Can Walmart employees qualify for TWC unemployment benefits? My situation is complicated

Yes, you CAN potentially qualify for partial unemployment benefits through TWC if your hours were drastically cut. This is called "partial unemployment." You need to have earned more than your weekly benefit amount in the base period quarters. The key factors TWC considers in your situation: 1. Your hours must have been reduced by no fault of your own (sounds like they were) 2. You must be available for additional work (make sure you are) 3. You'll need to meet work search requirements (3 job contacts per week in Texas) When you file, make sure to report your current wages each payment request period. TWC has a formula where they deduct part of your earnings from your benefit amount. Don't quit your job though! That could jeopardize your claim. File online at ui.texasworkforce.org or by phone.

my freind at sams club had this same thing happen last year cut from 36 hrs to like 10 hrs a week and she did get unemployment but it was only like $178 a week after they took out the partial work amount, better than nothing tho she said. walmart and sams both do this all the time its how they keep from paying benefits to ppl they hire as fulltime but make parttime

Walmart is THE WORST about doing this!!! They did this to me in 2024 and I tried calling TWC for TWO WEEKS straight and couldn't get through to ask about my options!!! Hours and hours on hold just to get disconnected. They cut my hours from 32 to 11 and expected me to just deal with it. The unemployment system is DESIGNED to be frustrating so people give up. I finally just quit and found another job because the stress was too much.

my sister works at walmart and says they always do this in January/February. hours will probably go back up in March or April. they do it every year after holiday season

Im going thru similar with Target right now!!! My hours got cut from 28 to 12 and I filed with TWC last week. When I submitted my first payment request yesterday it asked for my hours worked and pay for last week. So I put that in and it said I still qualify for some partial benefits. You definitely dont need to quit!!!! Apply now and keep working the hours they give you

To answer your follow-up question: TWC will notify Walmart when you file a claim, but retaliation for filing unemployment is illegal. Document everything just in case. When TWC contacts employers, they verify: 1. Your employment dates and wages 2. Reason for reduced hours/separation 3. Whether you're still employed and current hours For ID.me verification: Have your driver's license/state ID ready, plus a smartphone for the facial recognition part. Follow the instructions exactly. If you run into technical issues, try a different browser or clear your cache. The verification can be frustrating but is required to prevent fraud.

i forgot to say this but when my freind applied she said it was harder to get thru on the phone if you had questions cause so many people filing claims. she had to call like 50 times to get thru but that was last year maybe its better now???

One important point about Walmart specifically: make sure you check your employee portal for any write-ups or performance issues before filing. Some Walmart locations try to document performance issues when they're planning to reduce hours, which they later use to contest unemployment claims. If you have a clean record, you're in a much stronger position. Also, Texas law specifically protects workers whose hours are reduced by 20% or more through no fault of their own. Your 70% reduction clearly qualifies. Just be prepared to explain that you remained available for more hours and did not refuse any offered shifts. This is crucial for TWC to determine it was employer-initiated.

update on my Target situation: i got approved!!! even with my 12 hours still being worked. my weekly benefit is $315 but after deductions for my part time work i get $229 per week from TWC. better than nothing and im still looking for a better full time job. hope this helps!!