One important thing to remember: even after your benefits exhaust, continue to request payment every two weeks as scheduled until your benefit year ends. Sometimes TWC releases additional funds or makes retroactive adjustments, and you won't receive those if you've stopped requesting payment. Also, triple-check that you've provided ALL employment from your base period. Sometimes people forget about a part-time job or short-term position that could add to their total benefit amount. If you left anything out, contact TWC immediately to have your monetary determination recalculated. Lastly, make sure you're documenting all your work search activities correctly. If TWC finds additional wages or determines you were eligible for more than initially calculated, you'll want to ensure you've met all requirements to receive those funds.

Yes, absolutely continue requesting payment until your benefit year expires (usually 12 months from when you first filed). The system will show you have $0 remaining, but still complete the process. One other thing to check - log into your TWC account and make sure your previous employer didn't contest your unemployment claim. Sometimes they do this at the last minute, and if TWC sides with you, they might add additional weeks to your claim. Also verify that your work search activities are all being properly recorded - sometimes a technical glitch can cause benefits to stop prematurely. I'd also recommend updating your resume on WorkInTexas.com weekly - this makes it appear at the top of employer searches and counts as a work search activity. The holiday season actually has decent hiring for temporary positions that sometimes convert to permanent.

This happened to my brother-in-law and the worst part was that the IRS tried to make him pay taxes on "benefits" he never received or applied for! Fight this aggressively and document EVERYTHING. The burden of proof somehow falls on the victim which is completely backwards. The system is broken.

Final update: I've reported the fraud to West Virginia, filed an FTC report, put freezes on my credit, and my bank is helping return the money. West Virginia said they're seeing a lot of these cases and promised to send me something in writing confirming this was fraud for my tax records. Thanks everyone for your help! This community has been amazing with advice during a stressful situation.

Just to follow up on what was said about work search - you absolutely need to be doing this even while waiting for approval. You need 3 work search activities per week in Texas, and TWC can and will ask for your records going back to your initial application date. Also, make sure you're requesting payment on your regular schedule (every two weeks) even while your claim is pending. Many people miss this step and it causes further delays.

Yes, a spreadsheet is perfect for tracking work search activities. Include these details for each activity: 1. Date of contact 2. Company name and contact information 3. Position applied for 4. Method of application (online, in-person, etc.) 5. Result/follow-up Remember that "work search activities" can include: - Job applications - Creating a profile on WorkInTexas.com - Attending job fairs - Creating a resume - Registering with a staffing agency Keep good records because TWC can audit these at any time. And yes, definitely set those payment request reminders - your request day is based on the last digit of your Social Security Number.

i had something like thsi happen but it was different error code. try calling realy early like 7:01 am when they first open thats how i got thru

UPDATE: Problem solved! It was actually a combination of issues. I followed the advice about the work search documentation fields AND used Tele-Serv. The phone system worked when the website wouldn't. For anyone else with this error, make sure you complete ALL fields in the work search section and try the phone if website still gives errors. Thanks everyone for your help!

One more important tip: during your appeal hearing, focus ONLY on the natural disaster aspects. Don't get drawn into arguments about other attendance issues even if your employer brings them up. The hearing officer only cares about the specific reason for your termination as it relates to the determination letter. Also, request a copy of your TWC claim file before the hearing so you can see exactly what your employer told TWC. Sometimes employers will change their story or add details that weren't part of the original termination reason.

Update: I submitted my appeal yesterday with all the documentation suggested here. I included 12 photos of flooding, screenshots of my texts to my supervisor, local news reports about the storm, and the county disaster declaration. Now just waiting for my hearing date. Thanks everyone for your help - I'll update when I hear something!