I remember when Hurricane Harvey hit us, my brother went through THREE denials for DUA before finally getting approved. The key was getting his employer to write a specific letter stating that his unemployment was 100% caused by the disaster. Maybe try getting more documentation? It's annoying but sometimes you just have to overwhelm them with proof.

UPDATE: Just got an email saying my claim status has changed! Logged in and now it shows ELIGIBLE! The ticket must have worked! Still no payment yet, but at least now I know I'm approved. For anyone facing similar issues, definitely try submitting a ticket through the portal in addition to filing an appeal.

anyone else have problems with the TWC website on payment request days?? it always crashes on me right when im trying to submit

Welcome to the unemployment club! 😅 I've been collecting benefits for about 6 months now and learned a lot through trial and error. Just to add to what others have said - TWC also sends text notifications when your payment is processed, so you don't have to keep checking the card constantly. You can sign up for these in your online account under "Contact Preferences." Also, if you ever have issues with the ReliaCard (like it gets damaged or stolen), you can request a replacement through US Bank, not TWC. Keep that customer service number handy because the card sometimes randomly gets declined at certain merchants for no reason. Good luck with your job search!

I received DUA after the 2021 freeze in Texas. Some advice from my experience: 1. Keep detailed records of all communications 2. Don't miss any payment request deadlines 3. Continue your work search activities (3 per week for Texas) 4. Check both your email and TWC correspondence inbox regularly Mine took 27 days for approval, which seems to be about average. And yes, they do backdate payments to when you became unemployed due to the disaster, not when you applied or were approved.

I'm in a similar situation - applied for DUA 8 days ago after my restaurant job ended due to flood damage. The waiting is so stressful when you're watching your bank account drain! Based on what everyone's saying here, it sounds like 3-4 weeks is normal right now. I'm going to start doing those payment requests even though I haven't been approved yet - didn't know that was something you could do. Emma, hang in there! At least you're only at 12 days, so hopefully you'll hear something in the next week or two. The fact that you already got denied for regular UI and have good documentation should work in your favor.

To answer your follow-up question about documentation: When you apply, you'll need to provide your Alien Registration Number or whatever identification number is on your work authorization document. TWC will verify your work authorization status through the SAVE system (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements). As for work search requirements that someone mentioned - you'll need to keep track of your work search activities in your TWC account online. You'll report these activities when you request payment every two weeks. And regarding the wait time - unfortunately, 3-5 weeks for first payment is pretty standard these days, especially for cases that might need additional verification like non-citizen status. You should apply immediately to start the clock.

Just wanted to follow up on the safety violation angle - if you have any witnesses to the unsafe conditions you reported, try to get their contact info now while you still can. Once you're no longer an employee, it might be harder to reach coworkers who could back up your story if the employer contests your claim. Also, if you took any photos of the unstable shelving or other hazards, those could be valuable evidence. Texas Labor Code Section 411.082 protects workers from retaliation for reporting safety violations, so you potentially have strong grounds here. The timing of your termination right after reporting safety issues is pretty suspicious and TWC will take that into account.

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.