make sure hes doing his work searches!!! my friend got audited and had to pay back $$ because he didnt keep proof of all his job applications

I went through this exact same situation with TWC about 8 months ago when my retail job cut hours to basically nothing. Here's what I learned the hard way: Your first payment will definitely only cover ONE week because of the waiting week policy. Even though you'll certify for two weeks on Dec 10th, you won't get paid for that first week until much later in your claim (after you've collected benefits equal to 3x your weekly amount). One thing I wish someone had told me - the payment processing can sometimes take longer than the estimated date, especially around holidays. Don't panic if the Dec 18th deposit doesn't hit exactly on time. Mine was delayed by 2 days during Thanksgiving week. Also, start keeping a spreadsheet of ALL work search activities now. I used a simple Google Sheet with columns for date, company name, position applied for, and method (online, in person, etc.). TWC can audit you at any time and they want very specific documentation. Better to be over-prepared than scramble later! The uncertainty is really stressful but you're doing the right thing by planning ahead. Hang in there!

Update on your question about documentation: Even without written documentation, you can still make a strong case. Focus on: 1. The recency of the procedure change 2. How the training was conducted 3. Whether others also misunderstood the new procedure 4. Your overall performance history before this incident During your interview, clearly articulate that you were making a good-faith effort to follow procedures but misunderstood some aspect of the new process. The fact that you made the same specific mistake consistently actually helps your case - it shows a genuine misunderstanding rather than negligence. Regarding the phone interview timeline: Currently TWC is scheduling these about 2-3 weeks after initial claims are filed for separation issues. Continue requesting payment every two weeks even while waiting for the determination.

I went through something very similar with a call center job in Dallas. Got fired for "policy violations" that were really just me not understanding a new system they rolled out. TWC approved my benefits after the phone interview because I was able to show it was an honest mistake, not willful misconduct. The key things that helped me: 1) I emphasized my good work history before the incident, 2) I explained exactly how the new procedure was confusing, and 3) I stayed calm and factual during the interview. Don't let them intimidate you - honest mistakes happen and TWC knows the difference between that and actual misconduct. File your claim ASAP and don't stress too much about the employer fighting it. Most of these cases come down to whether you were trying to do your job correctly or not, and it sounds like you clearly were.

UPDATE: My payment finally showed up in the system this morning! Status changed from "payment request received" to "payment processed" with today's date. The portal says direct deposit should hit my account by Monday. A bit late but at least it's coming. Hope everyone else sees their payments updated too!

Good to hear it's finally updating for people! I was in the same boat - requested Tuesday and usually get paid Thursday but nothing showed up. Just checked now after seeing Isabella's update and mine is showing "payment processed" too! Says deposit by Monday. Really wish TWC would send out notifications when there are system delays like this instead of leaving everyone wondering what's happening. At least we know for future reference that quarter transitions can cause processing delays.

website seems to be working again! just logged in and was able to check my claim status. might wanna try now before it crashes again lol

Glad to hear the website is back up! For anyone still having issues, I'd recommend clearing your browser cache and cookies before trying to log in. Sometimes during outages like this, cached data can cause problems even after the system is restored. Also worth bookmarking the direct login page (ui.texasworkforce.org) instead of going through the main TWC site - it tends to be more stable during high traffic periods.

Quick update - I spent all morning gathering documentation for my appeal. I found emails from 8 different clients canceling jobs specifically due to flood damage, photos of three job sites that were underwater, and my work calendar showing all the scheduled jobs for the month. I'm also writing a detailed letter explaining exactly how the flooding made it impossible to continue my landscaping work. Hoping this will be enough for the appeal!

Michael, that documentation sounds very thorough! One additional tip - when you submit your appeal, consider including a brief timeline that shows your normal business pattern before the disaster versus after. For example: "January-February 2025: averaged 15 jobs per week, March 1-15: had 12 jobs scheduled, March 16 (flood date) - present: zero jobs completed due to client cancellations and inaccessible work sites." This kind of clear before/after comparison really helps TWC see the direct impact. Also, if any of your regular clients have offered to provide written statements about how the flooding affected their properties and led to job cancellations, those can be incredibly powerful supporting documents. Make sure you submit everything before that 14-day deadline - sounds like you're well on your way to a successful appeal!