If you get fired from a job can you collect unemployment in Texas?

My claim is in adjudication right now after getting fired and I really need to talk to someone at TWC. Might set this up for myself - does it work for checking where your adjudication stands?

That's exactly what it's for - getting you connected to an agent who can pull up your actual claim and tell you what's happening. It worked fine for my specific question about my situation.

Adjudication just means TWC is still reviewing your claim, it's not a denial. But yeah getting a live person to explain the specifics of yours is way better than staring at the portal.

That's actually reassuring to hear. I was worried that 'performance issues' as a label would just automatically disqualify me without anyone looking at the actual circumstances.

The label your employer uses doesn't really matter - what matters is what actually happened and what both you and your employer tell TWC. They send your former employer a notice and give them 14 days to respond, then TWC looks at both sides.

They called my firing 'policy violation' but when I explained the full situation I got approved. The label on the termination paper isn't the final word.

Wait, so the two weeks I've already been unemployed just disappear? I can't get paid for those?

Correct - the claim week starts from when you actually file, not from when you lost your job. That's why people always say apply immediately. File today if you can.

Learned this the hard way myself. Lost about three weeks of potential benefits just by hesitating. File as soon as possible.

Yeah two weeks of benefits just sitting there uncollected because you haven't filed yet. Get on UBS tonight.

I do have some texts to my supervisor about the equipment problems. I should save those somewhere safe before I lose access to any work accounts.

Save them right now, screenshots or forward to personal email. Work accounts often get cut off quickly after termination and you don't want to lose that paper trail.

This is really smart advice. I saved my texts and emails and they ended up being exactly what I needed when my employer gave TWC a different story about why I was let go.

How long did the whole process take from when you applied to when you found out you were approved?

took like 4 weeks before i got any decision, they mail you a determination letter. just keep doing your payment requests while you wait

Payment requests - not 'weekly claims', just so you know the right term when you're on the phone with TWC or reading your portal. And yes, you file those even before you get an eligibility decision.

I didn't realize I had to do work search activities even while they're still deciding on my claim. How many activities do I need to do?

TWC mails you a letter that says your specific number - it depends on what county you're in. Some counties require more than others. Keep a log of everything you do because TWC can ask to see it.

Harris County is 5 activities a week which feels like a lot but you get used to tracking it. Keep a spreadsheet with dates, company names, what you did.

The work search log requirement is real - I know someone who got an overpayment demand because they couldn't document their search activities when TWC audited them.

You're right, I've been overthinking this. I'm going to log in tonight and start the application.

Good. It takes maybe 20-30 minutes if you have your work history handy. Have your last employer's address and your dates of employment ready.

So even if I get denied I still have options? I didn't know there was an appeal process.

Absolutely there's an appeal process. You'd submit a written appeal through UBS or by mail, and you'd get a telephone hearing with a Hearing Officer. Keep requesting payments on schedule even during an appeal.

The appeal option saved me - I got denied initially, appealed, and won at the telephone hearing. The Hearing Officer wanted to hear my full explanation of what happened, not just the form I filled out.

Six weeks in adjudication is longer than average but not unheard of. The portal showing 'under review' is frustrating because it doesn't tell you much. Keep filing your payment requests on time regardless.

Even though I haven't been approved yet I should keep filing payment requests? What if I end up getting denied?

Yes, keep filing no matter what. If you get approved, TWC can only pay weeks you actually requested. If you stop requesting and then get approved, those missed weeks are gone. File every time, every two weeks.

Adjudication doesn't mean denied - it just means someone is actively reviewing your claim. Keep those requests going. I went through nine weeks of adjudication before my approval finally came through.

Good to know, I hadn't even thought about taxes yet. Is 10 percent usually enough or do people generally owe more?

Depends on your total income for the year. 10 percent might be enough if unemployment is your only income, but if you go back to work partway through the year it can get complicated. Probably worth talking to a tax person.

TWC mails a 1099-G in January showing your total benefits for the year. You can also find it in UBS under IRS Tax Information.

Why would saying you quit look better? I would have thought getting fired was more sympathetic to TWC.

right?? it makes no sense because quitting usually means you DON'T get benefits and firing means you might. your cousin's logic is completely backwards AND it could get you in fraud trouble. always tell the truth to twc.

This is an important correction. Claiming you quit when you were fired would likely hurt your case, not help it. Quitting without what TWC considers 'good cause connected to the work' is typically not payable. Being fired for reasons other than misconduct can be.

Should I include all of this in the initial application or just answer the questions as they're asked?

Answer the questions thoroughly as they're asked during the application - don't leave anything important out. You'll have text boxes to explain things in your own words. More detail is usually better than less when explaining why a firing wasn't your fault.

And be consistent. What you tell TWC during the application should match what you'd say at an appeal hearing if it comes to that. Write down the key facts so your story stays straight.

That's exactly what I need for my adjudication situation. I'll try that this week.

For adjudication specifically it's really useful because the agent can see notes on your claim that the portal doesn't show you. Good luck.

So the first week just sits there and I might get it at the end? That's confusing.

Basically yes. It's not gone, it's just held until one of those two conditions is met. If you exhaust your benefits it gets released automatically. If you go back to work first, you have to ask for it.

A lot of people don't realize they need to request it when they go back to work. Had a friend lose out on that week because nobody told her she had to actually go in and request it through the portal.

Reading all of this has made me much more confident that applying is worth doing. I'm going to file tonight.

Good. The worst that happens if you apply and get denied is you go through the appeal process. You have nothing to lose by trying.

And remember, check your UBS portal and check your physical mail. TWC sends important notices by mail and if you miss the response deadline on something it can hurt your claim.

The same login for both? That actually makes it easier. I'll set that up when I do my application.

yeah same username and password, they're connected. and they'll send you a one time code every time you log in so make sure your phone number is current.

yeah i always called them weekly claims too, good correction. payment request is what twc calls it and what the system shows.

Calling them weekly claims when talking to an agent can cause confusion so it's one of those terms that's worth learning early.

Tele-Serv is option 1 for payment requests, available any time. Good for people who don't want to log into the portal every two weeks.

I hadn't even thought about estimating what I might receive. That's a good way to think about it.

Look at your four quarters of wages before this quarter - the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. Find your highest one and divide by 25. That's your rough weekly amount.

And the maximum you can receive total across the whole claim is 26 times that weekly amount or 27 percent of all your base period wages, whichever is smaller. Benefits can run out before the 52-week benefit year ends.

Yes! I filed last night. It took about 25 minutes and I explained the equipment situation in detail. Now I'm just waiting to hear back.

Great news. Now set a reminder to file your first payment request - TWC will mail you the exact date, usually a week or two out. Don't miss that window.

Congrats on filing. The hardest part for most people is just doing it. Now just keep an eye on your mail and your UBS portal, and keep doing your work search activities every week.

Keep a copy of everything you submitted in the application if you can. Screenshots or notes on what you wrote. If your employer gives TWC a different account of things and you end up at a hearing, it helps to remember exactly what you said.

Setting this up today for my adjudication situation. Six weeks of staring at the portal with no information is enough.

The agent can actually see what's happening with your specific claim, which is way more useful than anything the portal shows.