If I am fired can I get unemployment in Texas TWC?

That's actually reassuring. My employer never documented anything or gave me written warnings so hopefully that counts for something. Filing today.

Sixth day after my termination when I finally filed and I wish I'd done it on day one. The start date really does matter.

Just to add - TWC mails your former employer a notice and they get 14 days to respond with their side, then TWC makes a decision. So file, then be ready for a determination letter in roughly four weeks.

Severance is actually something I might deal with too - they offered me a small package. Good to know I need to report it when applying rather than waiting.

Two weeks into my adjudication and I had no idea severance even needed to be reported. Glad I saw this before my next payment request.

The hold times on TWC's main line are brutal. Sometimes literally hours before a disconnect. Good to know there's another way to get through.

Makes sense. I plan to be straightforward about everything. The situation was genuinely unclear on their end too.

Day four after my denial when I found this out the hard way - once your determination letter arrives, read it carefully because you only have 14 calendar days from the date it was mailed to appeal if they deny you.

The 14 day appeal window counts from the mailing date printed on the letter, not from when you actually receive it. So if mail is slow you lose days. Keep that in mind.

My determination said I could appeal within 14 days and I cut it very close. Open that letter the day it arrives.

Already applied this morning after reading this thread. Really glad I didn't wait.

Three weeks before I applied on mine and I still regret those lost weeks. File first, figure out the rest after.

Exactly right. The application locks in your start date but it doesn't commit you to anything permanent. If you get rehired, you just stop requesting payments.

I'm in Harris County so sounds like I need to do 5 per week. Is applying online to job postings enough or do I need to do other types too?

Applying online counts. So does things like submitting a resume, attending a job fair, doing an interview. The activity types are listed in the letter TWC mails you. Keep records of all of it regardless of which types you do.

Harris County resident here on week 6 of my claim - the 5 per week requirement felt overwhelming at first but after a couple weeks of keeping a spreadsheet it becomes routine.

Also register on WorkInTexas.com if you haven't already - it's required and it uses the same login as UBS where you do your payment requests.

That's discouraging but useful to know the appeals path exists. Did you end up winning your second appeal?

Lost the second one on appeal too. The employer had documented everything on their end even though they never showed me any of it. That was the difference apparently.

This is a good cautionary note. Document YOUR side of things too. Any texts, emails, anything that shows no written warnings or that the 'performance issues' were vague or subjective.

Knowing someone actually got approved with similar circumstances makes me feel better. Fingers crossed.

Approval during week three of my wait - same kind of vague termination letter. TWC couldn't get specific documentation from my employer either.

The employer has 14 days to respond to TWC's notice. If they don't respond or can't back up their claims with specifics, that affects the determination.

Wait so I need to do payment requests separately from just applying? I thought applying was everything. When does the letter with my start date usually arrive?

Yep, completely separate. The letter is usually called 'Instructions: Requesting Benefit Payments' and it should arrive within a week or two of your application. Check it as soon as it comes. You request every two weeks after that. You can do it in UBS online at https://apps.twc.texas.gov/UBS/security/logon.do or by calling Tele-Serv at 800-558-8321.

I mixed these two things up and missed my first payment request window. Had to request it late on a Saturday, which still worked since you have until Saturday of that week to catch up, but it stressed me out badly.

The Sunday through Wednesday window is the regular filing window. Thursday through Saturday of the same week you can still submit but it's considered late - still accepted though.

So I won't see any money for the very first week even if I'm approved? And it might not come until I'm already back at work? That's a lot to process.

Exactly. Plan your budget around not seeing that first week of benefits until later. The hold is built into the system for everyone.

Week seven of my claim and I just requested my waiting week payment after starting a new job. Needed both conditions - the two payments already received AND the return to work. Had to do it myself in UBS under 'Request Your Waiting Week.

This is a really common source of confusion. People think something went wrong when they don't see that first week paid out. It's just held, not gone.

That's the distinction I was unclear on. My situation was definitely more 'didn't meet their expectations' than any intentional rule-breaking.

Right, and 'capability' matters too. There's a difference between someone who can do the job right and doesn't, versus someone who genuinely struggled despite trying. Though both can get complicated in a determination.

My HR person actually told me I was fired for 'poor performance' and I still got approved. It really does depend on the specifics of what your employer reports back to TWC.

A layoff is actually cleaner from a TWC eligibility standpoint - no work, position cut, business closed, that kind of thing isn't about performance or conduct. Apply the same way, same UBS process, same payment request system. The eligibility review should be more straightforward.

That's a relief. Applied yesterday so hopefully this moves faster without the whole misconduct question.

Laid off in March 2026 and mine was pretty smooth - approved in about three and a half weeks. Keep doing your payment requests on schedule even before the determination arrives.

Writing it down in case I need it - 14 days from the mailing date, through UBS or in person or mail/fax, not by phone or email. Got it.

Twelve days after my determination arrived before I noticed the date at the top was two days earlier. Almost missed the window. Open those letters immediately.

The first level appeal is a telephone hearing with one person called a Hearing Officer. You get a packet mailed to you five to ten days before the hearing. Register your phone number 15 to 60 minutes before the scheduled time.

Six hours in one week just to get through, that sounds exhausting. What was the issue with your employer's response?

My former employer apparently submitted information that contradicted what I'd said and I had no way of knowing what specifically they wrote. The agent explained that I'd have a chance to address it at the appeal hearing if it came to that.

The disconnection problem is real. Spent three separate mornings trying to get through. I'll try that service if I need to reach them again.

Good to know, I didn't think about taxes at all. I'll probably opt for withholding so I don't get a surprise bill in April.

Second year collecting and I did withholding both times. Way easier than scrambling to pay it all at once.

You can set up the withholding through UBS in your account settings. Easy to do and easy to change if you want to.

Appreciate it. I've got UBS bookmarked and I'll check it daily. Already submitted my first payment request.

You can also check status through Tele-Serv at 800-558-8321 if you prefer. Same info as UBS, updated nightly.

Daily UBS checks keep you sane during the wait. Seeing 'in progress' every day is frustrating but at least you know something's moving.

That's scary - the idea that the paperwork could misrepresent what happened and affect the whole outcome. I'll be very specific in my application.

Won the appeal in my case but it took months. Way better to be detailed upfront than to need an appeal to fix it.

Any documentation you have that shows it wasn't voluntary is worth keeping. Texts, emails, anything. You may not need it but if you do you'll be glad you saved it.

Appeal hearing lets you explain your side directly to the Hearing Officer. They make the decision based on the evidence given at the hearing itself.

A single written warning on its own isn't automatically misconduct in TWC's definition. The question is more about whether the underlying conduct that caused the warning was the kind of intentional rule-breaking or negligence TWC considers misconduct. What was the warning actually for?

Attendance issues. I had some family stuff happening and missed a few days without following proper call-out procedures. I did eventually get my attendance back on track before the termination happened.

That's a situation where both sides of what happened matter. The fact that your attendance improved and that there were underlying circumstances will likely be part of what TWC considers. Hard to predict from outside.

Waiting out a complicated adjudication is rough. Keep doing your payment requests every two weeks no matter how long it takes. You'll want those weeks on record if it goes to appeal.

Good to hear it's consistent information from multiple agents. The severance question is relevant to my situation too.

The severance reporting rule makes sense to me now. It's not that it automatically kills your claim, TWC just decides how it applies to your specific situation and mails you the decision.

That's the mindset I'm going in with. Filed, being honest, keeping records. We'll see how it goes in a few weeks.

Watching for your update. The wait is the hardest part.

Approved claimants were once where you are now - just filed and waiting. Hang in there through the four-week review.