If you get fired can you claim unemployment in Texas TWC?

My sister got fired last year and was terrified to even call TWC. I'm going to pass that along to her - she still has questions about her appeal.

Appreciate this. I've been trying to reach someone at TWC for days about a similar situation and I'll give it a shot.

That actually makes me feel a lot better. My employer never gave me any formal warnings and the 'performance issues' they cited were pretty vague. So I guess I just wait and see what the determination says?

Yeah the determination is really the key document. Keep checking UBS every day, they update things overnight so you might see a status change before the letter arrives in your mailbox.

This is right. TWC asks both you and your employer for their version of events. Your former employer has 14 days from when TWC mails them the notice to respond, so the timeline makes sense.

No warnings ever, nothing in writing. The whole thing felt pretty sudden. I do have emails showing I was asking my manager for feedback and trying to improve, would that kind of thing even matter?

Documentation absolutely helps. Keep everything - emails, texts, any written communications. If TWC asks questions or if you end up needing to appeal anything, having that paper trail is huge.

I didn't have any documentation when I went through mine and it still worked out. But I wish I had saved more emails just in case.

Wait, so if my account shows something about adjudication that's not the same as being denied? I thought adjudication meant bad news.

Adjudication just means there's an open issue being reviewed - could be the job separation, could be an identity thing, could be a lot of things. It's the investigation phase, not a verdict. The verdict is the determination letter.

Yep. I was in adjudication for almost three weeks and then got approved. Had myself convinced it meant I was getting denied the whole time for no reason.

I actually hadn't started my payment requests yet because I was waiting to hear back on the determination. I need to go check what date I'm supposed to start requesting.

The letter that comes in the mail after you apply - called something like Instructions for Requesting Benefit Payments - has your specific start date on it. That's the one to go by, not anything general you read online.

This tripped me up too. I waited thinking I'd get a 'you're approved, now request' message and that's not how it works at all.

How did TWC contact you for your version - was it a questionnaire online or did someone call you?

For me it was a questionnaire that showed up in my UBS account. I got an email saying there was something to respond to in the system. Answer every question thoroughly, don't leave anything vague.

Some people get called too depending on the issue. That's another reason being reachable by phone matters during adjudication.

I registered on WorkInTexas.com when I applied but I didn't know there was a specific number per week. How do I find out what my county requires?

The letter TWC mails you will say your specific number. That letter is the official word on it - don't go by what someone else in a different county needed to do.

In some of the big cities it's up to 5 activities per week. I'm in a smaller county and mine was 3. The letter really is the thing to check.

TWC looks at what both sides say - your account and your employer's account. It's not really framed as one side having to 'prove' something to a courtroom standard. They review the full picture and issue a determination. Focus on being thorough and honest with your responses rather than worrying about burden of proof.

Exactly - describe what happened clearly, provide any documentation you have, and let TWC evaluate it. The determination will explain what they found and why.

They didn't offer any severance, so I think I'm clear on that at least. Good to know though.

Wages paid in lieu of notice are a separate thing too - if they paid you out for a notice period rather than having you work it, that also gets reported. TWC mails you a decision on how it affects things.

I had a severance situation and was totally confused about reporting it. Called TWC and they walked me through exactly which payment requests it applied to.

I'd been at my job four years and my pay was pretty consistent so hopefully the calculation works out reasonably. Is there a way to estimate the weekly amount before the determination comes?

Take your highest single quarter earnings from that base period and divide by 25. That gives you a rough weekly amount. It's capped at $619 for claims filed now though.

The benefit year runs 52 weeks from when you applied, and your maximum total benefit is either 26 times your weekly amount or 27 percent of all your base period wages, whichever comes out lower.

Oh that's good to know, I would have panicked thinking my account got locked.

The one-time code goes to whatever contact method you set up - email or phone. If you're not getting it check your spam folder first before calling tech support.

That's honestly what almost happened to me. I almost didn't file because I figured getting fired was automatically disqualifying. Really glad I looked it up first.

So many people do this. The worst TWC can say is no, and then you know for certain. Filing costs nothing except the time to do it.

And if you get a 'cannot pay' determination you can appeal it within 14 days of the date on the letter. So even a denial isn't necessarily the end of the road.

Four weeks is a long time when bills don't stop. Good to know so I can plan accordingly instead of expecting something to hit next week.

There's also a waiting week thing where TWC holds the first payable week until some conditions are met. It's not lost forever but it doesn't come immediately either.

To be specific about the waiting week - TWC holds it until you've been paid at least twice your weekly benefit amount AND you either return to full-time work or use up all your benefits. If you go back to work, you have to request it through UBS or Tele-Serv. Both things need to happen, not just one of them.

Good tip, I'll save that number. Is there any difference in whether you request by phone vs online?

No difference in terms of what gets processed. Some people prefer having the confirmation number Tele-Serv gives you over the phone. Personal preference really.

The Tele-Center number for talking to an actual person is different - 800-939-6631. They have set business hours and call volume can be really high, especially at certain times of day.

Okay writing that down right now. 14 days from the mailed date, not received date. That's a tight window if mail is slow.

Open every piece of mail from TWC immediately and check the date at the top of the document, not the envelope. That's the clock.

Appeals go to a Hearing Officer for a telephone hearing. The whole packet with instructions comes in the mail 5 to 10 days before the hearing. It can take 6 to 8 weeks to get scheduled but keep doing your payment requests the whole time - TWC only pays weeks you requested on time.

That's exactly the kind of thing I'm worried about - something being in the system that I don't even know about. Good to know there's a way to actually reach someone.

How long did it take once you used that to get through? I've been dealing with something with my claim for a week and need to actually talk to a person.

The service held on hold for me and my phone rang when an agent picked up. Didn't take long at all compared to what I'd been dealing with trying to call myself.

I haven't done any work since being let go so at least that part should be straightforward for me. But good to know for future weeks if I pick up any freelance work while searching.

You can earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit amount without any reduction. Above that the payment goes down by whatever you earned over that 25% threshold. And if you earn more than your weekly amount plus that 25% cushion, no payment for that week.

I keep checking UBS and seeing 'pending' and have no idea if that means something is happening or nothing is happening. Might try that if it keeps up.

TWC updates overnight so checking in the morning usually gives you the most current status. But yeah, some questions just need a person to answer them.

That summary is really helpful. I feel like I understand the process a lot better now. I'll keep doing my payment requests, keep up my work search log, and wait to see what the determination says.

That's the right approach. And if something in the determination doesn't add up or needs clarification, you have options - appeal within 14 days, or call TWC to understand what happened.

The fact that you filed right away puts you in a good position. The claim starts the Sunday of the week you applied, so you're not losing benefit weeks by waiting around.