I had no idea about contacting my state rep! That's a great backup plan if I can't get through this week. Thank you!

I went through this exact same situation a few months ago! The ID.me verification process definitely causes temporary account lockouts - it's like their systems don't communicate properly. Here's what worked for me: 1. Wait at least 48-72 hours after completing ID.me verification before trying to log in again 2. Use an incognito/private browser window 3. Try logging in during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening) For the waiting period - that first week is just gone, unfortunately. It's Texas policy and there's no way around it. But make sure you don't miss any future payment requests because of the login issues, or you'll lose those weeks too. If you're still locked out after 3-4 days, definitely try that Claimyr service someone mentioned or call your state rep's office. I ended up having to do both when TWC wouldn't fix my account manually. The whole system is designed to be frustrating, but don't give up - you'll get through this!

I went through something similar earlier this year! TWC will absolutely backpay you for those weeks you were legitimately unemployed, even though you're working now. The key is making sure you complete payment requests for ALL those weeks - don't skip any just because your claim was pending. A few tips from my experience: - Keep detailed records of your work search activities for each week (sounds like you already did this, which is great!) - When you do your payment requests, be completely accurate about your new job start date - If you missed any payment request weeks due to confusion, you can request backdated opportunities through TWC The whole process was frustrating for me too, but I eventually got every penny I was owed for the weeks I was unemployed. Don't give up - you earned those benefits during the time you were out of work and actively searching!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! Filed my claim 5 weeks ago and it's still pending with no updates. Just got a job offer yesterday and wondering the same thing about backpay. Reading through all these responses is really helpful - sounds like the key is to keep doing payment requests for those unemployment weeks even after starting work, and being totally honest about start dates. Has anyone had success with the TWC online chat feature mentioned earlier, or is calling really the only way to get through? I'm dreading spending hours on hold but if that's what it takes to get those weeks sorted out... @Andre Dupont - congrats on the new job! Hope you get all your backpay sorted out soon.

This thread is so helpful! I'm dealing with a similar DUA situation - applied 3 weeks ago after the flooding and still pending. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the key is getting through to an actual agent to find out what's holding things up. I've been doing work searches and filing payment requests, but I didn't realize about the ID.me verification being separate from TWC login. Going to double-check that today. It's frustrating that TWC doesn't proactively tell you when there's an issue with your claim!

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 dealing with something similar right now! Got told by one rep that I didn't need ID.me since I was uploading docs directly, then got hit with a disqualification letter last week. The inconsistency is maddening - it's like they're training reps differently or the system isn't communicating properly between departments. I ended up doing the ID.me verification anyway (took about 20 minutes) and have been calling nonstop since then. Haven't gotten through yet but planning to keep trying. Also filed my appeal online just in case. One thing I learned from a friend who went through this - when you do get someone on the phone, ask them to put notes in your file about the conversation and get a reference number if possible. Apparently that helps when the next person pulls up your case. Hope you get this sorted out soon! The timing couldn't be worse with rent coming up.

I went through this exact nightmare last summer! The miscommunication between TWC departments is absolutely ridiculous. What saved me was doing both things simultaneously - I completed the ID.me verification AND filed the appeal within the 14-day window. Here's what worked for me: After completing ID.me, I called the main TWC number every hour on the hour starting at 7am. It took me 4 days of constant calling, but I finally got through to someone who could see both my uploaded documents AND my completed ID.me verification. She was able to reverse the disqualification on the spot without waiting for the appeal hearing. The key is being persistent and explaining that you followed the first rep's instructions exactly, but still completed ID.me to cover all bases. Have your confirmation emails and document upload receipts ready when you call. Don't give up - this system is broken but you can get through it!

Just wanted to add that you should also keep track of exactly when your last teacher paycheck comes through - sometimes districts have slight variations in their final payment dates. Once that last check clears, make sure to note it because that's when you can expect to start receiving your full unemployment benefits (assuming you're still unemployed and eligible). Also, since you mentioned relocating within Texas, you might want to update your address with TWC once you move to avoid any mail delivery issues with important correspondence about your claim.

One more thing to keep in mind - make sure you're reporting your teacher salary on the correct weeks when you do your payment requests. TWC asks for earnings for the specific week being requested, so if you get paid every two weeks or monthly, you'll need to figure out which week(s) that paycheck covers. For example, if you get paid on the 15th for work periods that span multiple weeks, you'd report that income for the weeks it actually covers, not just the week you received the payment. This can get a bit tricky with teacher pay schedules, so keep good records of your pay stubs to make sure you're reporting accurately.