Can't reach Texas Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live TWC agent in minutes.
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If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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my first check took 6 days and i was panicking, called TWC and they said they cant do anything till its been 7 business days. then it showed up that afternoon LOL! so just when u think its lost it might arrive
lol that's how it always works isn't it? the minute you call about something missing it magically appears
Just to follow up on this thread - it's also worth noting that if you do encounter any significant delays with your check (7+ business days), TWC can issue a stop payment and reissue a new check. However, that process itself takes about 5-7 business days. Going forward, direct deposit is definitely the fastest and most reliable payment method with funds typically available 1-2 business days after processing.
Update: My check arrived today! So that was exactly 3 business days after processing. Thanks everyone for the help and advice. I'm definitely switching back to direct deposit once my new bank account is properly set up.
TWC denied my DUA claim despite hurricane delaying my job start date - what can I do?
I'm at my wits' end with this whole DUA situation. My new job was supposed to start in June, but the hurricane damaged the building and my employer kept pushing back my start date until August. I finally got the determination letter yesterday and TWC DENIED my Disaster Unemployment Assistance claim! I submitted an official letter from my employer explaining the situation and completed that ID.me verification process they requested. The determination says something about 'insufficient evidence of employment or self-employment' but I HAD a job offer with a start date that was directly affected by the disaster! Has this happened to anyone else? I can't believe they're denying people who legitimately couldn't start working because of a natural disaster. Any advice on what to do next?
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After dealing with this for weeks, I finally got my appeal approved yesterday! Here's what worked: I got my employer to write a much more specific letter that explicitly stated 1) my original start date, 2) the exact address of the workplace, 3) a detailed description of the hurricane damage, and 4) confirmation that the delay was SOLELY due to the hurricane damage. I also included photos of the damaged building my boyfriend took right after the storm (luckily he had these). The TWC representative also told me they're dealing with a huge backlog of DUA claims right now because of how many businesses were affected.
Congratulations! That gives me hope. I'll definitely ask my employer for a more detailed letter with all those specific points. Thank you for sharing what worked for you!
One more important thing - while your appeal is pending, make sure you continue to request payment for each two-week period. Even though you'll get a message saying you're currently ineligible, you need to keep submitting those payment requests. If your appeal is successful, you'll only get paid for the periods you properly requested payment for. A lot of people stop doing their payment requests while waiting for an appeal decision, and then they lose out on those weeks of benefits even if they win their appeal.
I almost made this mistake! I didn't realize I needed to keep requesting payment while appealing. Thank you for this crucial tip!
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I'm in the same boat! Only got approved for 14 weeks. What's really frustrating is that it feels like I'm being penalized for not having worked longer, even though the layoff wasn't my choice. Are you doing your work search activities? I've been applying to at least 3 jobs a week, but haven't had much luck yet.
Yes, I'm doing all my work search activities (at least 3 per week like required). It's definitely frustrating to feel penalized for not having a longer work history! Have you had any interviews yet? I've had a couple, but nothing has panned out so far.
I've had two interviews but nothing yet. I'm starting to apply to jobs outside my field too just to be safe. Better to have something lined up before benefits run out!
One thing NO ONE mentioned yet - are you on REGULAR unemployment or some other type?? If you're on Disaster Unemployment or Trade Adjustment Assistance those have different rules and benefit periods. Just checking bc your post didnt say which type.
I'm on regular unemployment. It was a standard layoff (company downsizing), not related to a disaster or trade issue. But thanks for checking - I didn't know there were different types with different benefit periods!
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My neighbor did seasonal farm work for years and sometimes the employer would fight his claim and sometimes not. It seemed to depend on how good their year was financially. One time they even told him straight up "we had a bad year, so we're contesting unemployment claims" lol. He still got his benefits most times tho!!
thats exactly what im talking about! these companies think they can just change the rules whenever they want based on their profits. so shady.
Just to follow up on my earlier comment - I want to emphasize that you should file your initial claim exactly as you have done in previous years. Be consistent with your reporting. TWC maintains records of your previous claims, so they'll be able to see that nothing has changed in your employment situation. The fact that you've been approved for 13 consecutive years creates a presumption in your favor. If your employer contests the claim, TWC will notify you and give you an opportunity to respond. At that point, you should explain the consistent pattern of seasonal employment and emphasize that nothing has changed in your work arrangement. Keep in mind that unemployment insurance exists precisely for situations like yours - temporary periods without work when you have a history of consistent employment. Don't let your employer's tax concerns prevent you from accessing benefits you're legally entitled to receive.
I'm definitely going to file as normal and then respond if they contest. All these comments have made me feel much more confident about my rights in this situation. Thank you!
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Update! Called the number at 7am and was on hold for 30 minutes. It turns out someone stole my husband's identity and filed for benefits during Covid. They told him to send in some proof of identification and will proceed from there. Thank you all for your help.
Glad you were able to get through! Make sure your husband also files a police report about the identity theft - TWC may ask for this documentation later. Also, keep detailed notes of every conversation with TWC (date, time, representative name, case numbers, etc). This will help if there are any issues with the claim later. Hope everything gets resolved quickly!
This is exactly what happened to my brother! Once he sent in his ID documents, they cleared the fraudulent account within about 10 days and he was able to set up a legitimate account with a new PIN. Definitely follow the advice about filing identity theft reports too - my brother ended up finding other accounts opened in his name when he checked his credit reports.
Oh that's good to know there's a timeframe! 10 days is still a while but much better than 6 weeks. We'll definitely check his credit reports too. This is so stressful.
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u might get denied at first dont panic!!!! most ppl get denied then win on appeal. my friend works at twc says they deny first then let the appeal judge figure it out for anything complicated
That's reassuring to hear! I'll try not to panic if I get denied initially. I'm just really stressed about making rent if this drags on too long.
Keep track of ALL your work search activities starting immediately. Even if your claim is pending or denied initially, you'll need to show you've been looking for work (minimum 3 work search activities per week in Texas). If you win your appeal, you'll only get paid for weeks where you completed and documented your work search activities. Create a spreadsheet with dates, company names, positions applied for, application methods, contact info, etc. TWC can audit your work search records at any time.
Good point! I've already started applying for jobs but wasn't tracking details. I'll create that spreadsheet today. Is applying online enough to count as an activity or do I need to do other things too?
Online applications definitely count! Each work search activity can be one of the following: - Applying for a job - Creating a profile on a job search site - Attending a job fair or networking event - Having a job interview - Creating/updating your resume - Registering with a staffing agency Just make sure you're doing at least 3 different activities each week and documenting them thoroughly. And remember to log into WorkInTexas.com and set up your profile there too - that's required.
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have you tried caling the telecenter at exactly 7:00am when they open? thats how i got through after 3 weeks of trying. also if you have access to multiple phones try calling from all of them at once to increase your chances. my claim was under review for 6 weeks and then magically fixed itself 2 days after i finally got through to a real person
second this, early morning is the best time to call! i always do 6:59am and keep redialing
I just got an update this morning!! My claim status changed from 'Under Review' to 'Claim Processed - Payment Pending'! The TWC rep's expedite actually worked! It took 2 days from when she put in the request. Now I'm just waiting for the payment to hit my account. I'll update again once that happens. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!
That's great news! Payment pending usually means the money will be in your account within 2-3 business days depending on your payment method. If you chose direct deposit, it's typically faster than the debit card option. Make sure you continue to request payments every two weeks to keep benefits flowing.
Vanessa Chang
The 21-day timeframe is COMPLETE BS in my experience. They say that to keep people from complaining but I've NEVER seen anyone get a determination that fast. My first claim took 5 weeks, then when I had to refile after working a temp job it took SEVEN WEEKS and required THREE calls to finally get someone to manually review it. The system is completely broken and they're overwhelmed with claims. My advice? Start calling as soon as you hit the 3-week mark. Don't wait for them to get to you because your claim can get stuck in the system with no notification. And yes, keep doing payment requests every two weeks no matter what!
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Madison King
•Not true for everyone! My benefit determination came through in 12 days last month. It really depends on your situation and how complicated your case is. Simple layoffs with no employer disputes usually go through faster.
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Connor Murphy
UPDATE: I just checked my account this morning (day 11) and my claim was approved! So it looks like if your case is straightforward it can definitely be faster than 3-4 weeks. Thanks everyone for the advice - especially about doing payment requests even while waiting for approval. That was really helpful!
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Amelia Dietrich
•Great news! Glad it was resolved quickly. Don't forget to complete your work search activities (minimum 3 per week in Texas) and document them for each payment request. Many people get tripped up on that requirement later.
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