I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Applied for DUA 6 weeks ago after my restaurant job was shut down due to flood damage, and my claim is still showing "pending" with no explanation. I've called TWC probably 20+ times and either get busy signals or sit on hold for hours before getting disconnected. Reading through this thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea I was supposed to be filing payment requests while my claim was pending! I thought I had to wait until it was approved. Also didn't know about the separate ID.me verification. Going to check both of those things today. It's so frustrating that TWC doesn't communicate what's wrong with your claim or what additional steps you need to take. You'd think for disaster assistance they'd have better systems in place to help people who are already dealing with enough stress from the actual disaster!

I'm a new TWC DUA claimant and this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I just applied last week after my office was flooded and had to close, and I was starting to panic seeing no movement on my claim. Reading everyone's experiences, I realize there are several things I need to check right away: 1. Make sure my ID.me verification is completely finished (didn't know this was separate from TWC login) 2. Start filing payment requests immediately even though my claim is pending 3. Check my TWC correspondence inbox for any requests I might have missed 4. Begin doing work searches (I thought DUA was exempt from this!) It's really helpful to know that 4-6 weeks seems to be normal processing time, even though it's financially devastating to wait that long. The fact that TWC doesn't proactively communicate what's missing or wrong with your claim is honestly shocking for a disaster assistance program. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - especially @91ce5d3188ee for the update that you got approved! Gives the rest of us hope that persistence pays off.

UPDATE: I just got off the phone with a TWC representative (finally!). They explained that my employer claimed I was consistently not meeting productivity standards after multiple warnings. I was able to file my appeal online and explain that the standards kept changing and were impossible to meet. I have an appeal hearing scheduled for December 10th by phone. The rep said to gather any evidence I have - like emails showing the changing standards or witnesses who can testify that the goals were unreasonable. Fingers crossed this works out. Thanks everyone for your help!

That's great that you got through to someone and have your appeal hearing scheduled! I went through a similar situation last year where my employer claimed I wasn't meeting standards, but it turned out they had changed the metrics without proper documentation or training. During my hearing, I brought up the fact that other employees were also struggling with the same issues, which helped show it wasn't just me being incompetent. One tip - if you have any text messages or emails from coworkers complaining about the unrealistic standards, those can be really helpful evidence. Also, don't be nervous about the hearing - the officer just wants to hear both sides fairly. You got this!

Just to add something no one has mentioned yet - make sure your contact info is updated in the TWC system. My friend missed important communication because his address was still his old apartment. You can update this info in your TWC account profile section. They communicate mostly through regular mail for official determinations.

Hey Zoe! I totally get your anxiety about this - I went through the exact same thing when I lost my job at a manufacturing plant last year. The TWC phone system is absolutely terrible and it's completely normal to not get through for days or even weeks. Don't panic though! Since you can see your claim is showing as "pending" online, that's actually a really good sign that everything went through properly. The weird confirmation page thing happens sometimes - their website is pretty glitchy but as long as you got some kind of confirmation number or reference, you should be fine. A few things that helped me stay sane during the waiting period: - Set up a simple spreadsheet to track your work search activities (you'll need this anyway) - Screenshot your claim status page every few days in case there are any changes - Don't stress about the phone - I literally never spoke to anyone and still got approved The hardest part is just the waiting, but it sounds like you did everything right. Most people get their determination letter within 2-3 weeks if it's a straightforward layoff situation like yours. Hang in there!

try callng right wen they open at 7am. thats how i got thru last time

I went through this exact situation last year and won my appeal. Here's what I learned that might help: 1. File your appeal ASAP - you only have 14 calendar days from the determination date, not when you received it 2. In your appeal letter, be very specific: "I was terminated/fired by [manager name] on [date]. I did not quit, resign, or voluntarily leave my position." 3. Document everything NOW while it's fresh - write down exactly what your manager said, who was present, the date/time, etc. For faster results, try these approaches while waiting for your hearing: - Contact your state representative's office (they can sometimes expedite TWC cases) - Call TWC at exactly 7:00 AM when they open for better chance of getting through - Submit a written statement with your appeal explaining the situation in detail Most importantly: keep requesting benefits every two weeks even though you'll be denied. If you win your appeal, you'll get backpay for all those weeks. I got 11 weeks of backpay when I won mine. The system is definitely employer-friendly upfront, but appeals have a good success rate when you have clear evidence of termination vs. quitting. Stay strong and don't give up!

When you call, make sure you have all your info ready. They'll probably ask for your personal details and employment history. Also, ask them to confirm that your application will be submitted once you're done on the phone. Don't want to go through all that just to have it lost in the system!

Ugh, I went through the exact same thing last week! Got all the way to the final submit button and then BAM - error message saying I had to call. It's like they want to make this as difficult as possible. When I finally got through (after waiting 2.5 hours on hold 😩), the rep told me it's a "known issue" with their system. She was actually pretty helpful though and got my application submitted over the phone in about 20 minutes. My advice: call early in the morning, have all your documents ready, and maybe grab a good podcast to listen to while you wait. You got this! 💪