I received DUA after the 2021 freeze in Texas. Some advice from my experience: 1. Keep detailed records of all communications 2. Don't miss any payment request deadlines 3. Continue your work search activities (3 per week for Texas) 4. Check both your email and TWC correspondence inbox regularly Mine took 27 days for approval, which seems to be about average. And yes, they do backdate payments to when you became unemployed due to the disaster, not when you applied or were approved.

I'm in a similar situation - applied for DUA 8 days ago after my restaurant job ended due to flood damage. The waiting is so stressful when you're watching your bank account drain! Based on what everyone's saying here, it sounds like 3-4 weeks is normal right now. I'm going to start doing those payment requests even though I haven't been approved yet - didn't know that was something you could do. Emma, hang in there! At least you're only at 12 days, so hopefully you'll hear something in the next week or two. The fact that you already got denied for regular UI and have good documentation should work in your favor.

I wanted to share the official TWC policy on this matter to help clarify: While TWC can require participation in reemployment activities, they must follow their own "Reasonable Accommodation" guidelines for claimants with legitimate barriers. Temporary childcare issues with insufficient notice often qualify for accommodation. However, it's critical to understand that the burden is on YOU to properly request this accommodation BEFORE the scheduled activity. A retroactive request after missing the training is much less likely to be approved. Also important: While dealing with this issue, continue meeting ALL other UI requirements including: - Completing your payment requests on time - Performing and documenting your minimum 3 work search activities each week - Remaining available for suitable work - Responding to any TWC correspondence within required timeframes I've seen many claimants navigate this successfully by being proactive and thorough in their documentation.

So glad to hear you got it sorted out! This is exactly why it's important to advocate for yourself with TWC - they have accommodations available but won't always offer them upfront. Your experience shows other people that it's worth pushing back respectfully when you have legitimate constraints. The virtual option sounds like a perfect compromise that works for both you and TWC's requirements. Hope the training goes smoothly for you!

UPDATE: The money just landed in my account this morning! So that was about 48 hours after the email. Thanks everyone for your help and keeping me from panicking!

Great to see it worked out for you! This is exactly why I always tell people not to panic until at least day 3. The TWC system can be stressful when you're new to it, but once you go through it a few times you get used to the timing. For future reference, if you ever need to contact TWC and can't get through on the phone, that Claimyr service someone mentioned is legit - saved me hours of frustration when I had an issue with my claim status last year.

Thanks everyone for the advice! I've told him to apply immediately and be honest about why he waited. He's going to try calling TWC tomorrow and explain his situation, then submit his application online. I'll update here if we find out anything that might help others in the same situation.

Your brother-in-law should definitely still apply! I work at a Workforce Solutions office and see this situation fairly regularly. While he likely won't get the full 5 months of backpay due to the good cause requirements, he should still be eligible for benefits going forward. The key is to apply TODAY - every day he waits is another potential benefit week lost forever. When he applies, he'll be asked about the delay and should be honest about his reasoning. Even though "thinking he'd find work quickly" isn't typically considered good cause, stranger things have happened and each case is reviewed individually. At minimum, he'll preserve his eligibility for future weeks while unemployed. Also make sure he has his separation paperwork ready - the exact layoff date will be important for his claim.

this belongs in a social security forum not unemployment lol

I went through this same panic when I first started collecting unemployment last year! It's definitely confusing because you think "benefit = earnings" but that's not how Social Security works. What helped me feel better was logging into my SSA.gov account and seeing that all my previous work credits were still there - unemployment doesn't erase what you've already earned. One thing to keep in mind is that if you do any freelance or gig work while on partial unemployment (which TWC allows up to your weekly benefit amount), THAT income would count toward Social Security if you pay the self-employment taxes on it. So there are still ways to earn credits even while collecting benefits. Good luck with your job search!