my friend said if u call the reliacard people early in the morning like 7am there's no wait time. might be worth trying tomorrow

update??? did u get ur card yet??? i need to file next month and am worried about the same thing happening to me

The Texas unemployment system is DESIGNED to deny benefits whenever possible. They use these complicated base period calculations specifically to disqualify people who need help. I've been dealing with TWC for years and seen all their tricks. FILE AN APPEAL IMMEDIATELY! You only have 14 days from the determination letter. Even if you think you won't win, file anyway. Sometimes they reverse decisions just because you challenge them. And request a wage investigation at the same time. DON'T GIVE UP!

UPDATE: I called TWC using that Claimyr service (it actually worked!), and the agent confirmed I only had wages reported in 2 quarters of my base period. BUT she said I might qualify for an alternate base period since I had a gap due to my previous unemployment claim ending right before starting this job. She's sending me a form to fill out for a wage investigation. I have all my pay stubs so I can prove my earnings. The agent said my case is actually pretty common and that I should keep filing payment requests while this is being investigated. There's hope! Thank you all for your help and advice. I'll update when I hear more.

I handled several DUA appeals after the March floods. This is what's likely happening: TWC uses an automated system to check addresses against FEMA's disaster declaration database. Common errors include: - Address format mismatches (St. vs Street, directions like N/S/E/W in wrong field) - ZIP code boundary issues (some ZIP codes cross county lines) - Business vs residential address confusion - Data entry errors by TWC staff The good news: This type of denial has a very high reversal rate on appeal because it's objectively verifiable. While waiting for your appeal, I recommend: 1. Contact your state representative's office - they can often expedite TWC issues 2. Submit a TWC password reset request through the portal - this often triggers a call back from TWC within 48 hours (unusual trick but works) 3. Prepare a simple one-page document with your address highlighted on a FEMA disaster map Be persistent. DUA benefits are federally funded but state-administered, so TWC has to follow specific verification protocols.

Just wanted to follow up - did anyone get this resolved? I'm now assisting another client with the exact same issue and would love to know what ultimately worked. The TWC appeal process timeframes seem to be all over the place lately.

Update: I finally got through to TWC this morning! The agent confirmed that DUA benefits from the May disaster are indeed ending on November 16th for everyone. However, she reviewed my case and said I might qualify for regular unemployment now because I had enough wages in my base period from before the disaster. She helped me start a new application for regular UI. Just wanted to update everyone in case you're in the same boat!

I used Claimyr after trying the regular line for two days with no luck. Got connected to a TWC agent in about 15 minutes! So worth it. Now I just need to wait for my new determination letter to see if I qualify for regular UI.

One other important thing to remember is that if your determination letter approves your claim, your employer still has the right to appeal that decision. They have the same 14-day appeal window that you would have if denied. So even if you're approved tomorrow, don't spend all the money right away, as there's still a possibility your former employer could contest it. About 30% of employers appeal initial determinations that favor the employee, especially in performance-related cases. That said, in my experience as someone who's helped many people through this process, reasonable performance goals that were constantly changing often results in approval if you can document those changes. The key is demonstrating that you were making a good faith effort to meet expectations.

UPDATE: Got my determination letter today! I was APPROVED!!! The letter said something about "insufficient evidence of misconduct" and that my "inability to meet performance standards alone does not constitute misconduct." Thank you all so much for your help and advice! I'm going to keep documenting everything in case my employer appeals, but for now I'm just relieved. My payment request day is Monday, so I'll be doing that and making sure I keep up with my work search requirements (already applied to 5 jobs yesterday just to be safe). This forum has been a lifesaver - I was so stressed I could barely sleep last night!