing with this? Any tips on how to get through to a real person? I'm starting to feel pretty desperate here.
Finally got through my approval process for Texas unemployment after waiting SIX long weeks! I submitted my first payment request today at 6:34 AM and I'm wondering about the timing now. I use Chime banking which advertises getting direct deposits up to 2 days early. Has anyone with Chime received TWC benefits before? How quickly did the money show up after your payment request was processed? I'm trying to plan for bills and groceries this week. Thanks for any insight!
dude everyones saying different things here lol. my roommate got his in 2 days, i got mine in 4. i think it just depends on the TWC computer gods and how theyre feeling that day ๐คทโโ๏ธ
UPDATE: My payment just hit my Chime account!! It took exactly 3 days from request to deposit. I'm so relieved! Thanks everyone for the info and support. For anyone else wondering about timing with Chime: Monday morning request โ Thursday morning deposit. And yes, it looks like the 2-day early deposit feature with Chime actually did make a difference!
Great news! Just as a reminder, make sure you're documenting your 3 required work search activities each week. Your next payment request will require you to certify that you've completed them.
My regular request payment day is Tuesday of this week, but I just realized Monday is Memorial Day (a bank holiday). Will this affect when I receive my deposit? My bank normally pays me early Wednesday night. Getting kinda anxious because I have a few bills scheduled to auto-pay Thursday morning. Has anyone experienced payment delays with TWC due to holidays? TIA
UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know my payment did get delayed exactly one day - hit my account Thursday night instead of Wednesday. I was able to move my autopayments thankfully. Thanks for all the help!
Thanks for posting this update! This is really helpful for others who might face the same situation during holiday weeks. It's good to know the delay was predictable - exactly one business day as several people mentioned. I'm saving this thread for reference since I'm sure this will come up again with upcoming holidays like Labor Day and Thanksgiving.
I'm in a sticky situation with my TWC claim and need advice. My boss laid me off last month and gave me a $500 bonus (literally labeled 'bonus' on my final check) just to help me out while I find new work. I filed for unemployment right away, was approved, and received two benefit payments. Now my former employer has responded to TWC (on the 17th day - TWC confirmed this was past the 14-day deadline). He's claiming he FIRED me and that the $500 was actually 'severance pay.' This is completely false! I was definitely laid off due to slow business. TWC has now put my payments on hold while they investigate. I don't have written proof of being laid off since it happened in person, just my final paycheck showing the $500 as a 'bonus' not 'severance.' Has anyone dealt with an employer changing their story after the fact? Does the late response (17 days vs 14) help my case at all? I'm getting really worried since rent is due next week.
@Zara Mirza - definitely try Claimyr if you can't get through the regular phone lines! It really was a lifesaver. And yes, having documentation of the late response seems to be key. In your case, make sure you have any proof of the timeline when your employer responded vs. the deadline. TWC takes those deadlines seriously from what I've learned. Good luck with your situation! It's so frustrating when employers try to change their story after the fact, but it sounds like TWC sees through these tactics pretty well.
This whole discussion has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm new to this community but dealing with unemployment issues myself. It's really helpful to see how supportive everyone is here and how you all share practical advice. @Aisha Rahman and @Zara Mirza - it sounds like both of you have good strategies for dealing with employer contests. The documentation aspect seems so crucial. I m bookmarking'this thread for future reference since I m still'navigating the TWC system myself. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences!
Welcome to the community @Ian Armstrong! This is exactly the kind of situation where having people share their experiences really makes a difference. TWC issues can be so overwhelming when you're dealing with them alone, but threads like this show that there are patterns to how these cases get resolved. The late employer response + documentation combo seems to be a winning strategy based on what everyone's shared here. @Liam Mendez - really hoping you get good news in those 5-7 days! And for anyone else following along, it's worth noting that Claimyr seems to be getting mentioned more and more as a reliable way to actually reach TWC agents when the regular lines are jammed. Knowledge is power with these situations!
@CosmicCowboy Thanks for the warm welcome! You're absolutely right that having a community like this makes such a huge difference. I was feeling pretty lost when I first started dealing with TWC, but seeing how @Liam Mendez handled his situation and all the practical advice from everyone here has been invaluable. The Claimyr recommendation alone could save people days of frustration trying to get through. It s'really encouraging to see how people look out for each other here, especially when dealing with something as stressful as unemployment claims. Fingers crossed for good news for Liam and everyone else working through these challenges!
I'm beyond frustrated with TWC right now. Here's what happened: I gave my 2 weeks notice at my job because the pay wasn't cutting it (I was making $16.50/hr when similar positions were paying $21+). Only 3 days later, my supervisor suddenly terminated me, claiming "safety violations" but refused to specify what these violations actually were. When I contacted HR directly, they confirmed I'm listed in their system as TERMINATED, not resigned. Yet somehow TWC denied my claim saying I "voluntarily quit"?? This makes zero sense. My determination letter literally states I'm disqualified because I "left the job voluntarily without good cause attributable to the employer" - but I was FIRED before my notice period ended! I've been trying to call TWC for 2 weeks straight with no luck. Has anyone successfully appealed in a situation like this? The appeal deadline is next Friday and I'm desperate to get this fixed.
I'm really glad to see you got the documentation from HR confirming your termination! That's going to be crucial evidence for your appeal. One thing I'd suggest - when you have your hearing, emphasize that your employer made the business decision to end your employment early rather than allowing you to work out your notice period. This shows they prioritized their immediate needs over your original resignation timeline. Also, if the hearing officer asks about why you originally gave notice, keep it brief and factual - you were seeking better compensation opportunities. The key point is that regardless of why you gave notice, your employer chose to terminate you before that notice period ended. That termination decision is what actually ended your employment, not your resignation. Document everything about the hearing process too - dates, times, what was discussed. Sometimes these cases need to go through multiple levels of appeal, so having good records helps. You're doing everything right by getting organized and meeting the deadlines!
I've been following unemployment law cases in Texas for years, and this type of employer manipulation is unfortunately very common. What your employer did is called "constructive dismissal" - they're trying to have it both ways by getting rid of you immediately while claiming you quit to avoid their unemployment insurance costs going up. Here's what I'd emphasize in your appeal beyond what others have mentioned: 1. The fact that they won't specify the "safety violations" is actually evidence in your favor - if there were legitimate safety issues, they would have documentation 2. The timing is suspicious - safety violations don't suddenly appear 3 days after someone gives notice 3. Most importantly, Texas law is clear that when an employer terminates someone before their notice period ends, it's considered involuntary separation regardless of the original notice Make sure to phrase it exactly like this in your appeal: "My employment was involuntarily terminated by my employer on [date], which was [X] days before my intended resignation date of [date]." This language is important because it clearly establishes that the employer made the final decision about when your job ended. Also, keep calling that Claimyr service someone mentioned - getting a live person at TWC before your hearing can really help clarify any confusion in your file. You're going to win this appeal - the facts are clearly on your side!
This is incredibly detailed and helpful - thank you so much! The term "constructive dismissal" really puts into perspective what my employer was trying to pull. You're absolutely right about the timing being suspicious - I've been with this company for over a year with zero safety issues on record, and suddenly they claim violations just days after I give notice? That's way too convenient. I'm definitely going to use that exact phrasing you suggested about "involuntary termination" in my appeal documentation. The legal terminology seems really important for making sure TWC understands the situation clearly. I had no idea that Texas law was so specific about this type of scenario, but it makes perfect sense - if the employer cuts short your notice period, they're the ones making that final decision about when employment ends. I'm going to try Claimyr again tomorrow morning to see if I can get through to someone at TWC before my hearing gets scheduled. Having a live person review my file and potentially catch any discrepancies early on sounds like it could save a lot of time and stress. Thank you for giving me such a clear framework for how to present this case!
Angelica Smith
Have you tried calling right when they open? I heard that's the best time to get through. Also, keep hitting 0 or # repeatedly - sometimes that'll bump you to a real person.
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Logan Greenburg
Tried that. Doesn't work anymore. They've caught on to our tricks lol
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Charlotte Jones
I've had better luck calling later in the day actually. Less people trying to get through then.
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Natasha Orlova
I totally get your frustration! I went through the same thing a few months back. What finally worked for me was calling around 2 PM on Wednesdays - seems like a weird time but I think it's when they have more staff available after lunch breaks. Also, make sure you have your Social Security number, last employer info, and exact dates of employment ready before you call. The reps move fast once you get through and they'll hang up if you take too long to find your paperwork. Don't lose hope - it took me 3 weeks but I eventually got everything sorted out!
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