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

My cousin went through almost the same thing last year. She got fired for 'not meeting expectations' and TWC approved her claim. The thing that matters is whether they can show you actually did something wrong on purpose or were just bad at the job through no fault of your own. Used Claimyr last month when I needed to get through to a TWC agent about my own claim - they connected me to a live person and the agent confirmed that the reason for firing gets reviewed case by case. Worth checking out claimyr.com if you can't get anyone on the phone, there's also a video demo at https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U that shows how it works.

Firing for misconduct disqualifies you but firing for something that's not misconduct doesn't. TWC's examples of misconduct are things like breaking company rules, breaking the law, ignoring your job duties on purpose, or just flat out not doing the work when you're fully capable of it. 'Performance issues' with no written warnings and shifting targets sounds way more like a management problem than misconduct on your part. File the claim, let TWC make the decision, and don't assume the worst.

The application being filed already is good. TWC starts the claim from the Sunday of the week you applied, so filing quickly was the right call. Keep checking UBS once a day - they update overnight and you'll see when things change on your claim. Don't wait for an approval before you start doing payment requests either. You request every two weeks starting about one to two weeks after you apply, and you have to do it even before they've decided on eligibility.

Something to watch for: TWC sends a determination letter for each issue on your claim, and if any one of them says 'cannot pay' it blocks everything even if the others are fine. So if the job separation gets flagged you could get one letter saying you're eligible on wages and another saying you're disqualified on the firing. Read every letter they mail you.

PERFORMANCE ISSUES IS SUCH A VAGUE TERM and employers know that. They say 'performance' because it sounds official. But TWC looks at whether you were actually capable of doing the job and just didn't, or whether the expectations were unclear or constantly changing. Unclear shifting targets?? That is not on you. Write down everything you remember about those conversations now while it's fresh.

My situation was different - I got fired for missing too many shifts because of a family thing - and TWC denied me at first. I appealed and lost that too so I'm not going to sugarcoat it. But my situation was clearly misconduct under their rules because I knew the attendance policy and broke it anyway. What you're describing sounds different. Changing targets with no documentation on their side is not the same as someone willfully ignoring a known rule.

Register on WorkInTexas.com as soon as possible if you haven't already. It uses the same login as UBS. And look for a letter from TWC that tells you how many job search activities you need to do every week in your county. It varies from one to five depending on where you live. Keep a log of every application and contact because TWC can ask for it whenever they want.

my manager told me once that if you get fired for ANY reason you cant get unemployment but that is totally wrong lol. learned that the hard way when i assumed i couldnt file and missed out on benefits i probably wouldve gotten

To answer the question directly: getting fired does not automatically disqualify you. Texas TWC reviews the specific reason. If they fired you for something that counts as misconduct under their definition, you're disqualified. If the reason doesn't meet that definition - which includes a lot of firings that just get labeled 'performance' - you can still collect. The fact that you had no written warnings and the targets kept changing works in your favor when TWC reviews what happened.

Spent three weeks trying to reach TWC to ask about my own separation determination and kept getting disconnected or busy signals. Finally tried Claimyr and got through to an agent the same day. Asked specifically about whether my employer's response changed anything on my claim and the agent walked me through exactly what was in the file. Way less guessing.

One thing that tripped me up when I filed: the base period for calculating your weekly benefit amount goes back to the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before your claim starts. So if you filed this month in late 2026, they're looking at wages from about July 2025 through June 2026. If you had any gaps in employment during that period it could affect your weekly amount even if you're approved.

The employer has 14 days to respond after TWC mails them the notice. Whatever they write in that response becomes part of what TWC uses to make the eligibility call. So if your employer describes the situation one way and you describe it differently, TWC is essentially weighing both accounts. That's why the documentation matters - it's not just for an appeal.

the waiting week thing confused me when i first filed. there's a first payable week that gets held back and you dont see that money until you either go back to full time work or run out of benefits. its not lost but it does feel weird not seeing it right away

TWC will likely reach out to you for a statement before making the decision. When they do, be detailed about the shifting targets - give dates if you can, name the people who told you different things, and describe how you tried to meet whatever goal they gave you. That shows effort and good faith, which matters when the question is whether you willfully failed to do your job.

Had a firing situation myself in early 2026 and want to share what actually happened. Got terminated for 'failing to meet performance standards' at a logistics company. Filed immediately, TWC reviewed the employer's response, found that the standards weren't clearly defined or communicated in writing, and approved my claim without me ever having to appeal. The whole process took about four weeks from filing to first payment.

Appeals are worth knowing about even if your claim gets approved. If TWC denies you and you think they got it wrong, file an appeal in writing within 14 calendar days of the date printed at the top of the determination letter - not 14 days from when you receive it. You can do it through UBS. The first level is a phone hearing with one Hearing Officer and the packet with all the details usually arrives five to ten days before the hearing date.

Also worth knowing: if you get a ReliaCard in the mail you didn't apply for, that could mean someone filed a fraudulent claim in your name. Report it on TWC's fraud portal and do not complete any ID verification for a claim you didn't file yourself. Probably not your situation but it comes up a lot with people who get unexpected mail from TWC.

Severance is something to keep in mind if that comes up. If your employer offers any kind of severance or pay in lieu of notice, you're supposed to report it when you apply or by calling TWC. Certain types can pause benefits while you're receiving them. TWC mails you a decision on how yours is handled. Don't assume it's fine to leave it off.

My brother-in-law got fired a few months back and had the same question. He was nervous about calling TWC to ask about his status and kept getting disconnected. He tried Claimyr after I told him about it and got through to an agent who explained exactly where his claim stood in the review process. He said the agent was actually able to tell him what documentation they were still waiting on from his former employer.

Taxes are going to matter too. Benefits count as federal taxable income and TWC mails a 1099-G every January. You can opt in to have 10 percent withheld automatically, which saves a surprise at tax time. Worth deciding early whether you want that withheld or if you'd rather have the full amount now and handle taxes later.

Read through this whole thread and it's exactly the kind of question that sends people spiraling because the answer is 'it depends' but actually the specifics here - changing targets, no written warnings, no documented prior discipline - pretty strongly point toward a decision in your favor. File cleanly, document everything, do your work searches, request payments on schedule. That's really the whole job on your end.