Just to add another perspective - I work in HR and deal with unemployment claims regularly. Everything everyone is saying here is absolutely correct. From the employer side, TWC gets wage reports from all employers quarterly, so they will definitely know about those 4 days of work eventually. It's much better to report it upfront on your payment request than to have TWC discover it later through wage matching. When you report it yourself, it shows good faith compliance. Also, brief employment like this is super common - the system handles it all the time. You're definitely doing the right thing by asking these questions and planning to report everything accurately!

I'm new to this whole unemployment process and this thread has been incredibly educational! I haven't been in this situation yet, but it's really helpful to understand how TWC handles temporary work situations before I potentially face something similar. The key takeaways I'm getting are: 1) Always keep requesting payments every two weeks, 2) Report any work and earnings honestly, 3) Continue doing work search activities, and 4) Don't try to "game" the system by stopping requests. It's reassuring to know that TWC's system is actually designed to handle these common scenarios where someone briefly works between unemployment periods. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - it's so much more valuable than trying to figure this out from official websites alone!

Just wanted to share another potential fix that worked for me when I had this exact same issue a few months ago. If you're still having trouble after trying the early morning approach and email whitelisting, check if you have two-factor authentication enabled on your email account. Sometimes 2FA can interfere with automated emails like password resets. I had to temporarily disable 2FA on my Outlook account, request the reset email, then re-enable it afterward. The email came through within minutes once I did that. Also, make sure you're checking ALL folders in your email - not just spam, but also "Promotions," "Updates," or any other filtered folders your email client might be using. Gmail especially likes to sort automated emails into weird categories. Hope this helps someone else who's stuck in ID.me email hell!

This thread is amazing! I just spent the last 30 minutes reading through all these solutions and I'm honestly shocked at how many different things can interfere with ID.me emails. I'm currently dealing with this exact issue - been trying to reset my password for 4 days with no luck. I'm definitely going to try the 5am approach tomorrow since that seems to have worked for multiple people here. I'm using Gmail so hopefully I won't run into the Outlook blocking issues, but I'll add those ID.me addresses to my contacts just in case. The suggestion about checking different email folders is really smart too - I've been so focused on spam that I didn't think to look in other filtered folders. Going to do a thorough search tonight. It's frustrating that accessing our own benefits requires this level of technical troubleshooting, but I'm so grateful for communities like this where people actually share real solutions instead of just complaining. Will definitely update everyone on what works for me!

Andre, this is absolutely incredible news! 🎉 Congratulations on getting that reversal - what a huge weight off your shoulders that must be! Your story gives me so much hope as someone who just filed my Commission appeal two weeks ago after a devastating Appeal Tribunal loss. I've been obsessively checking this thread and others trying to understand what to expect, and honestly your success story is exactly what I needed to see today. The fact that your additional medical documentation made such a difference really validates my decision to submit some extra evidence with my appeal that wasn't available during my original hearing. Your timeline of 6 weeks and 3 days is super helpful too - it gives me a realistic expectation for my own wait. Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and update everyone with the good news. Stories like yours prove that the Commission really does take these appeals seriously and will correct injustices when they have all the facts. Enjoy that well-deserved backpay and congratulations again on your victory! You've given hope to so many people in this community who are fighting similar battles.

Andre, this is absolutely amazing news! 🎉 Congratulations on getting that reversal - what an incredible relief that must be after all those weeks of stress and uncertainty! Your success story gives me so much hope as someone who's brand new to this community and currently dealing with my own unemployment appeal situation. I just lost my initial determination and I'm preparing for the Appeal Tribunal hearing, but honestly the whole process has felt pretty overwhelming and discouraging. Reading about your victory at the Commission level really shows that even when things don't go well at the earlier stages, there's still a real chance for justice if you have the right evidence and don't give up. The fact that your additional medical documentation made such a difference is really encouraging - it shows the Commission actually takes the time to review everything thoroughly. Your timeline of exactly 6 weeks and 3 days is incredibly helpful information too. Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and update everyone with this wonderful news - stories like yours are exactly what people in this community need to hear to keep fighting for what's right. Enjoy that well-deserved backpay!

I just want to chime in as someone who's been lurking here for a while but finally created an account because your situation hits close to home. I went through a TWC appeal about 18 months ago for a similar "misconduct" claim and won! One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is to prepare for your employer potentially bringing up things that weren't in their original determination letter. In my case, they suddenly tried to claim I had "attitude problems" during the hearing even though their initial complaint was only about attendance. Don't let this throw you off - stick to addressing the original misconduct claim they filed. Also, if you have any positive customer reviews or feedback from your time at the restaurant, those can be really powerful evidence of your work quality. I brought screenshots of good Yelp reviews that mentioned me by name, and it helped show I was a valued employee until the management change. Your 2-year clean record is honestly your golden ticket here. Most hearing officers see right through employers who suddenly have problems with long-term employees after management changes. You're doing everything right by documenting everything and taking this seriously. Based on all the advice in this thread, you're going to be incredibly well-prepared. Rooting for you!

As someone new to this community, I just wanted to say how incredible it is to see everyone sharing such detailed, helpful advice! I'm not going through a TWC appeal myself, but reading through all these responses gives me so much hope for anyone dealing with unemployment issues in Texas. The consistent theme I'm seeing is that preparation and documentation are absolutely key. It sounds like Chloe has a really strong case with that 2-year clean record before the new manager arrived - that timeline pattern seems to be what multiple successful appellants used as their main argument. One thing that stands out from everyone's advice is how important it is to submit evidence well before the deadline and keep proof of submission. The practical tips about phone hearing logistics (quiet room, landline connection, having documents organized) are things I never would have thought of but seem crucial for success. It's also really encouraging to see actual success stories from people who won similar appeals. The restaurant industry scheduling issues seem to be well-understood by hearing officers, which should work in favor of anyone with proper documentation. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread is going to help so many people prepare for their appeals!

I'm brand new to this community but SO grateful I found this thread! I'm in the exact same situation - down to my last $278 in benefits and was having a total panic attack about the waiting week. This whole conversation has been more helpful than 4 hours on hold with TWC! @Andre Laurent - your breakdown was absolutely perfect and finally made everything click for me. Knowing I'll get TWO more payments instead of just one is going to save my budget next month. I've been keeping job search screenshots from Indeed and LinkedIn, so it's really reassuring to hear that's acceptable documentation. Definitely going to organize everything from my waiting week now while I have time. Quick question though - I've seen a few people mention using Claimyr to get through to TWC faster. Has anyone used that recently? I might need to call them about something else and those 3+ hour hold times are brutal! Thanks everyone for sharing your real experiences. This community is honestly a lifesaver when TWC's website is so confusing!

I'm new to this community but this thread has been absolutely incredible! I'm in almost the exact same situation - have about $260 left in my TWC benefits and was completely freaking out about whether I'd get one more payment or two. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge relief! @Andre Laurent - your step-by-step breakdown was perfect and honestly clearer than anything on the TWC website. Knowing that the waiting week is completely separate from my regular benefit balance and that I'll get TWO more payments instead of just one is going to make such a difference for my budget planning. I've been doing most of my job searches through Indeed and company career sites, so it's really reassuring to hear from so many people that screenshots and email confirmations work fine for documentation. I'm definitely going to spend this weekend organizing all my records from that first week after reading @Anastasia Ivanova's advice about TWC sometimes requesting proof. One thing I wanted to ask - for those who've gone through this, did you notice the waiting week request option right away when you logged in after your balance hit $0, or did you have to navigate to a specific section of your account to find it? I want to make sure I'm looking in the right place when the time comes! Thanks to everyone for sharing your real experiences. This community is honestly more helpful than hours of trying to decode TWC's confusing website!