I'm dealing with this exact same anxiety right now! Filed my claim about 10 days ago and still stuck on that "claim received" status. The waiting is absolutely brutal when you're already stressed about money. Reading through everyone's advice here has been incredibly helpful though. I had no idea about the payment request thing - almost made that huge mistake of waiting for approval first! My SSN ends in 9 so Monday filing for me. Also immediately started documenting my work search activities after learning they're required from day one (why doesn't TWC make this clearer upfront?!). One thing I discovered that might help - if you call the main TWC number (512-463-2222) early in the morning around 8am, sometimes you can get through to a human instead of just the busy signal. I managed to talk to someone yesterday who confirmed my claim is "in process" and that 2-3 weeks is typical for initial review. The financial stress is so real when bills are due and you have no idea if help is coming. But honestly, finding this thread has been such a relief - knowing I'm not the only one stuck in this bureaucratic waiting game. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and tips! This community is way more helpful than the actual TWC website. Hopefully we'll all start seeing some movement soon. The uncertainty is definitely the hardest part!

I'm going through this exact same stress right now! Filed my claim 8 days ago and that "claim received" status is driving me absolutely crazy. The financial anxiety is so real when you don't know if help is actually coming and bills keep piling up. This thread has been an absolute lifesaver though - I had NO idea about requesting payment before getting approved! That seems completely backwards but I definitely don't want to lose benefit weeks while waiting. My SSN ends in 2 so Tuesday filing for me. Also just started my work search activities after reading everyone's advice here. I was totally planning to wait for approval first - so glad I found this community before making that costly mistake! One thing I discovered that might help others: if you go to "Unemployment Services" then "Tele-Serv Information," it shows your designated filing day and some basic claim info, which at least confirms they have your information correctly in their system. The uncertainty is absolutely brutal when you're already dealing with the stress of unemployment. But seeing so many people here going through the identical situation makes me feel way less alone in this bureaucratic nightmare. Thanks to everyone sharing their tips and experiences - this community has taught me more about how TWC actually works than their entire official website! Hoping we all get some positive news soon.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who recently went through this! I got the same ID.me verification email about 2 weeks ago and was super suspicious at first too. But it's definitely legit - TWC really does use ID.me now for identity verification. A few things that helped me: Make sure you have good wifi connection before starting, have your driver's license ready, and do it when you have about 30 minutes of uninterrupted time. The facial recognition part was actually kind of fun once I got over being nervous about it! My verification was approved within a few hours and my TWC account updated the next day. Don't let the horror stories scare you too much - most people get through it just fine, they just don't post about smooth experiences as much as the problematic ones. You've got this!

I went through the ID.me verification process about a month ago and wanted to share my experience since I see you got some great advice already! The whole thing took me about 25 minutes from start to finish. One thing that really helped was making sure I was in a well-lit room - I tried doing it initially in my dim kitchen and the facial recognition kept failing. Once I moved to a room with better lighting, it worked perfectly on the first try. Also, don't panic if the system seems to hang for a minute or two during processing - that's normal. I thought it had crashed but it was just working through the verification. My TWC account showed the update within about 36 hours after completing ID.me. The key is just being patient with the process and having all your documents ready before you start. Good luck!

I'm dealing with something similar right now! My claim got flagged because TWC somehow had me listed under a company that was just a temp agency I worked through briefly, not my actual direct employer. The frustrating part is that when I originally filed, I provided all the correct information including my direct employer's name and EIN. What I learned is that sometimes employers report wages under different business entities (like if they use a payroll company or if you were technically employed through a staffing agency). Check your old paystubs carefully - the employer name on your paystub might be different from who you thought you worked for. Also, don't wait for that ID.me code in the mail! As others mentioned, you can complete verification online right away. That alone might unlock your claim status while you work on the employer correction. Keep us posted on how it goes - this seems to be happening to more and more people lately.

This is such a frustrating situation but unfortunately pretty common with TWC's system. A few things that might help speed up the process: 1. When you call back, ask specifically for the "Employer Services" department - they handle these employer mismatches and can often resolve it faster than general customer service. 2. Have your Social Security number, the INCORRECT employer name they have on file, and your CORRECT employer's full legal name and EIN ready when you call. 3. If your employer uses ADP, Paychex, or another payroll company, that might be what's showing up in TWC's system instead of your actual employer name. 4. Document everything - get reference numbers for your calls and ask for the rep's name/ID number. This helps if you need to escalate. The good news is once they fix the employer issue, your benefits should process normally. Don't let them tell you that you need to file a whole new claim - this should be correctable with the existing one. Keep requesting payments while they sort it out!

Hey Ethan! I totally feel your stress - I was in almost the exact same boat when I first filed for unemployment a few months back. That first work search log is nerve-wracking when you're not sure what counts! But honestly, you're in way better shape than you think. From what you've described, you actually already have your 3 activities: 1. First job application (with email confirmation) 2. Second job application (with email confirmation) 3. All that time you spent learning WorkInTexas and researching companies - this 100% counts! I made the same mistake thinking WorkInTexas was the only legit place to apply. Turns out all those hours I spent setting up my profile, figuring out the search functions, and researching potential employers absolutely counted when I documented them properly. Just jot down something like "3/XX/25: Spent 2-3 hours setting up WorkInTexas profile, uploaded resume, researched company job openings in my field" and you're golden. TWC is actually pretty reasonable with first-timers who are clearly making an effort. Your claim won't get rejected over this - worst case they might ask for clarification, but you've got documentation. Just stay consistent with 3 clear activities each week going forward and you'll be fine! The learning curve is steep at first but it gets so much easier.

Hey Ethan! I totally get the panic - I was in your exact situation when I first started collecting unemployment last year. The work search requirements seem so overwhelming at first! The good news is you're actually in much better shape than you think. Based on what you've described, you likely already have your 3 activities covered: 1. Your first job application (keep that confirmation email!) 2. Your second job application (keep that one too!) 3. All that time you spent researching companies and learning WorkInTexas absolutely counts as job search preparation! I made the same mistake thinking WorkInTexas was the only place to apply. The hours I spent figuring out that system and setting up my profile all counted when I documented them properly. For documentation, just write something like "3/28/25: Spent 2+ hours researching employers and setting up WorkInTexas profile - created account, uploaded resume, learned search functions." Don't worry about your claim being rejected - TWC is generally understanding with first-time filers who show genuine effort. Just submit what you have and make sure to hit 3 activities consistently going forward. The first week is always the scariest, but you've got this!

I'm currently going through a very similar situation and have been researching this extensively! Based on everything I've read and the advice from TWC representatives, your case sounds like it should definitely qualify for trailing spouse benefits. The key factors working in your favor are: 1) Your husband is returning to his original employer (shows legitimate business relationship), 2) He's getting a promotion (demonstrates career advancement necessity), 3) The 4-hour commute distance is way beyond TWC's "reasonable" threshold, and 4) The company buyout situation provides clear documentation of why the move became necessary. I'd recommend getting everything documented before you resign: your husband's written offer letter with start date, a letter from his HR department explaining the transfer/promotion, and start keeping records of any East Texas hospital applications you submit. Also make sure your resignation letter explicitly states you're leaving "to relocate with spouse for employment purposes" - that specific wording seems to be important for TWC. From what I've read in similar cases, approval typically takes 2-3 weeks if you have all the right documentation upfront. You'll still need to do 3 work search activities per week, but applications to hospitals in East Texas count toward that requirement. Given everything your family has been through with the apartment fire and company changes, this move sounds completely justified from both a personal and legal standpoint.

I've been following this conversation closely as someone who went through trailing spouse benefits in Texas about 18 months ago. Your situation sounds very strong for approval - the combination of your husband returning to his original employer with a promotion, the 4-hour commute distance, and the clear business necessity due to the company buyout should make this a straightforward case for TWC. A few additional points that might help based on my experience: 1. Consider getting a brief letter from your current hospital's HR stating they have no facilities or positions available in East Texas - this shows you explored keeping your current job before resigning 2. When calculating the commute distance for your documentation, include both mileage AND time - TWC considers anything over 2 hours each way unreasonable, and you're at double that 3. Save all your East Texas hospital job applications in a folder with dates - you'll need 3 work search activities per week even with trailing spouse benefits, but these absolutely count 4. File your claim online the day after your last day of work rather than waiting until you've physically moved The approval timeline seems to run 2-3 weeks based on what others have shared here, which matches my experience. Just make sure your resignation letter explicitly states you're leaving "to accompany spouse for employment relocation" and you should be good to go. With two kids to think about, this sounds like exactly the kind of family situation the trailing spouse provision was designed to protect!