Got fired, can I get unemployment in Texas TWC?

This is right. TWC mails your old employer a notice giving them 14 days to respond with their side, and then TWC makes a decision on your specific separation. Apply through Unemployment Benefits Services at https://apps.twc.texas.gov/UBS/security/logon.do or call 800-939-6631. Don't sit on it.

So they actually contact the employer and get their explanation? I guess that's why performance vs. misconduct matters — the employer would have to give specifics about what actually happened.

yeah my buddy got fired for 'not meeting expectations' last year and still got approved, the employer didn't even respond to TWC's notice from what he said

My situation is a little different — I got severance on top of my regular last paycheck. Would using that service to reach an agent help me figure out how to report the severance correctly? I'm nervous about messing that up.

Severance reporting is exactly the kind of thing where talking to an agent matters, because TWC mails you a decision on your specific severance and what it means for your payments. The site is claimyr.com — look it up.

I didn't get any severance so at least that's one less thing to worry about. Good to know the tool exists though for when I inevitably can't get through on the phone.

The no-warnings part really could matter here. If the employer tells TWC it was misconduct but can't back it up with documentation, that's just their word. TWC looks at both sides.

I actually saved a few emails from my supervisor that show my productivity numbers from the last quarter. Should I try to attach those somewhere in the application or just mention them?

Mention them in the application and hold onto everything. If it goes to an appeal hearing you can present documentation there, and that's really where specific evidence like that counts most.

keep ALL of it. texts, emails, whatever. i learned the hard way that you need receipts

Wait so there can be multiple determinations on one claim? Like one for the firing reason and separate ones for other things?

Exactly right. TWC can send one that says it can pay and another that says it can't for a different reason, and if even one says can't pay, your benefits are paused until that's resolved. But for a straightforward firing situation it's often just the one separation determination.

this is what confused me so much when i filed, i got like two letters and didn't understand why there were two separate decisions for the same claim

That's really encouraging. Did you hear from TWC fairly quickly or did it take a while before you got any answer?

Took about three and a half weeks before I got the determination letter. The first payment showed up around four weeks after I applied. Just keep doing your payment requests on the schedule they mail you and don't stop just because you haven't heard anything yet.

The payment request schedule is so important — file them on time even before any decision comes through. Missing one is a pain to fix.

Tell TWC your version in full when you apply. The application asks for your explanation of the separation. Put all of that in — the safety report, the timing, everything. That context is in your file and TWC reviews what both sides say.

Okay good, I was worried they'd just see 'terminated' and move on without reading the details I write in.

They read it. Write it clearly and factually, not emotional. Dates and specifics are your friend.

Wait, I have to request payments separately? I thought applying just started everything automatically. Good to know I need to watch for that mailed instruction sheet.

A lot of people miss this. The instructions come by mail so watch for it and do it on the schedule they give. Missing a payment request period means you have to file it late, which still works Thursday through Saturday of that week but after that it gets more complicated.

i missed my first request date because I thought it all happened automatically. had to scramble to get it in before the deadline passed

So is this five separate job applications every week? That seems like a lot but I guess it makes sense.

Five in the major counties yeah. It's not just applications though — activities can include things like career fairs, interviews, using the workforce center resources. The letter TWC sends you explains what counts in your area.

don't blow off the work search log either, they actually do audit people. my neighbor got a letter asking for hers

I was making about $52,000 a year so my quarters were pretty consistent. Is there a calculator somewhere or do I just wait to see what TWC assigns?

TWC mails you a Benefit Wage Statement after you apply that shows your base period wages and your weekly benefit amount. That's when you find out the official number.

Just double-check those wages look right when you get it. If a quarter is missing or lower than expected, there's an alternate base period option for certain medical situations, but for a standard firing situation you just review and confirm what they calculated.

TWC looks at what both sides say — the claimant's explanation and the employer's response both go into the file. It's not really framed as one side having to prove something to the other. Just give your honest account of what happened and let TWC evaluate it.

Okay that makes more sense. My coworker made it sound like I'd have to show up to some hearing and defend myself before I even knew if I was approved.

A hearing only happens if you or the employer appeals the initial determination. The first step is just TWC reviewing the written information both sides submit.

Fourteen days goes fast. I'm going to put a reminder in my phone the moment I get any letter from them.

Smart move. And keep submitting your payment requests on time all through the appeal — TWC can only pay weeks you requested on schedule, so don't stop just because you're waiting on a decision.

i let my payment requests lapse during my appeal thinking i'd sort it out after and lost those weeks. don't do what i did

This is exactly what I needed to hear. Plain language in the text box, specific details, honest account — got it.

Don't overthink the wording. Just be factual and specific. 'I was told on this date, by this person, that I was being terminated for performance, I had not received any written warning, and my metrics were as follows' — that kind of thing.

I'd probably rather have direct deposit than a new debit card floating around. I'll set that up as soon as I know I'm approved.

You can set the preference before approval even, I think. Worth logging into UBS and checking the account settings early.

Did you end up needing to submit anything additional after talking to the agent?

The agent told me I could submit a written response through UBS if I wanted to add information, which I did. It's good to know that option exists even after the initial application.

Good to know there's still a way to add information after you've already applied if something comes up with the employer's response.

So that first week just sits there until one of those two things happens? That's a little confusing but good to know it's not lost.

Not lost, just held. It eventually comes to you one way or another as long as you meet the conditions.

i thought the waiting week was something they just kept and never paid out, glad to know that's wrong

I hadn't heard about this step at all. So it's separate from the application itself? Just a verification notice that might or might not come?

TWC sends it to some people, not all. If you get one, do it immediately. Missing it delays or kills your benefits.

Definitely log into UBS regularly to check for any notices. TWC updates things nightly so checking once a day is enough.

Attitude' problems 'and performance' issues both sound like vague terms that might not meet the misconduct bar. Glad to hear yours camethrough.

The vagueness worked in my favor. If the employer can't point to something specific — a policy I broke, a law I violated, a specific incident — then the vague label doesn't hold up as misconduct.

I don't have any side work right now but good to know in case I pick something up while job hunting. Report it, don't hide it.

Yeah TWC asks on every payment request and gig income counts. Net profit for self-employed stuff. Just report it honestly.

Not reporting earnings is classified as fraud and comes with a 15% penalty on top of whatever you owe back. Not worth it.

Adjudication is the investigation stage? I kept seeing that word and wasn't sure if it meant I'd already lost or if it was just a pending review.

Pending review is exactly right. It doesn't mean denied. It just means they're still looking into the specific issue. Keep requesting payments while it's happening.

This is a really common source of panic. Adjudication is not an appeal — an appeal is something you file after a formal decision. Adjudication is just TWC working through the question before any determination goes out.

That's helpful for understanding the math. Four consistent years means those quarters should all show real wages, which I assume helps the weekly amount calculation.

Exactly. The weekly amount comes from your highest single quarter in that base period. Four steady years means you're not going to have a low-quarter problem dragging your number down.

Benefits can run up to 26 weeks within a 52-week benefit year from your filing date — just so you're not planning around the idea that it goes indefinitely. Enough time to do a solid job search though.