If you get fired can you apply for unemployment in Texas TWC?

That's genuinely reassuring to hear. I was scared the word 'fired' just automatically meant denied. So TWC actually investigates what the reason was?

Yeah, that's exactly what adjudication is — they reach out to your former employer and get their side, then they look at yours. Both accounts matter. Usually takes around four weeks before you get a determination letter.

The four weeks thing is real, I waited almost exactly that long before I got mine. Keep checking UBS every day, they update it overnight.

Wait so it just waits on hold FOR you? That's the part I hate most about calling TWC, sitting there for two hours.

Exactly what I needed to hear about this. My call situation is different — I'm trying to find out if my severance payout is going to pause my payments — but sounds like it'll work for that too.

I've been writing stuff down since the day it happened. No write-ups, no warnings, nothing in writing from them ever. Does that help my case?

It definitely doesn't hurt. Keep those notes. If this goes to an appeal hearing at any point, that kind of detail is what you bring.

The documentation thing is so true. I had a similar situation and the fact that I'd kept a rough timeline of everything helped me remember specific dates when I needed them.

This is exactly where I'm at right now. Every morning I log in, it just says the same thing.

You can also check Tele-Serv at 800-558-8321, it updates overnight same as UBS. Sometimes I'd check both just to feel like I was doing something.

The overnight update thing messed with my head too. I kept checking at like 11pm wondering why nothing changed and then figured out I should check in the morning.

TWC's examples lean toward things like breaking policy on purpose, doing something illegal, or deliberately neglecting your duties when you know how to do the job. Pure performance — like you just weren't hitting the numbers — sits in a different category than willful misconduct. But it's not a black-and-white line, which is why they investigate instead of just taking the employer's word for it.

Oh okay so it's more about intent than just results? That makes more sense.

Yeah the 'were you capable but chose not to' versus 'you tried but weren't good enough' distinction matters a lot here apparently.

This is really helpful to hear as a real example. Did she have to do anything special or just wait?

She just waited and kept requesting payments every two weeks like you're supposed to. That part is important — don't skip payment requests just because the claim is still pending.

Wait, I'm supposed to keep requesting payments even before they decide? I didn't know that.

Oh no, I haven't requested yet. I was waiting for them to decide first. Is it too late?

Check the letter TWC mailed you after you applied — it shows your first payment request date. If that date hasn't passed yet you're fine. Log into UBS or call Tele-Serv and get that request in.

I made this exact mistake when I first filed. Thought I had to wait for approval before requesting. Ended up losing two weeks because I missed the window. Don't do what I did.

I'm in Fort Worth so that's Tarrant County. Five a week, got it. Do applications count or does it have to be actual interviews?

Applications count, yes. The activity types include submitting applications, contacting employers, attending job fairs — the letter TWC sends you breaks it down. The main thing is log everything with dates and employer names.

Also make sure you're registered on WorkInTexas.com — that's required too. If you haven't done it yet, do it before your first payment request.

Report it. When you apply, there's a section for it, and every payment request asks about income from other sources. TWC mails you a determination about your specific severance after you report it — some types pause benefits while you're receiving them, some don't. Never leave it off; that's the kind of thing that creates an overpayment problem down the road.

Okay good to know. I'll report it. I just didn't want to accidentally torpedo my own claim.

Reporting it won't torpedo your claim — not reporting it is what causes the real problems. TWC figures it out eventually and then you're dealing with an overpayment notice instead of just a small delay.

Interesting that the employer not responding has an effect. What happens in that case?

From what I understand TWC can only work with the information they have. If your employer doesn't respond and you've submitted your side, that's what they go on. It's one more reason to file even when you're not sure.

The number of people who don't apply because someone told them they can't is wild. File first, let TWC decide.

She absolutely could have appealed. The denial letter has a date printed at the top — the appeal deadline is 14 calendar days from that mailing date. You submit it in writing through UBS, in person at a Workforce Solutions office, or by mail or fax. The first level is a phone hearing with a Hearing Officer. You don't need a lawyer. If she missed the 14 days on that one, the window is closed, but worth knowing for anyone else reading this.

14 days is so short. That's brutal when you're already stressed and dealing with everything else.

And keep making payment requests all through an appeal too. TWC only pays for weeks you requested on time — if you stop requesting while waiting on the appeal decision, those weeks are gone.

That's honestly such a good thing to know. How hard was the phone hearing itself?

The Hearing Officer asked me specific questions about what happened, I explained my side, employer didn't show up. Keep your notes organized and just tell the truth clearly. It's not like a courtroom.

The employer not showing up at hearings happens more often than you'd think. They have to actively participate or the HO only hears your side.

Three weeks in adjudication and nothing to do but wait — honestly that sounds like my current nightmare. Good to know you can at least get confirmation that things are moving.

Exactly. Even just hearing 'it's in process, nothing's missing on your end' made the waiting way easier.

The rules are the same regardless of company size. What matters is the reason for the separation, not how big the employer is. A small employer still gets the same 14 days to respond to TWC's notice, and their account still gets charged if you're approved.

Makes sense. I didn't know employers got charged when someone collects. That's kind of a big deal for a small business.

Yeah it affects their future unemployment tax rate. That's why some employers fight claims harder than others — it hits their bottom line directly.

Not bad at all — 'adjudication in progress' means they've identified something to look into, usually just the job separation reason. It's normal for a firing situation. Keep making your payment requests on schedule and check UBS every morning.

Okay that makes me feel better. I panicked when I saw it change because I thought it meant they'd found a problem.

Think of adjudication as the investigation step, not the rejection step. Most claims that go through adjudication do get resolved one way or another — it just takes longer than a straightforward claim.

I had no idea benefits were taxed. Good call flagging this early.

A lot of people find out the hard way in January when the 1099-G shows up. Setting aside a little or doing voluntary withholding avoids that headache.

The voluntary withholding option is in UBS I think? I set it up when I filed and kind of forgot about it until tax season.

Yes, apply. You report the part-time earnings on each payment request — whatever you earned in that Sunday-to-Saturday week, rounded down to the dollar. Up to 25% of your weekly benefit amount you can earn without any reduction. Above that, the amount over 25% gets subtracted from your benefit. So you'd still likely get a partial payment most weeks depending on your hours.

Oh so it's not all or nothing? I thought having any job at all disqualified me.

Only a full-time job ends eligibility on its start date. Part-time earnings just get factored into the weekly calculation. Report everything accurately and let the math work in your favor.

Attitude' problems with no documentation getting approved is genuinely encouraging. I keep thinking two years of perfect attendance has to count forsomething.

Attendance is exactly the kind of thing that shows you were doing your job. Document that too if you can pull records.

TWC is specifically looking for intentional, documented bad behavior — not just the employer not liking you anymore. 'We didn't like his attitude' without receipts doesn't hold up well.

How long after that call did your determination finally come?

About 10 more days. Honestly knowing it was just a backlog made those 10 days a lot calmer than the previous three weeks of not knowing.

This is making me want to call and just confirm my employer responded. The not knowing is the worst part.

So that first week just floats there until one of those conditions happens? That's a weird system.

It is weird but it's how it works. The money doesn't disappear, it just waits. Most people see it paid out naturally over the course of their claim after a couple of payments have come through.

I thought the waiting week was completely lost, didn't realize it comes back eventually. That's actually important to know.