Can you get unemployment if you were discharged from your job in Texas TWC?

That's reassuring. So they actually contact the employer directly? I was worried they'd just rubber-stamp whatever the termination paperwork said.

Yeah TWC sends the employer a notice pretty quickly after you file. The employer has like two weeks to respond. After that TWC pieces together the picture from both sides.

Two weeks for the employer to respond... so I should probably hear something back within the month then? I'm trying to plan my finances around this.

Wait, an agent can actually tell you what the employer submitted? I didn't know that was something you could ask. That changes things — I'd love to know what my former company said about the termination.

Thinking about trying that myself. My situation is similar and I've been hitting a wall trying to get through on the regular TWC number.

That nuance is actually really helpful. No write-ups is what gives me some hope — if there's no documented trail of warnings it's harder to argue I was warned and didn't fix it.

This matches what happened with my cousin's claim. No documented warnings meant the employer's story didn't hold up well when TWC compared it to what my cousin said.

Exactly — documentation (or the lack of it) matters a lot. Keep anything you have from your time there: emails, old performance reviews, whatever.

Oh I did not know the number varied by county. I'm in Tarrant County, so I should look at that letter carefully.

Tarrant is also five a week, same as the other big counties. Make sure you're keeping a written log too because TWC can ask to see it.

Is WorkInTexas.com the place to register for that? I always get confused about which site does what.

Yes, WorkInTexas.com is where you register and log your job search. It's separate from the UBS login even though they share the same username and password — a little confusing but once you're set up it makes sense.

Payment requests are separate from the initial application, right? So I still need to do those even before my determination comes through?

Yep, completely separate. You should actually start requesting payment about one to two weeks after you applied — there's a date on the mailed instructions they send you. File them on schedule even if you haven't heard back on eligibility yet, because they only pay weeks you requested on time.

This is the part that got me too. I thought I had to wait for approval before doing anything and I ended up missing two payment requests. Lost those weeks entirely.

Discharged and terminated both just mean the employer ended your job — it's not a layoff where the position is cut or the business closes. When you apply you pick the reason that matches: fired (discharged), laid off, or quit. If you were let go for a reason (even a vague one like performance) rather than a position elimination, you'd pick the fired/discharged option. If you filed it as a layoff when you were actually let go for cause, that could cause confusion — might be worth calling TWC to clarify.

Oh no. I definitely filed it wrong then. I was let go individually, there were no other people affected. How bad is this?

Don't panic — call a Tele-Center and explain what happened. Mistakes in the initial application do happen and TWC can note the correction. The sooner you do it the better.

How long did the appeal process take for you? I'm hoping I don't get to that point but I want to mentally prepare.

My determination was mailed in mid-January and I got my appeal hearing in late March. The written decision came about a week after the hearing. So roughly 10 weeks start to finish for the appeal. And you absolutely have to keep filing payment requests the whole time or they won't pay those weeks even if you win.

This is real — the appeal hearing is a phone call with a hearing officer and you present your side just like the employer does. No lawyer required. The hearing packet gets mailed to you five to ten days before so you know what evidence they're working with.

Each new claim gets evaluated based on the new separation. A prior discharge that was found to be misconduct doesn't automatically disqualify you from future claims if you work enough afterward and lose that job through no fault of your own.

Oh good, I was worried about that. My discharge from two years ago ended up being denied at the time and I always wondered if that was going to haunt me.

That's actually a relief to know exists. I'm actively job hunting so if the claim doesn't go my way at least there's a path.

Wait I thought once you're disqualified you can never re-apply for that same period? That doesn't sound right.

No that's a misconception — the disqualification for a job separation can end if you meet those work requirements afterward. What's gone is gone: you can't recover weeks you didn't request on time. But the disqualification itself lifts when you've worked your way back in.

Mine is still showing as pending too and it's been about 10 days. Trying not to spiral about it.

If your claim is under review for the discharge question, payments will stay pending until they sort that out. That's normal unfortunately — it doesn't mean they denied you, just that the eligibility decision has to come first before money moves.

Pending drove me crazy on my claim too. Checking UBS every morning like it was going to change between midnight and 6am. It doesn't, by the way — they update the system once overnight.

I did register, yes. I've been logging my job applications through there too. Good reminder though because I could see that being easy to skip.

UBS and WorkInTexas.com use the same login which makes it a little easier to keep track of. Same username and password, but they're technically separate systems.

That's the kind of outcome I'm hoping for honestly. The 'failure to meet expectations' on my paperwork is so vague — if they can't back it up with concrete documentation I think I'm in decent shape.

Vague termination language often benefits the claimant in these reviews. The more specific and documented the employer's story, the harder it is to dispute. Generic language like that is tough for an employer to defend when TWC digs into it.

Three weeks in review and then it resolved okay? That's good to know — I keep thinking that the longer it sits the worse it looks.

Honestly the timeline varies a lot. Mine took about 28 days from application to determination and it came back approved. The review time doesn't tell you which way it'll go.

How much time do you have to file the appeal after getting the denial?

14 calendar days from the date printed on the determination letter. Not 14 days from when you receive it — from the mailing date on the letter itself. So open it and act fast if you're going to appeal. You can file it online through UBS.

And keep filing your payment requests while the appeal is processing — this is so important. If you stop filing during the appeal and you eventually win, they won't pay those weeks you skipped.

Attendance can go either way depending on the specifics. If she had documented warnings, was given a clear policy she kept violating, and didn't have a legitimate reason for the absences, TWC might see that as not doing the work adequately. But if there were medical reasons, inconsistent enforcement, or the policy wasn't clearly communicated, that's a different story. If she thinks it was wrong she should appeal within 14 days of the determination date.

The determination was mailed almost three weeks ago and she just showed it to me. Is it too late?

If 14 calendar days have passed from the mailing date on the letter, the standard appeal window is closed. She could still try contacting TWC to explain the situation, but unfortunately there's not a guaranteed path to reopen it at that point without unusual circumstances.

Wait — so there's a week I'm owed that just sits there? For how long?

Until one of those two conditions happens. If you go back to full-time work before your benefits run out, you request the waiting week manually through UBS or Tele-Serv. If you use all your benefits first, it gets released then. It's genuinely confusing and I wish someone had told me earlier.

Both conditions have to happen together — a lot of people think it releases after two payments but it's actually after two payments AND either returning to work or exhausting benefits. Good thing you flagged it.

Untrained on the policy is a solid point to make when TWC contacts you. Keep anything you have that shows what training you did or didn't receive — email confirmations, old onboarding documents, anything.

I actually saved all my onboarding emails and the original job description they hired me under. Good to know that might be relevant.

I had no idea Tele-Serv worked 24/7. I've been trying to call during business hours and getting frustrated. This helps a lot.

Does Tele-Serv tell you anything about where your claim stands in review, or just payment status?

Mostly payment status and basic account info. For anything about the actual review or adjudication you'd need to reach a live agent through the Tele-Center number or UBS messages.

That's exactly the kind of info I'd want to know right now. I'm at three weeks and starting to wonder the same thing.

Did they give you any sense of how much longer after that it would take?

The agent said she couldn't give a specific date but said a complete file without issues usually moves through faster than one where they're still waiting on responses. Mine came through five days later.

If TWC paid you and then later determines you weren't actually eligible, that becomes an overpayment and they will try to recover it. The rule is they have to recover every overpayment regardless of fault — it's not like they let it go because you didn't know. They'll mail you a billing statement with payment options and they can also offset future benefits or federal tax refunds.

That's scary. So theoretically you could get paid for weeks and then owe it all back?

Yes, that can happen. It's another reason to be accurate and honest on every payment request and in everything you tell TWC — if the facts change, report them.

Great outcome — and that's exactly why documentation (or the lack of it on the employer's side) matters so much in these reviews.

This gives me real hope for my own claim. Glad it worked out.

Congrats. Now don't forget your work search activities every single week even though you're approved — that's where a lot of people slip up after the relief of an approval.