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DUA payments taking forever - has ANYONE actually received money from TWC?

I applied for Disaster Unemployment Assistance after the flooding in Houston last month and it's now been over 4 weeks with ZERO movement on my claim! Has anybody actually gotten APPROVED for DUA and received payment?? My account just keeps showing 'pending' with no explanation. I called TWC at least 15 times and can never get through to a real person. My landlord is already threatening eviction and I've got maybe 2 weeks before I'm completely broke. I had to evacuate my apartment for 5 days and my workplace was closed for almost 3 weeks due to water damage. I thought DUA was supposed to be faster than regular unemployment?

Ryder Ross

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mine took like 6 weeks before i got paid last year...DUA is actually slower than regular UI sometimes

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Gianni Serpent

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I'm in the same boat! Applied 5 weeks ago after the flood damaged my workplace, and my claim still shows 'pending'. I've been calling daily with no luck getting through. Did you upload all your proof of employment documents? They require those within 21 days of applying, and if anything's missing, they won't tell you - they just let your claim sit there.

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Kyle Wallace

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Yeah I uploaded everything - paystubs, tax forms, even photos of the flood damage at work! Still nothing. This is so frustrating.

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Henry Delgado

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I went through this process last year after the hurricane. DUA claims typically take 4-6 weeks to process because they require additional verification compared to regular unemployment. The TWC has to confirm that your unemployment is directly caused by the disaster, not other factors. Make sure you've completed these steps: 1. Uploaded ALL proof of employment documentation 2. Verified your identity through ID.me (separate from your TWC account) 3. Completed work search requirements (yes, even DUA requires this) 4. Filed your biweekly payment requests on time If you miss any of these, your claim will stay pending without notification. Also, check your Correspondence Inbox on the TWC portal - they often send requests for additional information there without emailing you.

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Kyle Wallace

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Thanks for this info! I didn't realize I still had to do work searches for DUA - I thought that was only for regular unemployment. I'm going to start doing those today. But how am I supposed to file payment requests when my claim isn't even approved yet? The system won't let me.

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Henry Delgado

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You actually CAN and SHOULD file payment requests even while your claim is pending. The system will allow you to do this - look for the "Request Payment" button on your TWC homepage. If you haven't been filing them, you'll need to call and request backdating for any weeks you've missed.

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Olivia Kay

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DUA is a JOKE!! I waited 8 weeks after the tornado last year and had to call my state representative to get any movement. TWC is deliberately slow with disaster claims hoping people will give up or find work before they have to pay!!

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Joshua Hellan

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While I understand the frustration, this isn't accurate. DUA claims do take longer because FEMA is involved in the verification process along with TWC. The federal guidelines require multiple verification steps that regular UI doesn't need. It's not a TWC conspiracy.

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Jibriel Kohn

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I got approved and paid for DUA about 3 weeks after applying, but only after I was able to speak with a TWC agent who found a problem with my application that needed fixing. The online system wasn't showing any issues. After spending days getting busy signals and disconnections, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to TWC. They got me connected with an agent in about 20 minutes who fixed my claim on the spot. Within 3 days my status changed to approved, and payment came 2 days later. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh For DUA claims specifically, speaking to someone is really important because there are so many additional requirements compared to regular UI.

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Edison Estevez

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is this legit? seems sketchy to pay just to call twc...

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Jibriel Kohn

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I was skeptical too, but it worked for me when I was desperate. The TWC phone system is completely overwhelmed after disasters. I figured the time I was losing waiting was costing me way more in delayed benefits.

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Kyle Wallace

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I'm going to try this tomorrow. At this point I'm desperate enough to try anything. Thanks for the suggestion.

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Joshua Hellan

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DUA claims require substantial documentation and verification since they involve both state and federal funds (FEMA). Here's what's likely happening: 1. Your claim is in the verification queue where TWC reviews your proof of employment AND proof that your unemployment is directly caused by the disaster. 2. For DUA claims, TWC must verify with local emergency management that your area was indeed affected by the declared disaster. 3. You MUST file payment requests even while the claim is pending. These can be done through the TWC website or Tele-Serv (800-558-8321). If your claim gets approved, you'll only be paid for weeks you properly requested. 4. Remember that DUA has slightly different work search requirements than regular UI. You need to document at least 3 work search activities per week, but they can include activities related to returning to your pre-disaster employer. The good news is that once DUA claims start processing, they often get paid in a lump sum for all back weeks.

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Kyle Wallace

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This is really helpful! I didn't know about the emergency management verification part. My area was definitely in the disaster zone - we had mandatory evacuations. I'll make sure to start filing those payment requests right away.

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Ryder Ross

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anybody else having trouble with the id.me part for dua? i keep getting errors when i try to verify

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Joshua Hellan

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ID.me issues are common. Try using a different browser (Chrome works best) and make sure you're allowing camera access. If it still fails, ID.me has their own support at help.id.me that's actually more responsive than TWC.

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Gianni Serpent

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Update on my situation - my DUA was just approved today after 5 weeks! I finally got through to TWC yesterday and they said there was a mismatch between my disaster zip code and work address that was holding things up. The rep fixed it immediately. Payment should arrive in 2-3 business days. Keep pushing!

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Kyle Wallace

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That gives me hope! Congrats on getting approved. I'm going to try reaching them again tomorrow.

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Edison Estevez

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My cousin got DUA payment last week. took like 5 weeks total. said they dont tell u when somethings wrong they just let it sit there until u call

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Kyle Wallace

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UPDATE: I finally got through to TWC this morning using the Claimyr service that someone suggested above. The agent found the problem right away - there was a flag on my account because my employer had responded saying they were only closed for 2 weeks (not 3 like I claimed). Once I explained that we were called back for cleanup before actually reopening for business, she removed the flag. My claim is now approved and payment should arrive within 72 hours for all 4 weeks! Such a relief!

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Joshua Hellan

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Great news! This is exactly why speaking with an agent is so important for DUA claims - little discrepancies that wouldn't be caught otherwise. Make sure you continue filing your biweekly payment requests on time to avoid interruptions.

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Gianni Serpent

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So happy for you! It's crazy that such a small misunderstanding could hold up your benefits for so long.

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