Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who went through this exact situation with Walmart in 2023. I was cut from 32 hours to 10 hours and successfully got partial unemployment benefits. A few additional tips: 1. Apply ASAP - there's a waiting week in Texas, so the sooner you file, the sooner benefits start 2. Keep detailed records of your schedule changes and any requests for more hours 3. Don't let Walmart intimidate you - they cut hours all the time and know employees file for partial unemployment 4. The online application is actually pretty straightforward, much easier than dealing with their broken phone system I ended up getting about $240/week in partial benefits while working my reduced hours. It made a huge difference in covering my bills while I searched for a better job. The whole process took about 3 weeks from application to first payment. You've got this - don't let them force you into poverty because of their "business needs"!

I went through this exact situation last year when I was working at a grocery chain. Hours got slashed from 35 to 9 per week and I was panicking about rent. Here's what I learned: 1. Apply immediately online at ui.texasworkforce.org - don't wait or overthink it 2. You absolutely qualify for partial unemployment with a 70% hour reduction 3. When they ask why you're filing, select "reduction in hours" not "quit" or "fired" 4. Be completely honest about your current wages when doing weekly payment requests 5. Keep working those 8 hours - quitting will hurt your case The hardest part was the ID.me verification (took 3 attempts) and waiting for the determination letter. But once approved, I got $285/week in partial benefits which was a lifesaver. TWC understands that employers like Walmart do this to avoid paying benefits or severance. One more thing - start your job search immediately because you'll need to report 3 work search contacts per week. Use indeed.com, company websites, even walking into places counts. Document everything in case they audit you later. Don't let Walmart's "business needs" put you in financial crisis. The system exists for exactly this situation!

Anyone else feel like we're living in a dystopian novel? Fighting to get basic support during a global crisis. What a time to be alive. 🙃

I've been following this thread and wow, the collective wisdom here is amazing! For what it's worth, I went through something similar last year. Here's what worked for me: I kept a detailed log of every call attempt (time, date, what happened) and when I finally got through, having that documentation really helped show I was serious about resolving the issue. Also, don't be afraid to escalate - ask to speak to a supervisor if the first rep can't help. Sometimes they have different tools or authority levels. The system is definitely broken, but persistence does pay off eventually. Hang in there, Zara! 🤞

Based on everything you've shared, this sounds like a standard earnings verification hold. The good news is that if you're still eligible for partial benefits after they account for your part-time earnings, you'll receive back payments for any weeks that were delayed. In the meantime, continue to request payments on your regular schedule (every two weeks) and keep documenting your work search activities. If you don't see resolution within two weeks, getting through to a representative should be your priority. The earnings verification process typically shouldn't take more than 10-14 days.

I had almost the exact same experience! Filed in September, got my first two payments, then radio silence. Turns out TWC flagged my account for "identity verification" even though I'd already provided all my documents during the initial application. The worst part? They never sent me any notification about it - I only found out by digging through every section of their website. Check under "Correspondence" and "Account Maintenance" sections too, not just your inbox. Sometimes they hide important notices in weird places. Also try logging out completely and logging back in - their system is so buggy that sometimes pending issues don't show up until you refresh your session. If you find an identity verification hold (which is super common for new claimants), you'll need to upload documents again even if you already did during your initial claim. It's frustrating but usually resolves within a week once you resubmit everything.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Applied for DUA 6 weeks ago after my restaurant job was shut down due to flood damage, and my claim is still showing "pending" with no explanation. I've called TWC probably 20+ times and either get busy signals or sit on hold for hours before getting disconnected. Reading through this thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea I was supposed to be filing payment requests while my claim was pending! I thought I had to wait until it was approved. Also didn't know about the separate ID.me verification. Going to check both of those things today. It's so frustrating that TWC doesn't communicate what's wrong with your claim or what additional steps you need to take. You'd think for disaster assistance they'd have better systems in place to help people who are already dealing with enough stress from the actual disaster!

I'm a new TWC DUA claimant and this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I just applied last week after my office was flooded and had to close, and I was starting to panic seeing no movement on my claim. Reading everyone's experiences, I realize there are several things I need to check right away: 1. Make sure my ID.me verification is completely finished (didn't know this was separate from TWC login) 2. Start filing payment requests immediately even though my claim is pending 3. Check my TWC correspondence inbox for any requests I might have missed 4. Begin doing work searches (I thought DUA was exempt from this!) It's really helpful to know that 4-6 weeks seems to be normal processing time, even though it's financially devastating to wait that long. The fact that TWC doesn't proactively communicate what's missing or wrong with your claim is honestly shocking for a disaster assistance program. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - especially @91ce5d3188ee for the update that you got approved! Gives the rest of us hope that persistence pays off.

UPDATE: I finally got through to my local Workforce Solutions office this morning. My RESA event IS virtual! They apologized for the confusion and sent me the Teams link. Thanks everyone for your help and advice - I'll be attending in about an hour. For anyone else facing this issue, definitely call your local office directly rather than waiting for an email that might never come!

So glad you got it figured out in time! This is exactly why I always recommend calling directly - the email communication between WorkInTexas and local offices seems to have gaps. Hope the RESA session goes well for you! Usually they're pretty informative and you might learn about some job search resources you didn't know about before. Good luck with your job search!