In follow-up to your question about the appeal hearing process: Appeal hearings are typically conducted by phone with a Hearing Officer (sometimes called an Administrative Law Judge). Both you and your former employer will receive notice about the hearing date and time. During the hearing: - You'll be sworn in - The Hearing Officer explains the process and issues being decided - Both sides present testimony and evidence - You can question your employer and vice versa - The Hearing Officer asks clarifying questions Advice for the hearing: - Organize your evidence in chronological order - Prepare a brief outline of key points - Speak clearly and stick to relevant facts - Have your documentation readily available - Stay professional even if your employer makes false statements The decision typically comes by mail within 1-2 weeks after the hearing. If you lose the appeal, you can request a re-appeal to the TWC Commission, though the bar for overturning the Hearing Officer's decision is high.

Just wanted to add from my experience - I successfully got benefits after quitting my retail job due to a manager who was sexually harassing me. The key things that helped my case were: 1. I kept a detailed journal with dates, times, and exactly what was said/done 2. I reported it to HR in writing (email) and kept copies of their inadequate responses 3. I got a witness statement from a coworker who saw some of the incidents 4. I consulted with my doctor about the anxiety it was causing and got that documented The whole process took about 3 months from when I quit to getting approved, but it was worth fighting for. TWC initially denied me, but I won on appeal. The hearing was nerve-wracking but the officer was professional and focused on the facts. One thing I wish I'd known earlier - if you're documenting inappropriate comments, try to get them in writing somehow. I started responding to verbal comments with follow-up texts like "Just to clarify what you said to me today about..." and sometimes he'd actually respond confirming it! That evidence was huge during my hearing. Stay strong and document everything. Your mental health matters more than any job.

Congratulations on your new job! I'm also currently receiving unemployment benefits and this discussion has been incredibly helpful for understanding the proper process. From everything I've read here, it's clear that you need to submit that final payment request and report your work hours - don't just stop requesting payments without notifying TWC. The stories about people getting hit with surprise overpayment bills months later are really concerning, but it sounds like following the proper process prevents those issues. I appreciate everyone sharing their real experiences here, both positive and negative. It's giving those of us who are still job searching a clear understanding of what to do when we find work. The tip about keeping detailed records (screenshots, confirmation pages, etc.) also seems really important. Thanks for starting this discussion - it's been educational for the whole community!

Congratulations on the job offer! I'm currently on unemployment myself and this thread has been so incredibly helpful. Reading through everyone's experiences, the message is crystal clear - submit that final payment request and report your work hours to avoid any overpayment issues later. What really struck me from all these stories is how the TWC system seems designed to create confusion, but the solution is actually pretty straightforward once you know what to do. Those horror stories about people getting surprise bills months or even years later are exactly what I want to avoid when I eventually find work. I love the advice about keeping detailed documentation too - screenshots, confirmation pages, everything. It seems like a small step that could save a lot of headaches down the road. Thanks for asking this question and creating such a valuable discussion for the community. It's giving all of us who are still job searching a clear roadmap for when our time comes. Best of luck with your new position - sounds like you're going to handle this transition perfectly!

I'm currently in the middle of my Commission Appeal process (submitted about 8 weeks ago) and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Reading everyone's experiences has given me both hope and realistic expectations about the timeline. One thing I wanted to add that I learned the hard way - when you're gathering your wage documentation, don't forget about any bonuses, overtime pay, or shift differentials that might not be clearly labeled on your pay stubs. My employer had reported my base wages correctly but completely left out my shift differential pay, which added up to a significant amount over the base period quarters. I ended up creating a spreadsheet that broke down every single pay period during my base period, comparing my actual pay stubs to what TWC had on record. It was tedious but it clearly showed the discrepancies. I included this with my appeal along with copies of every pay stub. For anyone still preparing their appeal, I'd also recommend checking if your employer uses a third-party payroll company. Sometimes the wage reporting errors happen at that level, and having documentation that shows the payroll company's records vs. what actually got reported to TWC can strengthen your case. The waiting is absolutely brutal, especially when you're already financially stressed from being unemployed. But reading about people like Alberto and others who won their appeals after similar timelines is keeping me hopeful. Fingers crossed we all get good news eventually!

I'm really grateful for all the detailed advice everyone has shared in this thread! As someone who's about to start this Commission Appeal process, I feel much better prepared after reading through all your experiences. A few key takeaways I'm noting for my own appeal: 1) Focus specifically on factual errors in the hearing officer's "findings of fact" rather than arguing everything, 2) Include comprehensive wage documentation (W-2s, pay stubs, bank records if needed), 3) Reference specific Texas Labor Code sections where the decision seems inconsistent, and 4) Be prepared for a 10-12 week wait but keep requesting payments throughout. The tip about checking with workforce solutions offices for document review is something I'm definitely going to pursue - it would be great to have professional eyes on my appeal before submission. One question for those who've been through this - did any of you also file complaints with other agencies (like the Department of Labor Standards that AstroAlpha mentioned) while your Commission Appeal was pending? I'm wondering if pursuing multiple avenues simultaneously could help or if it might somehow complicate the TWC appeal process. Thanks again everyone for sharing your knowledge and experiences. It's reassuring to know there are people out there willing to help others navigate this confusing and stressful process!

I'm going through something very similar right now and this whole thread has been a lifesaver! I missed 4 weeks of payment requests during my appeal because nowhere in the denial letter did it clearly state I should keep requesting payments. It just felt counterintuitive to request money when they literally told me I was denied. Reading everyone's success stories here gives me so much hope. I'm especially grateful for the specific advice about visiting Workforce Solutions in person and asking for a "claims specialist" rather than general customer service. The fact that there's actually a formal "Continued Claims During Appeal" backdating process makes this feel much less hopeless. @Sean Murphy - you're definitely not alone in making this mistake! It sounds like the system is genuinely confusing and designed in a way that trips people up. The good news is that so many people in this thread have gotten at least partial relief, especially when they explained the situation during their appeal hearing. I'm going to follow the advice here: start requesting current payments immediately, visit my local office in person, and document everything moving forward. Hopefully we'll both have positive updates to share soon!

I'm a newcomer to this community but wanted to share that I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation! I missed 3 weeks of payment requests during my appeal because the whole process seemed so confusing. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring - I had no idea this was such a common mistake or that there were actual processes in place to help fix it. The advice about visiting Workforce Solutions in person seems to be the consistent recommendation from everyone who had success. I'm definitely going to try that approach this week. It's also really helpful to know about asking specifically for a "claims specialist" and the formal "Continued Claims During Appeal" backdating process that @Nalani Liu mentioned. Thank you all for being so generous with sharing your experiences and specific advice. This thread should honestly be pinned somewhere as a resource for people navigating unemployment appeals - the level of detail and real-world guidance here is amazing!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm also a new claimant and had no idea about the fixed request days based on claim effective date. I've been requesting payments whenever I remember to do it within what I thought was my "request week" - sounds like I might be making the same mistake. Just checked my TWC account and found the calendar view under "Claim and Payment Status" that several people mentioned. My claim effective date ends in 5, so according to the pattern @Brooklyn shared, I should be requesting on Wednesday/Thursday. I think I've been requesting on random days! @Ezra I hope you get through to TWC soon! The tip about calling right at 7:01 AM when they open seems to be mentioned by several people, so that might be your best bet. Also going to try that Claimyr service if I run into the same issue. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world info that TWC should be providing upfront!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago! I also misunderstood the request schedule and thought I could request payment anytime during my "request week" rather than on specific assigned days. What finally worked for me was calling the main TWC line (800-939-6631) at exactly 7:00 AM and selecting the option for technical issues rather than general questions. For some reason, that queue seemed to move faster. I also kept hitting redial even when I got the "all agents are busy" message - sometimes after 10-15 tries it would suddenly put me in the actual queue. When I did get through, the agent was super understanding and said this confusion happens to new claimants constantly. They were able to backdate my missed payment requests with no issues and even walked me through how to set up text message reminders for my future request days (which was a game-changer). The key thing is to stay persistent and don't panic - you haven't ruined your claim! TWC deals with this situation multiple times every single day. Also, once you do get it sorted, definitely set up multiple reminders because those assigned days sneak up on you fast. Good luck @Ezra - you're going to get this resolved!