This is such a great outcome! Your experience is a perfect example of why it's so important to thoroughly read through your employee handbook - there are often benefits and protections that people don't know exist. The salary continuation benefit you found is exactly the kind of safety net that should bridge these gaps between sick leave and other programs. Also really glad to hear your landlord was understanding. Many landlords would rather work with a good tenant who communicates proactively than deal with the hassle of eviction proceedings. Hope your recovery goes smoothly and you're back to 100% soon! Thanks for updating us - it's helpful for others who might find themselves in similar situations to see that there can be solutions beyond just TWC unemployment benefits.

So happy to see this positive update! Your story is a great reminder that sometimes the solution isn't where you first think to look (like TWC benefits) but might be hiding in company policies or just having honest conversations with people. The fact that you got 60% salary continuation AND worked things out with your landlord shows that there can be multiple safety nets if you're proactive about seeking them out. This thread should definitely help others who find themselves in similar medical emergency situations. Wishing you a smooth recovery and hope you're back to full strength soon!

I'm in a really similar situation at my job right now! They hired me as full-time but I've been getting my hours cut pretty drastically over the past few months. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been so helpful - I had no idea partial unemployment was even a thing for people who are still technically employed but just getting way fewer hours. The advice about documenting everything (keeping track of your original schedule vs what you actually work each week) seems really important, and hearing that most employers are understanding about it since they're the ones making the decision to cut hours is really reassuring. I was worried about potential backlash from my boss, but it sounds like this is just part of the system. The point about benefits not being able to be backdated before your application date really hit me - I've been waiting for things to "get better" for weeks now but my bills aren't waiting. Definitely going to start documenting my hours and apply online this week. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences - it's given me the confidence to finally take action instead of just hoping things will improve!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now at my job! Been reading through all these responses and it's honestly been a huge relief to know I'm not alone in this situation. My employer hired me as full-time but has been cutting my hours from 40 down to sometimes just 22-25 hours per week for the past couple months. I've been struggling to pay my car loan and groceries, thinking I just had to tough it out until business picked back up. Seeing so many people successfully file for partial unemployment without any problems from their employers has given me the confidence I needed to finally apply. The documentation advice everyone's giving about tracking original schedule vs actual hours worked is really smart - I'm definitely going to start doing that this week. It's amazing how many industries are dealing with this same issue, but also encouraging that the system seems to work well for people in our situation. I was scared about potential retaliation from my boss, but hearing that most supervisors actually expect this when they cut hours significantly makes me feel so much better. Applying online this weekend for sure - thank you to everyone for sharing your experiences and making this feel less intimidating!

Good luck with the Combined Wage Claim! Just wanted to add that while you're waiting for TWC's decision, you might want to check if you qualify for any local assistance programs in your area - food banks, rental assistance, utility help, etc. Many communities have emergency aid programs that can help bridge the gap while you're waiting for benefit determinations. Also, some staffing agencies pay weekly and can get you working quickly if you need immediate income. Hope it works out for you!

Also wanted to mention that while you're waiting on the Combined Wage Claim decision, you should check if any of those other states where you worked have their own unemployment programs you might qualify for independently. Sometimes people overlook this option. Each state has different base period calculations and wage requirements, so even if the combined claim doesn't work out, you might still have qualifying wages in one of the individual states where you had W-2 work. It's worth calling their unemployment offices directly to ask about your options. The worst they can say is no, but you might discover you have more avenues than you thought!

Just to clarify some confusion I'm seeing in the comments: TWC treats self-employment differently than regular W-2 employment when calculating your initial benefit amount. Self-employment income typically doesn't count toward your base period wages that determine your weekly benefit amount (WBA), but you still must report any current self-employment earnings during your payment requests. However, it's crucial to disclose all types of work on your initial application for accuracy. Then during each payment request, report all earnings before taxes for that week. If your weekly DoorDash earnings are less than your WBA, you'll receive partial benefits equal to your WBA minus a portion of your earnings.

Just wanted to share my experience since I went through something similar last year. I had been doing Uber Eats while collecting unemployment and forgot to mention it on my initial application. When I finally got through to TWC (took about 2 weeks of calling), the representative was actually really helpful. She explained that as long as you're being honest about your weekly earnings during payment requests, they typically won't penalize you for the oversight on the initial claim. They updated my file to include the gig work and recalculated going forward, but I didn't have to pay anything back since I had been reporting correctly each week. The key is definitely getting to a real person though - the automated system can't make these kinds of updates to your original claim information.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - just got over COVID myself last week. One thing that helped me was reaching out to 211 (you can dial 2-1-1 or visit 211texas.org). They have a database of local resources including emergency financial assistance, utility help, and food programs. Some churches and nonprofits in Texas also have hardship funds specifically for people who miss work due to illness. It's worth making a few calls while you're recovering. Also, if you haven't already, make sure to get documentation from your doctor about your isolation period - some employers are more understanding when they see official medical documentation, and it might help if you need to apply for any local assistance programs. Hang in there!

I'm really sorry you're dealing with this financial stress on top of being sick. One thing that might help is checking if your city or county has any COVID-specific relief programs still running. Dallas, Houston, Austin, and several other Texas cities maintained local assistance programs even after federal aid ended. Also, if you're union or if your workplace has an employee assistance program (EAP), they sometimes have emergency hardship funds. Some credit unions also offer small emergency loans with very low interest rates specifically for situations like this. I know it's not unemployment benefits, but these could help bridge the gap until you can get back to work. Take care of yourself and focus on getting better - the financial stress won't help your recovery!