I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I had my initial hearing last week where the officer barely looked at my evidence and seemed to have already made up their mind before we even started. What really struck me about your situation is how you went above and beyond to get clarification by calling SIX times - that shows incredible good faith effort on your part. The fact that you're being treated like you're trying to defraud the system when you were literally trying to follow their rules correctly is just mind-boggling. I wanted to share one additional resource that helped me - the Texas Department of Labor website has a section on "procedural due process" that outlines your rights during appeal hearings. It specifically states that all submitted evidence must be considered and that hearing officers should maintain professional conduct. You might want to reference this if you encounter similar issues in your continuation hearing. Also, I've found it helpful to practice stating my case out loud beforehand. It sounds silly, but when you're nervous or frustrated during the actual hearing, having practiced your key points helps you stay focused and professional. Don't let them wear you down - what happened to you with the incorrect agent guidance is a legitimate basis for appeal, and you have every right to expect your evidence to be properly reviewed. Rooting for you!

I'm so sorry you're going through this nightmare - the system is supposed to help people in difficult situations, not make them worse. What you experienced with the hearing officer not even reviewing your evidence is completely unacceptable and frankly unprofessional. I went through a somewhat similar appeal process two years ago (different circumstances but same frustrating treatment) and I learned a few things that might help: 1. When your hearing resumes, ask them to state on the record whether your evidence has been fully reviewed before proceeding with any testimony or questions 2. If possible, try to get the name of the TWC agent who gave you the incorrect information - even if you don't remember from your calls, it might be in your claim file notes 3. Consider having someone join your hearing as a witness/support person - they don't have to speak, but their presence often makes hearing officers more professional 4. Take detailed notes during the continuation hearing about everything that's said and any procedural issues The most important thing is don't let them intimidate you into thinking you did anything wrong. You called SIX times specifically to make sure you were following the rules correctly - that's the opposite of trying to cheat the system. You have every right to receive the benefits you and your employer paid into. Keep fighting and stay organized. The fact that you have 15+ hours of documented evidence shows you're taking this seriously and have a strong case. Wishing you the best outcome!

Congrats on getting through! Your situation sounds exactly like what happened to my cousin - her employer closed suddenly and then tried to claim she quit to avoid paying into the unemployment system. It's so frustrating that they put you through all that stress when you're already dealing with losing your job. Definitely keep all your documentation about the restaurant closure (news articles, emails, anything) in case you need it for that determination interview Carter mentioned. Really glad the Claimyr service worked for you - I'm bookmarking this thread in case I ever need it!

This whole thread is so helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation where my claim has been stuck in "pending adjudication" for 2 weeks now. My employer laid off half the staff due to "restructuring" but I'm worried they might contest it too. Reading about everyone's experiences with getting through to TWC is both encouraging and terrifying - 67 calls in one day?! I'm definitely going to try some of these methods, especially the early morning calling and maybe that Claimyr service if I get desperate enough. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through so many hoops just to get the benefits we're entitled to when we lose our jobs through no fault of our own. Thanks Chris for sharing your whole journey - gives me hope that there's light at the end of this tunnel!

I'm in week 4 of waiting and reading through this thread gives me both hope and anxiety! It sounds like most people eventually get through, but the lack of communication from TWC is just brutal. @Arnav Bengali thanks so much for sharing your journey and especially that update about getting through with Claimyr - that's really encouraging! I'm definitely going to try that service this week. Quick question for anyone who's been through this: when you finally got approved, did you get the full backpay automatically or did you have to request it separately? I've been doing my biweekly requests like suggested but want to make sure I don't miss any steps. This whole process is such a nightmare but at least this community helps us feel less alone in dealing with it!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been dealing with the exact same issue - my claim has been stuck in review for 5 weeks now and I was starting to think I was the only one. Reading everyone's experiences here is both frustrating (that this is happening to so many people) but also reassuring that I'm not alone. The tip about continuing to request payments even while in review status is huge - I had no idea I was supposed to keep doing that! I've been documenting my job searches but not submitting payment requests because I thought I had to wait for approval first. Going to fix that immediately. Also definitely going to try the Claimyr service this week after seeing multiple people say it worked for them. It's ridiculous that we have to pay a third party to get basic information about our own claims, but at this point I'm willing to try anything. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is a lifesaver when dealing with TWC's terrible communication!

I'm dealing with the exact same nightmare! Filed my claim in mid-January and it's been 3+ months of absolutely nothing. What's driving me crazy is that I can see in my account that all my payment requests show as "processed" but there's never any actual money. Just this vague "under review" status that explains absolutely nothing. I've tried calling during different times of day, different days of the week - doesn't matter. Either immediate busy signal or I'll wait 2+ hours just to get cut off. It's like they have maybe 3 people answering phones for the entire state of Texas. The worst part is not knowing WHY it's delayed. Is it my employer disputing something? A paperwork issue? Identity verification problem? They give you zero information to work with. Meanwhile rent is due, utilities are getting shut off notices, and I'm burning through what little savings I had. I'm definitely going to try that 7 AM calling strategy tomorrow. At this point I'll try anything. Has anyone had luck with the TWC chat feature on their website, or is that just as useless as the phone system? This whole situation is just proof of how broken the unemployment system is. They expect us to jump through every hoop perfectly while they can just ignore us for months with no accountability.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - 3 months without any payments is absolutely unacceptable, especially when you've been following all the requirements perfectly. I went through something very similar last year and it's incredibly stressful not knowing what's causing the delay. A few things that might help while you're trying to get through to someone: 1. Try calling the TWC Tele-Center at 800-939-6631 right at 7:00 AM when they open - this seems to be the best time to actually get through. Have your social security number and claim confirmation number ready. 2. Check your correspondence inbox thoroughly for any notices you might have missed - sometimes there are important documents buried in there that explain what they need from you. 3. Look at your monetary determination letter and compare the wages shown with your actual earnings records. Even small discrepancies can trigger lengthy reviews. 4. Contact your state representative's office - they often have direct contacts at TWC and can help expedite stuck claims. The fact that your payment requests show as "processed" but you're getting no money suggests there's definitely a specific hold on your account that needs to be resolved by a TWC examiner. Once you do get through to someone, don't accept vague answers - ask them to tell you exactly what department has your claim and what specific issue they're waiting to resolve. You should receive all your back payments once this gets sorted out. Keep documenting everything and don't give up - you will get through this!

Thank you everyone for the advice! I just submitted my payment request and made sure to report the exact wages I earned during the 2 weeks I worked. I also documented my 3 work search activities per week as required. The TWC website shows my payment is now pending, so hopefully it goes through without issues. Really appreciate all the help!

Glad to hear you got it sorted out! Just wanted to add for anyone else reading this - if you ever have a gap between when your temp job ends and when you submit your next payment request, make sure you're still doing your work search activities during that gap too. TWC counts every week you're unemployed toward the requirement, even if you haven't submitted a payment request yet. I learned this the hard way when I had a similar situation and forgot to do work searches the week after my temp job ended.