To address your specific question about wages needed: You need to have earned at least $2,500 in total during your base period AND have wages in at least 2 of the 4 base period quarters. If your seasonal job spans across 2 quarters (like Nov-Jan), you MIGHT qualify if you earn enough. For example, if you make $15/hr and work 30 hours/week for 12 weeks, that's about $5,400 which exceeds the minimum amount, but it needs to be properly distributed across quarters. I'd suggest applying regardless - TWC will calculate your eligibility based on the specific quarters that apply to you.

Just wanted to add one more thing that might help - when you do apply for unemployment after your seasonal job ends, make sure you have all your documentation ready. Save your hiring paperwork that shows it was designated as seasonal/temporary work, keep your paystubs, and if possible get something in writing from your employer when they lay you off that confirms it was a seasonal separation. Also, Texas allows you to file your claim the Sunday of the week your employment ends, so don't wait too long after your last day. The sooner you file, the sooner your claim can be processed. And definitely keep track of your work search activities from day one - you'll need to report 3 per week once you start receiving benefits. Good luck with your seasonal job! Sounds like you have a good chance of qualifying based on your hours and pay rate.

I just went through this same process a few weeks ago! For your first payment request, it typically takes 3-4 business days to hit your account via direct deposit. Since you submitted on Monday, I'd expect to see it by Thursday or Friday at the latest. The good news is that once you get through your first payment, subsequent requests are much faster - usually just 2 business days. Make sure to keep checking your TWC account online for any updates on payment status. If you don't see anything by Friday, definitely call the Tele-Serv number that others mentioned. The waiting is nerve-wracking when bills are due, but hang in there - it should come through soon!

I'm in a similar situation - just filed my first payment request this week too and the waiting is killing me! From what I've gathered reading through everyone's responses, it sounds like 2-3 business days is typical once your payment gets processed, but first payments can sometimes take up to 5 days. The SSN processing schedule thing is news to me - that's actually really helpful to know! I'd suggest checking your payment status online daily and if it's still showing "pending" after 4-5 days, that's when you might want to try calling or using that Claimyr service someone mentioned. Fingers crossed we both get our deposits soon - unemployment stress is real when bills are due!

One more important tip: At the start of the hearing, when they ask if you have any additional evidence to submit, speak up if you do! Once the hearing starts, it's very difficult to get new evidence considered. Also, it's completely normal to be nervous, but try to stick to facts rather than emotions. Hearing officers are looking for clear timelines and specific incidents, not general complaints about your employer. The system usually updates within 7-14 days after a decision is made, but it can occasionally be faster or slower depending on current TWC workload.

I went through a similar situation about 6 months ago. My employer didn't show up to the hearing, but like others have mentioned, it's definitely not an automatic win. The hearing officer still grilled me for about 45 minutes and went through all the evidence line by line. Here's what helped me: I brought THREE copies of everything - one for me, one for the hearing officer, and one extra just in case. When they asked about specific incidents, I could quickly reference the exact documents and page numbers. Also, practice saying your story out loud beforehand. I was so nervous I kept stumbling over dates and details. My determination took exactly 11 days to come through, and the online system updated 4 days after I got the letter in the mail. During that waiting period, I made sure to keep requesting payments every two weeks like clockwork - don't skip this step even if your claim shows "under review" or whatever. You've got documentation on your side, which is huge. Stay calm, stick to the facts, and you should be fine. Good luck Thursday!

UPDATE: I finally got through to TWC after using that Claimyr service someone suggested. The agent confirmed they collected twice and submitted a refund request for me. She said it will take 4-6 weeks to process and will come as a paper check, not direct deposit. She gave me a confirmation number and the name of the person handling it. Thanks everyone for your help!

Great to hear you got it resolved! This thread has been super helpful - I'm dealing with a similar situation where TWC double-collected my overpayment. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service since I've been calling for days with no luck. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get back money they shouldn't have taken in the first place. The fact that their systems don't talk to each other is just mind-blowing for a government agency in 2025. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least now I know what to expect!

Based on your latest comment, this actually makes perfect sense. Your friend isn't permanently denied - she's just having her benefits delayed during the severance period (March 16 to May 11). This is standard TWC procedure. The real question is why aren't the others experiencing the same delay? Possibilities: 1. They didn't report their severance correctly 2. The employer reported inconsistently 3. Different TWC claim examiners made inconsistent decisions Your friend should continue filing payment requests every two weeks. After May 11, she should start receiving benefits if she continues to qualify. If the others weren't properly reporting their severance, they might eventually face an overpayment situation.

This is actually a pretty common issue with mass layoffs. TWC processes claims individually, and even small differences in how information is reported or interpreted can lead to inconsistent decisions. From what you've described, it sounds like Sarah's case was handled correctly according to TWC rules - the severance is causing a temporary delay, not a permanent denial. The concerning part is that 13 other people with identical packages were approved immediately. They either didn't report their severance properly, or there was an error in how their claims were processed. I'd recommend Sarah document everything and keep filing her payment requests. She should also consider reaching out to your former employer's HR to get clarification on how they reported the severance payments to TWC. If there were reporting inconsistencies, that could help explain the different outcomes.