my aunt told me u can pay extra into social security to make up for unemployment gaps but i dont know if thats true anybody know????

this belongs in a social security forum not unemployment lol

Don't forget that if you get even $1 in unemployment benefits for a week, you still get access to all your other unemployment benefits like healthcare subsidies (if you're getting those). Sometimes it's worth keeping your hours just under the limit to maintain eligibility for those additional benefits. I made this mistake last year - worked just a few hours over my limit for two weeks in a row and lost my subsidized health insurance, which ended up costing me WAY more than the extra hours were worth.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE YOU!!!! they want you to make mistakes so they can deny benefits and save money!!!! happened to my entire department when we got laid off. half of us got benefits denied for stupid reasons

just wondering did u check ur emails during that time? sometimes they send emails about account changes but they go to spam folder

One more critical tip - if you filed in September and went back to work in December but just discovered this in January, make sure TWC understands this timeline clearly. They have strict time limits for reporting fraud (usually 30 days from discovery, not from when it happened). Emphasize that you just discovered the issue in January when you tried to resolve the missing card issue. If anyone at TWC tries to say you're outside the reporting window, ask to speak to a supervisor and cite Texas Administrative Code, Title 40, Part 20, which allows extensions for good cause (not receiving proper notification would qualify). Your persistence will pay off eventually, but unfortunately these cases do take time to resolve.

My friend works at TWC (not in appeals tho) and she says they're SUPER behind on everything right now. Even if you win your appeal, expect it to take at least 2-3 weeks before you see any movement on your claim. And yeah, no-show from employer helps but doesn't mean automatic win.

One more important tip: At the start of the hearing, when they ask if you have any additional evidence to submit, speak up if you do! Once the hearing starts, it's very difficult to get new evidence considered. Also, it's completely normal to be nervous, but try to stick to facts rather than emotions. Hearing officers are looking for clear timelines and specific incidents, not general complaints about your employer. The system usually updates within 7-14 days after a decision is made, but it can occasionally be faster or slower depending on current TWC workload.

my brother had this to. he got paid anyway lol

Just a heads up - I've been on unemployment three times over the years, and TWC often does these periodic reviews around the 4-6 week mark of your claim. They have automated systems that flag certain patterns for manual review, but in most cases, it's just making sure you're still qualified. The fact that you don't have any messages in your inbox is actually a good sign. When there's a real issue, they typically send a correspondence to your inbox about what needs to be addressed. Keep documenting your work search activities carefully - that's the most common reason for issues at this stage of a claim.

Texas Education Agency employee here. A few important points about teacher unemployment in Texas: 1. Teachers CAN receive unemployment if their contract is not renewed and they don't have reasonable assurance of employment for the following year 2. You need to wait until after your last day of work to apply (after June 30th in your case) 3. 'Performance concerns' without documented progressive discipline rarely meets the standard for misconduct under TWC rules 4. The 'reasonable assurance' rule only applies if you have been told you'll have a job next year 5. School districts often contest teacher unemployment claims automatically, so be prepared for a possible appeal process 6. You'll need to meet the regular TWC requirements including work search (minimum 3 work search activities per week) Keep all documentation related to your non-renewal. If you receive a formal letter stating your contract isn't being renewed, that's extremely valuable evidence for your claim.

Be prepared for a possible denied claim at first. TWC often sides with employers initially, but the appeal process is actually pretty fair. I got denied unemployment after teaching for 7 years (program cuts), but won on appeal. The big issue for teachers is the 'reasonable assurance' rule, which can deny benefits during normal breaks (summer, winter) if you have a reasonable expectation of returning. Since you've been told you're not coming back, that shouldn't apply to you. Also, when you do your work search activities, consider looking at other districts or private schools. Some of them hire mid-year and that counts for your work search requirements.

I had this problem last year and it turned out they were doing a quarterly review of my claim. Have you completed 3 months of unemployment? Sometimes that triggers an automatic review before they continue payments. Just a thought, might not be your situation but worth considering.

Just wanted to update - my payment just processed! Check your accounts, Tuesday people!

One more thing to know - when your claim is approved and they release those back payments, they'll all come at once as a lump sum (for the weeks you've requested so far). So you might go from $0 to a larger payment that covers multiple weeks. Just something to be aware of for your budgeting.

my husband and I both had to file last year when our company shut down and we had totally different experiences? his claim went through in like 5 days and mine took 3 weeks but we both got all our back weeks paid. nobody at TWC could explain why mine took so much longer even though we worked at the same place and got laid off the same day. the system is so random sometimes!

my brother works at twc and says they approve MOST tardiness firings unless its like crazy excessive (like hours late everyday) or you were on a final warning for something else too

Based on everything you've shared, I think you have a good case. Make sure to provide TWC with these details about your tardiness reasons when they contact you. The fact that your final tardy was to take your child to school when your spouse couldn't is particularly relevant - TWC often recognizes family obligations as reasonable causes. If you do receive a denial, don't panic. The appeal process is straightforward: 1. Submit your appeal online or by mail within the 14-day deadline 2. Prepare a simple statement explaining why you believe the decision was incorrect 3. Gather any documentation supporting your explanation 4. Participate in the telephone hearing when scheduled Approximately 30-40% of initial denials are reversed on appeal, especially in cases like yours where the "misconduct" is debatable.

THE TWC SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU FAIL!!! They don't explain anything clearly and then when you make a mistake they PUNISH YOU by taking away benefits. I got audited and they said my work searches weren't "adequate" even though I applied to over 20 jobs!!! This is all about making it hard to collect what we're entitled to!!

To answer your original question more directly: When you submit your payment request every two weeks (either online or by phone through Tele-Serv), you'll just enter the NUMBER of work search activities you completed each week. The minimum is 3 per week in Texas. For your records (which you should keep but don't upload unless specifically audited): 1. Include employer name, position, date, application method, contact info 2. Save confirmation emails, screenshots, or reference numbers when possible 3. Vary your activities - include networking, interviews, and job fairs too 4. Make sure activities are for "suitable work" matching your skills 5. Keep records for at least a year after your claim ends The TWC Work Search Guidelines page has all the official details if you want to be extra careful.