Finally approved for TWC benefits after employer delay - my timeline and tips
Finally got some good news and wanted to share my timeline in case it helps anyone else dealing with TWC delays. I was laid off from my software development position on 4/15 (company downsizing). Applied for benefits on 4/18 and my claim got stuck in the dreaded 'in review' status. After 2 weeks of checking my portal daily with no updates, I started calling TWC on 5/08. After HOURS of busy signals, finally got through and was told they were waiting on employer verification through SIDES. Here's where it gets interesting - my former company's HR had no idea TWC was waiting on them! Called my ex-manager who escalated to HR director. They claimed they never received any request from TWC. Took me sending screenshots of the TWC agent's notes to get them to finally submit the SIDES response on 5/12. The 'in review' message disappeared yesterday (5/14), called TWC again (took 37 attempts to get through), and a supervisor confirmed I'm APPROVED with first payment of $593 scheduled for deposit on 5/16. Total wait time: almost a month! If you're stuck 'in review' status, definitely reach out to your employer's HR - they might not even know TWC is waiting on them. Don't assume they're handling it! Anyone else dealing with similar delays?
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Jamal Carter
Congrats on finally getting approved! You're totally right about contacting your employer - this is something a lot of people don't realize. TWC's communication with employers through SIDES can break down for various reasons. When I was laid off last year, I discovered my employer had submitted incorrect separation information (they reported I quit when I was actually laid off). It took me THREE calls with TWC and two emails to my former HR director to get it straightened out. Pro tip: get the direct email of someone in HR before you leave your job. It'll save you so much hassle if there are unemployment issues later.
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Zoe Papadakis
•Thank you! You're so right about getting HR contacts before leaving. I wish I'd done that. I had to hunt people down on LinkedIn to find the right contact person. Took way longer than it should have.
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AstroAdventurer
yeh this happened to me to. my claim was stuck for 3 WEEKS and nobody told me nothin. finally i called and they said they were waiting on my boss. called my boss and he said he never got anything from TWC. such a mess!!! glad u got ur money
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Zoe Papadakis
•It's crazy how common this seems to be! Did your employer eventually submit their info? How long did it take after that for you to get approved?
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Mei Liu
The SIDES system is GARBAGE. It's supposed to make things more efficient but it actually makes everything WORSE. My claim took 6 weeks because TWC sent the request to an old company email that nobody checked anymore. When I finally reached someone at TWC (after calling 50+ times), they couldn't even resend the request through a different channel! I had to personally track down my former HR manager who had to call TWC herself to sort it out. The entire system is designed to delay benefits and hope people just give up!!
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Liam O'Sullivan
•While the SIDES system does have flaws, it's designed to standardize and secure the information exchange between TWC and employers. The main issue is that employers often don't monitor their SIDES notifications properly or have outdated contact information registered with TWC. If you're facing SIDES-related delays, request that TWC sends a paper request form to your employer as a backup method, which they can do in certain circumstances. Also, employers have 14 days to respond to a SIDES request before TWC is supposed to make a determination with available information.
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Amara Chukwu
So after the in review message disappeared you got approved right away? Mine disappeared yesterday but I still don't see any payment info...should I be worried?
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Zoe Papadakis
•For me there was about a 24-hour gap between the message disappearing and seeing payment info. I wouldn't worry yet, but if you don't see anything by tomorrow, definitely call them to check your status. The message disappearing is usually a good sign though!
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Giovanni Conti
I had a similar experience but it took even longer - almost 6 weeks from application to approval. The most frustrating part was calling TWC. I would spend 2-3 hours each day just trying to get through, and most days I never did. When I finally reached someone, they gave me different information each time. For anyone struggling to reach TWC by phone, I recently discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an agent in under 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh Using this service was the only way I could finally talk to someone who could tell me exactly what was holding up my claim. Turned out my employer had submitted information but there was a discrepancy in my separation reason that needed clarification.
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Amara Chukwu
•Does that service actually work? I've been trying to get through for days and keep getting disconnected after waiting on hold for an hour.
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Giovanni Conti
•It worked for me after I spent a full week trying to get through on my own. The TWC agent I spoke with was able to look at my claim and tell me exactly why it was held up, which my employer then fixed. Totally worth it for me since I was losing my mind trying to get answers.
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Jamal Carter
One thing I've learned from years working with the unemployment system (both as a claimant and helping others): DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Save screenshots of your portal status, take notes during every phone call (date, time, agent name if possible, and what they told you), and keep copies of all emails with your employer about the situation. I once had to appeal a denial because TWC claimed they never received information I sent, but I had documentation proving I submitted it on time. The appeal was successful because I had proof.
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Zoe Papadakis
•This is really good advice. I wish I'd been more organized from the beginning. I started taking screenshots and notes about halfway through when I realized how complicated things were getting. For my next payment request, I'm going to document everything.
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Fatima Al-Hashimi
i think my employer is deliberatly taking there time to respond to twc. been waiting 3 weeks already. there mad i got laid off and filed for unemplyment. can twc aprove me without them responding??
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Liam O'Sullivan
•Yes, TWC can make a determination without employer response. By law, employers have 14 calendar days to respond to a TWC notice. If they don't respond within that timeframe, TWC is supposed to make a determination based on the information available. However, in practice, this sometimes takes longer, especially during busy periods. If you've been waiting more than 14 days, call TWC and specifically ask if they can process your claim without the employer response since the deadline has passed. Reference the 14-day response window in your conversation.
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AstroAdventurer
does anybody know how long it takes to get the debit card? they said my payment was approved but i dont have the card yet
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Jamal Carter
•The U.S. Bank ReliaCard typically takes 7-10 business days to arrive after your first payment is processed. You can call U.S. Bank at 800-657-6343 to check the status of your card shipment. If it's been more than 10 business days, they can expedite a replacement. Pro tip: set up direct deposit instead through your TWC account - it's faster and more convenient than the debit card.
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