Glad you finally got through and found the issue! Wage verification problems are super common but TWC really should do a better job notifying people when they're waiting on employer responses. For future reference (and for anyone else dealing with this), you can actually contact your previous employers directly to ask if they've responded to TWC's wage verification requests. Sometimes employers ignore the initial request or it gets lost in their HR department, and a quick call from you can get them to respond faster than waiting for TWC to follow up. Also, once your claim is approved, double-check that your benefit amount is calculated correctly based on ALL your wages from the base period. I've seen cases where the wage verification delay caused them to miss including some earnings in the final calculation. Hope you get that approval soon - 7 weeks is way too long to be waiting for help when you need it most!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - filed my claim 5 weeks ago after being laid off from my retail job and still stuck in "under review" status. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and terrifying at the same time! The wage verification issue seems to be a huge problem that TWC really doesn't explain well upfront. I also had a brief part-time job earlier in my base period (worked at a coffee shop for 3 months before getting my retail position), so now I'm wondering if that's what's holding up my claim too. @Rajiv Kumar - so glad you finally got through and found out what the issue was! Definitely going to try the 7am calling strategy tomorrow morning. The fact that your restaurant job wasn't responding to TWC's requests makes total sense - small businesses are notoriously bad about handling unemployment paperwork quickly. Has anyone had success with the WorkInTexas.com chat feature for getting claim status updates? I've been hesitant to try it since everyone says calling is the only way to get real answers, but I'm running out of patience with the busy signals. Also, for those who eventually got approved after long delays - did you have to do anything special to make sure all your work search activities from the waiting period were properly documented, or did TWC just accept what you had logged in the system?

I had the EXACT same problem in 2024! My first job paid nothing and then I got a great job for 6 months and then lost it. TWC did the same thing to me - kept me on the old claim with the tiny benefit amount. Honestly there's not much you can do except wait until your benefit year ends. The system is SO frustrating. In the meantime, look into food banks and rental assistance in your area. Also call 211 - they connected me with some emergency resources while I was waiting. I know this sucks but hang in there! Once you can file the new claim it will be based on the better wages.

One additional thing to check - log into your TWC account and look at your claim and payment status. Check the "Maximum Benefit Amount" and how much you've already received. It's possible you didn't use much of your benefits during your first unemployment period, so the "exhausted" message after just two payments seems unusual unless your Maximum Benefit Amount was very low to begin with. If the numbers don't add up, there could be an error worth investigating. Sometimes TWC systems show "exhausted" when there's actually another issue with your claim that needs addressing.

Another tip regarding your first payment - if you've selected direct deposit, make sure your banking information is entered correctly. If there's any error, it will default to a TWC debit card which can take an additional 7-10 days to arrive by mail. Double-check your direct deposit details in your TWC account to avoid delays with that first lump sum payment.

Just wanted to add from my recent experience - when you do get that first big payment, don't forget that taxes aren't automatically withheld unless you specifically request it during your application. I learned this the hard way when I got a big tax bill the following year. You can choose to have 10% federal tax withheld from each payment, or handle it yourself, but definitely plan for it either way. The last thing you want is to spend that whole first payment and then owe the IRS later!

My brother in law got partial unemplyment for 6 months when he lost his welding job but kept working at his uncles shop part time. Hes fine never had to pay anything back. you worry too much lol

I'm in almost the exact same situation! Lost my full-time warehouse job but still have my weekend cashier position. I was terrified to file because I thought having ANY job would disqualify me, but reading everyone's responses here is so reassuring. I've been putting off filing for two weeks because I was scared of getting in trouble later. Sounds like as long as I'm honest about my part-time earnings, I should be okay to apply. Thanks for posting this question - you probably helped a lot of people who were in the same boat!

Let us know how it goes next week!

Just wanted to add something important - if they do accept your good cause for the late appeal, don't celebrate too early during the hearing! I made that mistake and got a little too relaxed when they moved on to my actual case. Stay focused because the separation issue is just as important. Also, if your employer doesn't show up to the hearing (which happens sometimes), that actually works in your favor. They won't be there to argue their side about you supposedly quitting. But don't count on it - assume they'll be there and be prepared with all your evidence about the layoff. One last thing - write down key points you want to make beforehand so you don't forget anything important when you're nervous. Good luck Omar, sounds like you have solid documentation for both the late appeal and the actual case!