I just went through this exact situation 3 months ago! Got denied for "misconduct" after being late due to my son's daycare having COVID closures. I was terrified about the appeal but decided to represent myself to save money. Here's what worked for me: - Made copies of ALL communication with my employer about the childcare issues (texts, emails, even wrote down verbal conversations with dates/times) - Created a simple one-page summary showing the 3 dates I was late, why each happened, and what I told my supervisor - Found the specific section in my employee handbook about progressive discipline (turns out they skipped steps!) The hearing was actually pretty straightforward - just a conference call with me, my former manager, and the hearing officer. My ex-boss tried to make it sound like I was constantly late, but I had my documentation ready to show it was only those 3 specific incidents tied to childcare emergencies. Won my case and got back pay for all the weeks I was denied! The hearing officer said the key was proving the tardiness was due to circumstances beyond my reasonable control, which childcare emergencies definitely qualify as. You've got this! Having those texts with your supervisor is huge. Just stay organized and factual during the hearing.

I've been following this thread and wanted to share my experience from a few months back. I was in almost the exact same situation - denied for "misconduct" after being terminated for tardiness due to my daughter's medical appointments that couldn't be scheduled outside work hours. I decided to represent myself and it was honestly the best decision. The hearing officer was very fair and asked specific questions about whether I had communicated with my employer and if the tardiness was within my control. Having documentation was key - I had appointment confirmations, texts to my supervisor, and even a letter from my daughter's doctor explaining the medical necessity. What really helped was preparing a short statement (like 2-3 sentences) explaining that while I understood I violated attendance policy, it was due to unavoidable family circumstances that I communicated to my employer. I practiced saying it out loud so I wouldn't get flustered during the hearing. The whole process took about 6 weeks from appeal to decision, and I won! Got all my back benefits too. Don't let them intimidate you - Texas law recognizes that good cause exceptions exist for attendance issues when they're truly beyond your reasonable control. Based on what you've shared about having texts with your supervisor about childcare issues, you're in a strong position. Save your money and represent yourself - you've got this!

I went through this exact same nightmare about 6 months ago! The SSN login loop is incredibly frustrating and their error messages are completely unhelpful. What worked for me was calling at exactly 7:00 AM (set multiple alarms!) and being very specific about the problem. I told them "I'm getting stuck in a loop where the system tells me to call TWC every time I enter my SSN, and I need someone to check for identity verification flags on my account." The first rep tried to help but couldn't access that part of the system. When I asked to be transferred to identity verification, they found that my account was flagged because I had entered my apartment number differently than what was in their records (I wrote "Apt 5B" instead of "#5B"). Such a tiny difference but their system treated it as a red flag! Once they updated it, I could log in immediately. The good news is that your claim will still process correctly even while you can't access the online portal - I was worried about that too but my payments came through on schedule. Definitely try the early morning call strategy and don't let them brush you off if the first person can't help. Ask specifically for identity verification department transfer.

I work as a customer service supervisor for a state agency (not TWC, but similar systems) and wanted to chime in with some insight about why this happens so frequently. These legacy government systems often have multiple databases that don't communicate well with each other, so something as simple as a space in your name, a hyphen in your address, or even capitalization differences can trigger security flags. The "call TWC" message is basically their system's way of saying "something doesn't match but we can't tell you what for security reasons." The identity verification department has access to see all the different data sources and can spot these mismatches that regular customer service can't see. Pro tip: when you do get through, ask them to read back exactly how your information appears in their system. Sometimes there are extra spaces, missing punctuation, or abbreviations that you wouldn't expect. Having that exact formatting for future reference can save you headaches later. Also, if you've ever had a name change (marriage, divorce, etc.), make sure all your documents reflect the same name consistently - that's another common trigger for these flags.

Smart approach. Document, report, and try to hold out for termination if possible. Don't forget to save copies of positive performance reviews or feedback from before the issues started - showing the contrast can be powerful evidence. Wishing you luck with this tough situation!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also keep records of any changes to your job duties or responsibilities that coincide with the hostile treatment. If they're suddenly giving you tasks outside your job description or removing responsibilities you previously had, that can help establish a pattern of retaliation or constructive dismissal. Also, if you have any witnesses to the hostile behavior (coworkers who've seen the demeaning comments, etc.), try to get written statements from them while the incidents are fresh in their memory. Their testimony could be crucial if you end up needing to appeal a TWC denial.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My license expired 3 weeks ago and I've been stuck in ID.me limbo ever since. Reading through all these responses has given me so much hope - I had no idea about the Trusted Referee option or contacting state reps for help. One thing I wanted to add that might help others: if you have an old passport (even expired), bring that along with your other documents for the Trusted Referee call. Even though mine expired 2 years ago, the ID.me representative said having multiple forms of government-issued ID, even expired ones, helps establish your identity pattern and makes the verification process smoother. Also, for anyone else in this boat - start the Trusted Referee process EARLY in the morning like around 7-8 AM if possible. I tried at 2 PM yesterday and was position 400+ in the queue, but when I started at 8 AM today I was only position 89. Still waiting but much more manageable! Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and workarounds. This community is a lifesaver when you're dealing with bureaucratic nightmares like this!

Thank you all for this incredibly helpful thread! I'm in a very similar situation - my Texas license expired last month and I've been completely stuck trying to get my unemployment benefits started. Reading through everyone's experiences and solutions has been a huge relief. I had no idea about the ID.me Trusted Referee option - that sounds like exactly what I need. I'm going to try that first thing tomorrow morning based on the advice about starting early to avoid the massive wait times. I also never considered contacting my state representative's office, but that makes total sense. If the Trusted Referee route doesn't work out, I'll definitely reach out to my rep's constituent services team. One quick question for those who successfully used the Trusted Referee process - did you need to have your documents in any specific format? Like, did they need to be scanned/photographed beforehand, or could you just show them to the camera during the video call? I want to make sure I'm fully prepared before I start the queue. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to share their workarounds and experiences. This is exactly the kind of real-world advice you can't find anywhere else!

I went through this exact same situation about 4 months ago - the waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking when you're counting on that backpay! In my case, it took about 12 business days for the system to update after my successful appeal, then another 4 days for the actual payment to hit my account. What really helped was calling TWC around day 7 and asking them to put a "priority review" flag on my case since I had urgent bills due. The agent was able to see that everything was approved but just sitting in their appeals processing queue. She moved it to expedited review and boom - payment came through 3 days later. My advice would be to start calling by Thursday if you don't see any system updates by then. Be sure to mention your rent deadline and ask specifically about expedited processing for financial hardship cases. Also, screenshot your current account status daily so you can reference exactly what you're seeing when you call. The $4,200 backpay is definitely worth the persistence - don't let them slow-walk your approved claim! Keep us posted on how it goes.

I'm going through this right now too! Won my appeal 5 days ago and still no movement on the website - everything still shows disqualified. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like 7-14 business days is pretty typical, but the variability is so stressful when you're waiting on money you desperately need. I'm planning to start calling tomorrow (day 6) based on what others have shared about the 8am strategy and asking for expedited processing due to financial hardship. Has anyone had luck getting through to the appeals department directly instead of general customer service? I'm wondering if they might have more specific info about timeline since they handle the reversals. Fingers crossed for both of us @Liam Brown - this waiting game is brutal!