The Texas unemployment system is INTENTIONALLY BROKEN to discourage claims!!! I waited 9 weeks last year and almost became homeless. They don't care about our suffering AT ALL. The politicians want to keep unemployment numbers artificially low by making it impossible to get benefits!!!! It's all a SCAM!!!

Update: I want to thank everyone for all the helpful advice! I emailed my state representative yesterday with details about my hardship situation. I also tried Claimyr this morning and actually got through to a TWC agent! They found that my claim was delayed because of an employer response issue - my former employer hadn't confirmed the reason for separation. The agent expedited my claim review due to my hardship situation with documentation I provided about my car. They said I should see a determination within 3-5 business days! I'm still nervous but at least feeling hopeful now. I'll keep doing my work searches while I wait.

I got denied DUA at first too! TWC is TERRIBLE with this program. I think their computer system automatically denies people because it happened to like 5 people I know who all applied after the hurricane. I called them 6 times (not exaggerating) and finally on the 6th call got someone who actually knew what they were doing. She could see all my documents were there and flagged my account for urgent review. Three days later I got approved with full backpay. Keep calling until you get someone competent! It's frustrating but eventually you'll get someone who can help. And DOCUMENT EVERYTHING - write down who you talked to, when, and what they said. I had to remind them of my previous calls.

UPDATE: You guys won't believe this! Just checked my correspondence inbox and TWC APPROVED my appeal already! Only took 2 days after I called that second time. The determination letter says they reviewed my documentation and found that I DID submit everything on time. They're releasing all my backpay from July 10th (hurricane date) through now - almost $5,000! I'm in shock that it happened so fast after all the headaches. For anyone else dealing with this - definitely call multiple times and file that appeal immediately if denied. Seems like their system is automatically denying people even when the documentation is there. Thank you everyone for your advice and support!

anyone else notice how they ask for like 500 different documents but then deny you anyway lol

Update on my situation - finally had my appeal hearing this morning and it was approved on the spot! The hearing officer said the main reason my initial DUA claim was denied was because my employer's letter didn't specifically state that my unemployment was a "direct result" of the disaster - those exact words matter. Also, having my final paystub from the week before the disaster made a big difference. One tip: prepare a clear timeline of events before your hearing. Mine went like this: - March 12: Disaster occurred - March 13: Workplace damaged and inaccessible - March 14: Employer notified staff of indefinite closure - March 15: Official disaster declaration date - March 20: Filed initial DUA claim Having this timeline ready made the hearing go much smoother. Good luck with your claim!

have u tried the twc chat thing on their website? i got a answer way faster that way than calling

My daughter works for a restaurant too and had this same problem last year when she was getting partial unemployment. What ended up happening was her manager finally responded after getting a follow-up call from TWC, and they cleared everything up. I think sometimes TWC will actually call the employer if they don't respond to the electronic notices. Maybe ask your boss if they've received any calls from TWC? Seems like restaurant managers are always missing these notices.

Wait why are they calling your employer now? I thought they only do that at the beginning when u first apply?? I'm getting nervous now wondering if they'll call mine too 😬

TWC is SO INCONSISTENT with this stuff. My friend helped at her old job after a fire (unpaid) and had zero issues. Meanwhile, I know someone else who did basically the same thing and TWC put a fraud alert on his account! The difference? Documentation. Get EVERYTHING in writing. And when you talk to TWC, ask them to note EVERYTHING in your file. The person who got the fraud alert couldn't prove he wasn't being paid because it was all verbal agreements. Don't make that mistake!

After my appeal hearing, it took about 3 weeks to get the decision. Just prepare for a bit of a wait. If you win, they'll remove the overpayment from your account. If you lose, definitely request that payment plan right away. I had a $3,100 overpayment (different situation though - I accidentally reported my wages wrong), and they let me pay just $50 a month which was manageable.

They mailed the decision letter, but it also showed up in my online TWC account under the Determination/Resolution tab a few days earlier. Check both places.

one time i got that message and ignored it thinking it would just process anyway and then my payment was delayed for THREE WEEKS until i finally called. dont make my mistake - call them asap!!!

**UPDATE:** I finally got through to TWC this morning! Called right at 7:01 AM and only waited about 20 minutes. Turns out they just needed to verify the details of my temp work from last week. The representative was actually really nice and helpful. She said my payment should process within 24-48 hours. Thanks everyone for your advice and support!

One tip nobody mentioned yet - RECORD THE HEARING if Texas is a one-party consent state (I think it is). You can use your phone or computer to record in case you need to appeal further. Also, make sure to clearly explain how your employer's actions would have affected your children - hearing officers are human and understand childcare struggles. I had my hearing in November and thought I was super prepared, but forgot to mention some key details because I got nervous. Write yourself a checklist of important points and check them off as you cover them during the hearing. Also, did your employer ever formally acknowledge receiving your resignation notice? That could be important to establish you didn't just quit without notice.

I went thru a hearing in February totally different situation but just wanted to say BE ON TIME for the call. My old boss was 10 mins late and the hearing officer was NOT happy with him. Started things off badly for them lol

My Commission appeal took 6 weeks in March 2025. I think it depends on how busy they are and how complicated your case is. While waiting I found the Texas Workforce Commission Appeals Policy/Precedent Manual online - it has all the rules they follow for different types of cases. Reading it helped me understand how they might look at my situation. Good luck!

Important tip: while waiting for your Commission Appeal, you should write a letter to them stating you want your case PLACED ON REMAND if you have any new evidence. This means they'll send it back to a Hearing Officer instead of waiting for the full Commission review. It can literally save months of waiting! I did this and got my case resolved in 3 weeks instead of waiting for the Commission.

To answer your follow-up question - no, you typically don't need to provide proof of employment when requesting the waiting week. However, TWC may verify your employment status through their employer database or through your new employer's quarterly wage reports. Just make sure you have accurate information about your new employer (company name, address, start date, hourly wage, etc.) when going through the request process. And as someone else mentioned, you need to have received at least three benefit payments during your claim year to be eligible for the waiting week payment.

wait i thought the waiting week was just the first week you apply and dont get paid??? im confused why are you asking about this now if your benefits are ending? did i mess up something with my claim????