Contacted Senator Cruz about DUA payment denials - how long for response?

I contacted Cruz's office last year about an appeal that was taking forever to get scheduled. His staff got back to me within 3 business days with a confirmation email, and then about a week later I got an actual response where they said they'd contacted TWC on my behalf. My appeal hearing was scheduled within 48 hours after that. Make sure you included your claim ID number, contact info, and signed their privacy release form (they should have sent an automated reply with that form if you used the contact form on their website). Without that form signed, they legally can't inquire about your specific case.

senatr cornyn office work betr for me...cruz never reply but cornyns people call me in 2 day

Wait, are you sure you're eligible for DUA? That's different from regular unemployment. For DUA you have to prove you lost work DIRECTLY because of the declared disaster, not just general unemployment. Did you specify exactly how Hurricane Delores caused your job loss in your application? If you just applied like regular unemployment they'll deny it automatically.

I've helped several clients with similar DUA issues after Hurricane Delores. One common problem is that TWC might be classifying your case as a regular UI claim instead of DUA. When you log into your TWC account, does it specifically show "Disaster Unemployment Assistance" on your claim type, or just regular "Unemployment Insurance"? Also, for DUA claims specifically, there's a separate documentation review team that handles these. Regular TWC agents often can't see the detailed status. Did you try calling the special DUA hotline at 800-939-6631? That line is specifically for disaster claims and usually has shorter wait times than the main TWC number.

When hurricane harvey hit houston back in 2019 i had EXACTLY this same problem!!! submitted all documents, got denied, couldn't get anyone on phone. contacted my state rep (not senator) and they fixed it in about 10 days. might try your state rep too, they sometimes move faster on state agency stuff than the federal senators do.

I had a similar issue with getting through to TWC after being denied benefits unfairly. After weeks of trying to call and getting nowhere, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me skip the phone queue and got me connected to a TWC agent in about 15 minutes. It's at claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh I was skeptical at first, but it actually works - they call TWC for you and when they reach an agent, they connect the call to your phone. Saved me literal DAYS of redialing. The agent I spoke with was able to see exactly why my claim was denied and fixed it on the spot. Might be worth trying while you wait for the senator's office to respond.

The Senator's offices are FLOODED with constituent requests right now because of the hurricane. My sister works for a different TX representative and said they've been getting 5x normal contact volume since Delores hit. I would absolutely follow up with them if you don't hear anything by next Wednesday. Also, one REALLY IMPORTANT thing about DUA claims - they have different documentation requirements than regular UI!!! Make sure you submitted proof that shows you were working right before the disaster (like pay stubs from the two weeks before), not just general proof of employment. I've seen SO MANY people get denied because they send tax documents from months ago but not proof they were actively employed right when the disaster hit.

One more thing - sometimes contacting your senator seems to trigger TWC to take a second look at your claim even before the senator's office officially intervenes. I've had several clients report that mysteriously their claim issues got resolved a few days after contacting their representative, even before they heard back from the rep's office. Keep checking your TWC portal daily. If it's still showing 'disqualified' by Wednesday with no change, I'd recommend using the "Request for Redetermination" form online rather than waiting any longer. You can submit this even while the senator's inquiry is pending. Go to your TWC account, find the determination letter in your correspondence section, and there should be a link to appeal or request redetermination.

is anybody else frustrated that we even NEED to contact our senators just to get basic unemployment benefits????!! the system is completely broken!!

Just to follow up - I checked the TWC website and they posted an update about Hurricane Delores DUA claims yesterday. They acknowledged a "processing delay" affecting certain ZIP codes in the Corpus Christi area and said they're expediting reviews. You might be caught in this backlog. Did you receive a specific denial reason in your determination letter? If it mentions "insufficient documentation" that's usually fixable by submitting the correct paperwork through the appeal process. If it says "not affected by disaster" that's a different issue that might need the senator's help to resolve.