If you get fired are you eligible for unemployment in Texas TWC?

Filing right away was smart, seriously. The claim starts from the Sunday of the week you apply, so waiting even a few extra days can cost you a week of benefits you can't get back. On the fired vs. quit question - being fired doesn't automatically disqualify you. It really comes down to whether TWC decides what happened counts as misconduct. Things like breaking company policy on purpose, violating a law, or just flat-out refusing to do your job when you're capable of it - those are the kinds of things that get you disqualified. But equipment problems affecting your numbers? That's a much grayer area, and TWC hears both sides before deciding. Your former employer has 14 days from when TWC mails them a notice to give their version of things. After that it usually takes about four weeks before you get a determination letter.

My cousin used Claimyr when she got fired from her restaurant job and couldn't get anyone at TWC on the phone to ask about her adjudication status. She said it basically holds your place in the phone queue and then calls you when a live agent picks up. She used it because she needed to know whether a severance payment she got was going to affect her benefits - the agent told her TWC would mail her a separate determination on the severance and she just needed to keep requesting payment in the meantime. The site is claimyr.com and there's a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U if you want to see it before trying.

Performance issues is one of those phrases employers throw around and it can mean a lot of different things to TWC. If your employer tells them you couldn't do the job adequately even though you were capable of doing it, that could be their argument for misconduct. But if you can show the equipment was broken and your numbers dropped because of that, that's a pretty different story. Write down everything you remember about those equipment problems now while it's fresh - dates, who you told about it, any emails or texts about it. You may not need any of that, but if you end up needing to appeal you'll want it.

Quick correction on something I see people get wrong all the time - getting fired for performance doesn't automatically mean misconduct, but it also doesn't automatically mean you're clear either. It depends on what the employer actually says to TWC. The determination letter will explain exactly what TWC decided and what their reasoning was. If you disagree with it you have 14 calendar days from the date printed at the top of the letter to appeal in writing through UBS.

BEEN THERE. Got fired from a job two years ago for 'policy violations' that were honestly ridiculous. My manager had it out for me for months. Filed with TWC expecting to get denied and actually got approved because when TWC asked my employer for specifics they couldn't really back up what they claimed. The whole process felt nerve-wracking but try not to assume the worst before TWC even makes a decision. Just be honest when TWC contacts you, answer everything completely, and let the process work.

Are you registered on WorkInTexas.com yet? That's something you need to do as part of the process. And you'll have to do work search activities every week - TWC mails you a letter saying exactly how many are required in your county. Keep a log of every application and contact because TWC can ask you to show that at any time.

Something I want to double-check with you - when you say 'performance issues,' did your employer give you any documentation saying what exactly the performance issue was? Like a PIP or specific written goals you missed? Because what the employer actually tells TWC in writing is what TWC uses to make their call. If their response is vague or just says general performance, that works more in your favor.

For the work search piece - in Texas the required number of activities per week is set by your local Workforce Development Board and it ranges from 1 to 5 depending on your county. If you're in Harris, Dallas, Bexar, Tarrant or Travis county you're doing 5 a week. The letter TWC mails you will state your specific number. Applications, reaching out to employers, attending job fairs - those all count. Just log every single one with dates and employer names.

My claim after getting fired last year went to adjudication for about three weeks and I was losing my mind. What I found out is adjudication just means TWC is looking at a specific issue before deciding if they can pay you - it's not a denial. A lot of people panic when they see that word and think it means they're getting rejected. The important thing during adjudication is to keep submitting your payment requests on schedule. If you get approved, TWC can only pay the weeks you actually requested.

My brother got fired for the same kind of vague reason and TWC approved him. I want to flag one thing though - when TWC reaches out to you for your side of the story, answer every question fully. Don't just say 'it was a misunderstanding.' Explain the equipment problems, the timeline, the fact that you reported it. The more specific you are, the more TWC has to work with.

You mentioned your wages from 6 years at the company - that's good news for your benefit amount. TWC calculates your weekly payment based on the highest quarter of wages in your base period, which covers roughly the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed. Take that quarter's earnings and divide by 25 and that's roughly your weekly amount. The max is $619 a week.

Nobody told me about the waiting week thing when I filed and it tripped me up. TWC holds back your first payable week - you don't get paid for it right away. You get it after you've been paid at least twice your weekly benefit amount AND you either go back to full-time work or use up all your benefits. If you go back to work first, you have to actually request it through UBS or Tele-Serv, it doesn't happen automatically.

Something worth knowing about appeals since you're in a fired situation - if TWC denies you and you disagree, the appeal is a phone hearing with one person called a Hearing Officer. You can submit evidence beforehand. Those texts about the broken equipment you mentioned could absolutely be relevant there. The hearing packet usually arrives five to ten days before the actual call.

I had a coworker who thought getting fired for performance was completely different from misconduct and that he was definitely getting approved. TWC denied him because his employer said he repeatedly refused to follow a specific safety policy even after being told. That was misconduct in TWC's view. The lesson I took from that is - what the employer says matters as much as what you say, and showing up for your part of the process matters too.

When I got my ReliaCard I was confused about the deposit timing. For anyone who doesn't know - the debit card shows up within 10 business days after your first payment. After that, once a payment request is processed, money usually hits the card within two business days. First one takes longer just because the card has to be issued and mailed.

My situation after getting fired went smoother than expected because I called TWC early to explain the circumstances before they'd even contacted me. I used claimyr.com to get through since regular calling was taking forever. The agent I talked to walked me through exactly what documentation to have ready and confirmed that my employer would get a formal notice to respond to.

Texas is a no-income-tax state so the only tax hit on unemployment benefits is federal. TWC can withhold 10% for federal taxes if you request it - there's a voluntary withholding option in UBS. If you don't elect that, you'll owe whatever you owe when you file your return in spring. TWC mails a 1099-G in January showing what you received.

Used claimyr.com last month when I needed to ask about an overpayment notice on a previous claim. Got through to an agent who explained the repayment schedule and confirmed I could pay any amount toward it - I didn't have to pay the whole thing at once. That was useful to know. If calling TWC directly has been impossible for you, it's worth using.

Just flagging - if you do get denied and decide to appeal, keep submitting your payment requests every two weeks the whole time. This trips a lot of people up. They stop requesting payments while the appeal is going on, then win the appeal, and TWC can only pay the weeks they actually requested on time. The appeal process can take a while.