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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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Wait wait wait I'm confused about something... do we have to request payment BEFORE being approved? What if we get denied? I'm in a similar situation (fired last week, phone interview scheduled for next Tuesday) and I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing while waiting for the decision??
Yes, you should request payment according to your assigned schedule even before your claim is approved. If you get denied, nothing happens - you just won't receive those payments. But if you're approved and haven't been requesting payments, you could lose those weeks of benefits. Think of payment requests and claim approval as two separate tracks running simultaneously. Also make sure you're documenting your three work search activities each week starting from the date you applied for benefits.
Just want to add my experience to help ease your mind - I was terminated via email (not even a phone call!) about 6 months ago for "restructuring" that turned out to be performance-related according to their TWC response. Never got any formal warnings either, just vague feedback in meetings that I thought was normal coaching. My determination took about 8 days and I was approved. The key thing the TWC agent told me during my appeal hearing (my employer initially contested) was that Texas follows "at-will" employment but unemployment benefits have different standards. They look for willful misconduct or deliberate violations, not just performance issues. Since you mentioned no written warnings, you're likely in good shape. Also echoing what others said about payment requests - definitely keep doing those every two weeks even while waiting. I almost missed my first one because I thought I had to wait for approval. Hang in there!
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I went through the exact same thing a few months ago! Got denied initially but kept getting those ID.me emails and was so confused. Turns out it's completely normal - the ID.me verification is required for your TWC account regardless of whether your initial claim was approved or denied. I actually called it the "bureaucratic chicken and egg problem" because you need to verify to appeal, but you get denied before verifying! The good news is that once I completed the ID.me verification and filed an interstate claim (I had worked in New Mexico), everything got sorted out. The verification itself took maybe 15 minutes - just have your driver's license ready and make sure you're in good lighting for the video selfie part. One tip that saved me a lot of headache: when you do get through to TWC, ask them to put a note in your file that you completed the ID.me verification on [whatever date you do it]. Sometimes there's a delay between when you complete it and when it shows up in their system, and having that note prevented me from having to redo the process later. Hang in there - the system is definitely confusing but it sounds like you're on the right track with the interstate claim angle!
Thanks for sharing your experience Darren! The "bureaucratic chicken and egg problem" is the perfect way to describe this situation - I was feeling so frustrated about needing to verify my identity after being denied, but hearing that it's completely normal helps a lot. That's a really smart tip about asking them to put a note in my file about completing the ID.me verification. I can definitely see how there could be delays between completing it and it showing up in their system, and I'd hate to have to go through the whole process again later. I'm planning to complete the verification tonight and then work on getting through to them about the interstate claim. It's so reassuring to hear success stories from people who have been through this exact same confusing process!
I just went through this same process last month and wanted to share what I learned! The ID.me verification is actually required for ALL TWC accounts now, regardless of your claim status. So even though you got denied, you still need to complete it because it's tied to your account, not your specific claim. The really important thing here is that your denial was likely because TWC's system initially only looks at Texas wages. Since you worked in Oklahoma, you'll probably need to file what's called an interstate claim or combined wage claim to include those out-of-state wages. I had a similar situation with Arizona wages and once I got the right type of claim filed, I qualified easily. My advice: Complete the ID.me verification ASAP (it's pretty quick - just need your driver's license and decent lighting), then focus on getting through to TWC to discuss filing an interstate claim. The verification requirement isn't going away, so you might as well get it done now rather than having it delay things later if your appeal or new claim gets approved. Don't let the confusing system discourage you - it sounds like you should definitely qualify once they look at your Oklahoma wages!
This is such a helpful summary Emma! I'm new to this whole unemployment process and was getting really overwhelmed trying to figure out what I needed to do first. Your explanation about the ID.me verification being tied to the account rather than the specific claim finally makes it click for me. I'm in a similar situation - worked in Colorado before moving to Texas and got denied for insufficient wages. It sounds like I need to do the ID.me verification first and then call about an interstate claim. Did you have any trouble getting through to someone at TWC who understood the interstate claim process, or did most agents know how to help with that?
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I went through this exact same situation about 18 months ago when my benefits were about to run out. The reality everyone's sharing here is tough but accurate - there really aren't any extensions available right now in Texas. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet: if you have any equipment, tools, or certifications from your oil field work, consider whether you could do any freelance or contract work while job hunting. I had welding skills and was able to pick up some weekend projects through Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace - not consistent income, but it helped bridge some gaps. Also, don't overlook temporary staffing agencies. I know it feels like a step backward, but many temp agencies in Texas have connections with manufacturing, warehouse, and construction companies that need people with industrial experience. Some of those temp positions turn into permanent jobs, and at minimum it's income while you're still searching for something better. The mental game is really hard during this transition. I found it helpful to set daily goals beyond just applying for jobs - like "today I'll research two new industries where my skills might transfer" or "today I'll visit one community resource." It kept me feeling productive even when the job search felt hopeless. You've got this - the 4 weeks you have left is actually more runway than a lot of people get.
This is really helpful advice - thank you for sharing your experience! The freelance/contract work idea using existing skills is smart. I do have some equipment and certifications that might translate to weekend projects while I'm job hunting. I hadn't thought about leveraging those skills in a freelance way, but it makes total sense as a bridge income source. The temp agency suggestion is also something I should seriously consider. You're right that it feels like a step backward, but income is income, and having industrial experience might actually be an advantage with those agencies. I'll start reaching out to some this week. I really like your idea about setting daily goals beyond just job applications. The job search does feel hopeless some days, and having other productive tasks to focus on would probably help my mental state. Thanks for the reminder that 4 weeks is actually decent runway time if I use it strategically instead of just panicking about it. Really appreciate the encouragement!
I'm really sorry you're facing this situation - the stress of approaching that 26-week deadline is incredibly overwhelming. Reading through all these responses, it's clear that the reality is harsh but everyone here is giving you the straight facts: there are no extensions currently available in Texas, and you need to start preparing for life after benefits NOW. What strikes me most about this thread is how many practical resources people have shared that I never would have thought of - the 211 helpline, community college emergency aid, church assistance programs, the Skills Development Fund for retraining. It sounds like there's actually a lot more help available than most people realize, but you have to be proactive about finding and applying for it. The advice about treating these last 4 weeks as preparation time rather than countdown time really resonates. Start that SNAP/Medicaid application process immediately, get your rock-bottom budget figured out, and don't be afraid to swallow your pride and apply for jobs outside your industry. The oil field downturn is real and widespread - it's not a reflection of your worth or work ethic. One thing I'd add: document everything you're doing in these final weeks. Keep records of all the resources you contact, applications you submit, and assistance programs you apply for. If economic conditions change and extensions become available in the future, having that documentation could be valuable. Stay strong - you're not alone in this.
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Guys, I think I figured out why this happens sometimes. If your benefit year is ending soon, the system might glitch and show $0 even if you have weeks left. Worth asking about when you call!
Oh that's interesting! My benefit year does end next month. I'll definitely bring this up when I finally get through. Thanks for the tip!
Good catch! This happened to me too, and it was exactly because of the benefit year ending. They had to manually adjust it.
This happened to my sister a few months back! Turned out there was an issue with her weekly certification that flagged something in the system. Even though she answered all the questions correctly, some automated check triggered and zeroed out her payment. The rep she spoke to said it happens more often than you'd think. Make sure to ask them to review your most recent certification answers when you call - sometimes they can see what triggered the flag and fix it right away. Hope you get it sorted soon! 🙏
That's really helpful to know! I never would have thought to ask them to check my certification answers. I always worry I'm missing something when I fill those out each week. Did your sister have to do anything special to prevent it from happening again, or was it just a one-time glitch?
Jayden Reed
One more thing to keep in mind - if your employer was using a payroll service like ADP, Paychex, or similar, they might be the ones who need to correct the wage reporting rather than your employer's HR directly. Sometimes the payroll company has their own process for fixing interstate wage reporting issues. If your HR contact hits a wall, ask them which payroll service they use and get the contact info for that company's unemployment/wage reporting department. I had to go through Paychex directly when my employer couldn't get the wages corrected through their normal HR channels. Just another avenue to explore if things get stuck!
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Atticus Domingo
•That's a really good point about the payroll service! I actually think my company did use ADP for payroll, so if HR can't get it sorted quickly, I'll definitely ask them for the ADP contact info. It makes sense that the payroll company would be the one actually submitting the wage reports to the states. Thanks for mentioning this - having multiple avenues to pursue should hopefully get this resolved faster. Between TWC's investigation, HR helping from the employer side, and potentially going directly through ADP, I'm feeling more optimistic that we can get this straightened out!
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Marcus Patterson
Just wanted to jump in with one more resource that might help - if you're having trouble getting through to TWC by phone, you can also try their live chat feature on the TWC website during business hours. It's not always available, but when it is, the wait times are usually shorter than calling. The chat agents can also initiate wage investigations and answer questions about your claim status. Also, since you mentioned your employer is based in Virginia, make sure to ask TWC specifically about the Interstate Combined Wage Claim program during your wage investigation. This allows them to pull wage records from Virginia and apply them to your Texas claim, which might be faster than waiting for your employer to re-report everything to Texas. Sounds like you're doing everything right by keeping up with the payment requests and work searches while this gets sorted out. The system is definitely confusing for remote workers, but you should be able to get your full Texas benefits once the wages are properly credited!
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