Thanks everyone for all this helpful information! I submitted my appeal today and uploaded all my evidence. I'm going to reach out to my coworker tonight about being a witness. Feeling a bit more confident now about the process, even though the waiting is going to be tough. I'll update this thread after my hearing to let everyone know how it went!

Just wanted to add one more thing that helped me during my appeal - if you have any email correspondence with HR or your supervisor about your termination, include those too. Even if they seem minor, they can help establish a timeline and show the employer's mindset. Also, during the hearing, speak slowly and clearly. The hearing officer is taking notes and sometimes asks you to repeat things. I was so nervous during mine that I talked way too fast at first. And don't be afraid to ask for clarification if you don't understand a question - it's better to ask than to give a confusing answer. One last tip: if your employer brings up past issues or tries to make it seem like this was part of a pattern, stick to the facts about this specific incident. They might try to muddy the waters by bringing up unrelated stuff from months ago. Your termination was about calling in sick with doctor's notes - that's your story and you should stick to it. You've got this! Having documentation is huge in these cases.

Update: My payment just arrived this morning! It took exactly 3 business days after the processing date. Thanks everyone for the help and information!

Glad to hear your payment came through! That's exactly the timeline most people experience. For anyone else still waiting, just remember that 3-5 business days is pretty standard for TWC, especially for first payments. The system works, it's just not always as fast as we'd like when we're stressed about bills. Thanks for updating us with the good news!

took about 5 weeks for me from filing the appeal to getting my first payment after winning. it sucked waiting but the backpay helped. also they didnt tell me this but u need to keep requesting payment every 2 weeks even while appealing!!

Amy, I went through something very similar about 6 months ago when my employer cut my hours from full-time to part-time "temporarily" but it was clearly to push me out. Here's what worked for me: 1. In your appeal letter, use the exact phrase "constructive discharge" - TWC recognizes this as good cause 2. Create a timeline document with dates, what happened, and any witnesses 3. If you have any texts or emails from your boss about the hour cuts or workplace issues, include screenshots 4. Don't just say the environment was "hostile" - give specific examples with dates (like "On [date], manager told me I would be written up for any mistake") The hearing was actually less scary than I expected. The officer asked me to explain what happened, then asked my former employer questions. Having my timeline helped me stay organized and sound credible. You've got this! The fact that your hours were cut so drastically (70% reduction!) is strong evidence of constructive discharge.

Just an update for anyone following this thread - I've been helping a few clients with similar issues. TWC is currently working through a processing backlog from mid-December filings. If your claim was filed after December 15th, you might be caught in this delay. Their system had some technical issues during the holiday period that affected claim processing. Keep requesting payments on schedule even if you haven't received anything yet. Once they clear the hold, you'll receive all backdated payments in one lump sum.

I'm in the exact same boat! Filed December 20th and still haven't seen a penny. My claim also shows "approved" but no payments. I've been doing everything right - submitting payment requests, completing work searches, the whole nine yards. It's so frustrating to see that we're not alone in this mess. I'm going to try some of the suggestions here like calling at 7AM sharp and checking out that Claimyr service. Really hope TWC gets their act together soon because this is affecting real people's lives! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least now I know I'm not going crazy.

ALSO did you know that TWC sometimes applies overpayments to TAX REFUNDS??? My cousin didn't pay his overpayment and they just took it out of his tax refund last year!!! They don't even tell you they're doing it!!!

I just went through this exact situation a few months ago! My check took 11 business days to process and show up in my account balance. The key thing is that TWC processes payments in batches, so even though they physically received your check 5 days ago, it might not get processed until their next batch run. I found that checking on Fridays was when I'd usually see updates since that seems to be when they do a lot of their processing. Don't panic yet - 8 days is still within the normal range. Just keep that tracking info handy and try to be patient for another week or so before calling.