I'm dealing with the exact same thing right now! Got my eligibility letter two weeks ago but every time I try to file my weekly claim, it says I'm not eligible. It's like the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing over there. I've tried calling during lunch breaks but can never get through. Going to try that early morning suggestion and maybe check out the physical office route too. This whole process makes you feel like you're going crazy - glad to know it's not just me! Fingers crossed we all get this sorted out soon.

I'm going through this nightmare right now too! Got my eligibility letter 3 weeks ago but the online system keeps telling me I don't qualify. It's beyond frustrating. I've been reading through all these responses and honestly feeling a lot more hopeful - didn't realize there were so many different approaches to try. Definitely going to hit up the local TWC office this week and try that early morning filing trick. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and tips. Sometimes it just helps to know you're not alone in dealing with this bureaucratic mess!

This thread has been incredibly helpful for so many people! I'm actually a TWC claims examiner (can't give specific case advice, but can share general info) and it's great to see accurate information being shared here. A few things I'd add based on what I see in investigations daily: **Be specific about your availability** - Instead of just saying "I'm available for work," tell them exactly when (M-F 8am-5pm, weekends, etc.). The more specific you are, the clearer your case becomes. **School schedule vs. work schedule** - We really do look at whether there's actual conflict. Evening classes, weekend classes, or flexible online courses rarely cause issues if you can demonstrate full availability during standard work hours. **Follow-up is okay** - If it's been 2+ weeks since your investigation call and you haven't heard anything, you can call to check status. Sometimes cases do get delayed in the system. The success rate for people who are honest about their limited class schedules and can show they'd prioritize work is actually quite high. The problems usually come when people aren't upfront or when their school schedule genuinely conflicts with available work in their field. Thanks to everyone sharing their positive outcomes - it really helps reduce anxiety for others going through this process!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I just went through this exact situation last month - TWC called me about my part-time evening classes at Tarrant County College while I was collecting benefits after my retail management position was eliminated. I was terrified when I got the call, but reading experiences like @Mikayla Brown's really helped me prepare. The investigator was actually pretty reasonable once I explained that my classes were only Monday/Wednesday 6-9pm and that I was completely available during all business hours. I made sure to emphasize that I would absolutely quit school if offered suitable full-time employment. The key thing that seemed to help was that I had already documented everything - my class schedule, my work availability, and my ongoing job search activities. When the investigator asked for details, I was able to give specific times and even offered to email my course schedule as proof. Got my determination letter about 10 days later confirming my benefits would continue without interruption. Such a relief! For anyone going through this now, definitely take @Declan Ramirez and @Sean Matthews advice seriously about being clear on your priorities and availability. TWC really does seem to focus on whether school actually interferes with your ability to work, not just punish people for trying to improve their skills. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - this community support makes such a difference when you're dealing with these stressful situations!

I'm going through the exact same thing at my auto parts warehouse! They hired me as full-time at 40 hours but now I'm lucky if I get 28-30 hours a week because they say "demand is down." Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief - I had absolutely no idea partial unemployment existed for people still employed but with reduced hours! The consistent advice about documenting everything (original schedule vs actual worked hours) and not waiting to apply since benefits can't be backdated is really hitting home. I've been struggling to make my rent for the past month, just hoping things would get better, but clearly I need to take action. It's so encouraging to hear that most employers understand when people file after hour cuts since they're the ones making those decisions. I was terrified my boss would be angry, but it sounds like this is just a normal part of the system. Starting my documentation today and applying online this weekend for sure. Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories - knowing so many people successfully navigated this process gives me the confidence to finally get the help I need!

I've been reading through all these responses and I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm in almost the exact same situation at my food processing plant - they hired me full-time at 40 hours but now I'm only getting 20-25 hours per week because they say "production is down." I've been putting off applying for weeks because I was scared my employer would find out and maybe just fire me completely, but hearing from so many people who successfully filed and had understanding employers really gives me confidence. The documentation advice about tracking original vs actual hours is really smart - I'm going to start doing that immediately. It's crazy how many of us are dealing with this across different industries! I had no idea partial unemployment was even an option for people still technically employed. Reading that benefits can't be backdated really hit me - I've probably already missed out on weeks of help while hoping things would improve. Definitely applying online this weekend. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - it's made me realize I shouldn't feel guilty about getting help I'm entitled to when my employer cut my hours through no fault of my own!

Hey Kaitlyn! Congrats on landing the new job! I can totally understand the confusion - I went through the exact same thing when I found work last year. Here's what you need to do: keep doing your regular payment requests as scheduled, and when you do your next request after starting Tuesday, just be completely honest. The system will ask if you've returned to work - answer YES and provide your start date and employer information. Make sure to report any earnings from that week, even if you haven't received your paycheck yet. The TWC system will automatically determine if you're eligible for partial benefits or if your claim should be closed. The biggest mistake people make is just stopping their payment requests without properly reporting their return to work - that's what causes problems down the road! As long as you're truthful about everything, you won't have any fraud issues. The whole unemployment system is designed to help people transition back to work, so you're doing exactly what it's meant for. Don't stress too much about it - just follow the process and be honest. You've got this!

Congrats on the new job! I went through this same process about 8 months ago and was just as nervous about doing something wrong. Here's what you need to do: definitely keep requesting payments on your normal schedule, and when you do your payment request after starting Tuesday, the system will ask if you've returned to work - just answer honestly with YES and provide your start date. Report any earnings for that week even if you haven't gotten paid yet. The TWC system automatically handles everything from there - it'll either give you partial benefits for days before you started or close your claim entirely if you're working full-time. The most important thing is DON'T just stop requesting without going through this process! That's what gets people flagged later. I made that mistake initially and had to call TWC to fix it - not fun! As long as you're truthful about everything, there's zero risk of fraud issues. The whole unemployment system exists to help people transition back to work, so this is literally what it's designed for. Just follow the prompts during your next payment request and you'll be totally fine. Good luck with the new job!

Hey Lucas! Just wanted to add my experience to help ease your mind. I won my TWC appeal back in December and got almost the exact same letter with that "reversed initial determination" language - it's definitely confusing but you absolutely won! The "eligible for benefits as of 03/12/2025" is the money line (literally). My online status took about 9 days to flip from disqualified to eligible, which was agonizing, but then I got a massive direct deposit covering 6 weeks of backpay all at once. Since you've been smart about filing your payment requests throughout the appeal, you're going to get a nice chunk of change once it processes. For what it's worth, I had good luck calling right at 8am when they open - sometimes you can get through on the first try. And definitely mention that you have rent due soon when you talk to them. They can't magically speed up the computer systems, but sometimes they can at least give you a more specific timeline or confirm that everything looks good on their end. Congrats on winning your appeal - the hardest part is behind you!

Just wanted to chime in with some reassurance - you definitely won your appeal! That "reversed initial determination" language is TWC's way of saying they overturned the original denial decision. The fact that your letter specifically states "eligible for benefits as of 03/12/2025" is crystal clear - that's your effective eligibility date. I know the waiting is brutal, especially with rent coming due. The system lag is unfortunately normal - I've seen it take anywhere from 5-14 days for online accounts to reflect appeal decisions. Since you've been filing your payment requests throughout the process (which was smart!), you should get all that backpay in one shot once it processes. Try calling the appeals department directly at 512-463-2800 first thing in the morning, or use that Claimyr service someone mentioned to get through faster. Sometimes they can at least give you a timeline or confirm everything is moving forward normally. You might also want to give your landlord a heads up that payment is coming but might be a few days late due to government processing delays - most landlords understand that TWC moves at a snail's pace. Hang in there - you're so close to the finish line!