TWC 3rd level appeal pending for over a year - need help reaching decision-makers

Third level appeals are with the actual TWC Commission and they're notoriously slow. But a full year is excessive even for them! At this point, you should consider contacting your state representative. They can often get answers when regular channels fail. Your case got lost in the system somewhere.

im in almost the exact situation!!! my employer claimed i was fired for misconduct (TOTAL LIE) and ive been fighting for like 8 months. just had my 2nd appeal denied even tho i had evidence they were lying. how do u even file a 3rd appeal? the determination letter was super confusing

After dealing with similar waiting periods for my appeal, I found that Claimyr helped me get through to an actual TWC rep who could look up my appeal status. Regular calling just led to busy signals and frustration. With Claimyr, they got me connected to a TWC agent in about 20 minutes who could at least tell me where my appeal was in the process. You can check them out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh showing how it works. It won't speed up your appeal, but at least you might get some answers about why it's taking so long.

have you tried contacting the ombudsman? they handle complaints about TWC. might be worth a shot

As someone who works adjacent to this system (not for TWC directly), I can shed some light on what's happening. Commission Appeals are severely backlogged right now. What likely happened is your appeal either: 1) Got misplaced during processing, 2) Is sitting in queue waiting for review, or 3) Was decided but the notification failed to reach you. Here's what you should do: 1. Contact your state representative's office (google "[your county] Texas state representative"). Their staff can submit an official inquiry. 2. File a formal complaint with the TWC Ombudsman Office at 800-628-5115 or email ombudsman@twc.texas.gov 3. Request a status update in writing via certified mail to the Commission Appeals address 4. If all else fails, consider contacting the office of the TWC Commissioner representing the public (not employers or labor) - currently they might be able to inquire internally The system frustratingly doesn't have good tracking mechanisms for appeals at this level, but persistence through these channels usually breaks the logjam.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU GIVE UP!!!!! they hope u get tired of fighting and just walk away. that's what they want. don't give up. keep hammering them EVERYDAY until they fix it. i had to call 70+ times before i got someone who actually helped me with my appeal.

My sister went through something similar last year. What finally worked was contacting the Texas Workforce Commission directly through their Executive Director's office. Not sure if this still works, but she emailed TWCExecDirector@twc.texas.gov with her situation, appeal number, and contact info. She heard back within a week from someone who actually looked into her case and found it had been misclassified. They expedited the review after that. Another option is to file a public information request for the status of your appeal. They legally have to respond to those within a specific timeframe. You can submit through their website.

wow this is scaring me about filing my 3rd appeal... did u ever get any confirmation when u submitted your appeal? like an email or letter saying they received it?

Just checking back - have you made any progress with any of these approaches? I'm curious which method actually works because I might be heading into a Commission Appeal myself soon.

I'm going through a similar nightmare right now - been waiting 14 months for my Commission Appeal decision! What's really frustrating is that there's absolutely no transparency in the process. I've tried calling, emailing, even showing up at the Austin office in person. The security guard literally told me "Commission Appeals don't see walk-ins" and that was it. One thing that helped me get SOME information was filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau against TWC. It sounds weird but they actually responded to that within 10 days with a generic status update. Still no decision, but at least I got confirmation my case hadn't been lost. I'm also documenting everything now - every call, every email, every attempt to get information. If this goes on much longer I'm considering filing a complaint with the Texas State Auditor's Office about the delays. A year+ wait for any government decision is unreasonable, especially when people's livelihoods depend on it. Keep us posted on how the state rep approach works out. I might try that next if my case doesn't move soon.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the Commission Appeal process is absolutely broken. I went through something similar last year and it took 16 months to get a decision! What finally worked for me was a combination approach: 1. I filed complaints with BOTH the ombudsman AND the Better Business Bureau (like someone mentioned above) 2. I contacted my state senator's office in addition to my state rep - senators sometimes have more pull 3. I sent a certified letter directly to the TWC Executive Director AND each of the three Commissioners individually 4. I filed a formal grievance with the Texas State Auditor's Office citing excessive delays The breakthrough came when the state senator's office called me back and said they'd gotten a response from TWC within 48 hours of their inquiry. Turns out my case had been sitting in someone's inbox for 8 months because it was flagged for "additional review" but never actually assigned to anyone. Don't give up - you're absolutely right that this is thousands of dollars you're legally entitled to. The system is designed to wear you down, but persistence really does work. Document everything and hit them from multiple angles. The squeaky wheel gets the grease with TWC!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation and it's absolutely maddening! I've been waiting 10 months for my Commission Appeal decision after my employer falsely claimed I was terminated for attendance issues (complete lie - I have documentation proving otherwise). Reading through everyone's experiences here, it's clear this is a systemic problem, not isolated cases. The complete lack of transparency and accountability is unacceptable for a government agency. People are losing their homes and can't pay basic bills while these appeals sit in limbo. I'm going to try the multi-agency approach that several people mentioned - state rep, senator, ombudsman, BBB complaint, and Executive Director. Has anyone had success with contacting local news outlets about these delays? This seems like exactly the kind of government dysfunction that investigative reporters love to expose. Maybe some public pressure would force TWC to actually staff their appeals process properly. The fact that we're all sharing strategies on how to get a basic government service to function is ridiculous. But I'm grateful this community exists because at least we can support each other through this broken system!

This is absolutely infuriating but unfortunately not surprising. I went through a similar ordeal with TWC last year - 13 months waiting for my Commission Appeal decision. The system is completely broken and they're clearly hoping people will just give up. Here's what I learned from my experience: The Commission Appeals office operates like a black hole - cases go in and disappear with zero tracking or communication. What finally got movement on my case was escalating to multiple levels simultaneously: 1. Filed complaints with both the TWC Ombudsman (800-628-5115) and Texas State Auditor's Office 2. Had my state senator's office submit an official inquiry (they have more pull than state reps) 3. Sent certified letters to all three TWC Commissioners individually, not just the generic appeals address 4. Filed a BBB complaint (sounds weird but they actually responded to that faster than anything else) 5. Contacted local news - KXAN in Austin did a story on TWC delays that got some attention The breakthrough came when the senator's office called and said TWC had responded within 24 hours of their inquiry. My case had been sitting unassigned for 9 months due to a "system error." Don't let them wear you down - you're fighting for money you're legally owed. Document every interaction and hit them from multiple angles. The system counts on people giving up, but persistence really does work. Keep us updated on your progress!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - a year with no updates on a Commission Appeal is completely unacceptable! I went through something similar with TWC last year and the lack of communication was maddening. Based on what others have shared here, I'd strongly recommend hitting them from multiple angles at once: 1. Contact your state senator's office (not just state rep) - they seem to get faster responses from TWC 2. File a complaint with the TWC Ombudsman at 800-628-5115 or ombudsman@twc.texas.gov 3. Send certified letters directly to each of the three TWC Commissioners individually 4. File a BBB complaint against TWC (weird but several people said this actually gets responses) 5. Consider reaching out to local investigative reporters - this kind of government dysfunction makes for good stories The key thing I learned is that these cases often get "lost" in the system or sit unassigned for months. The only way to break through is external pressure from multiple sources. Document everything and don't give up - you're fighting for money you're legally entitled to. Keep us posted on what works! There are clearly a lot of us dealing with this same broken system.

This entire thread is eye-opening and terrifying at the same time! I'm currently at the 2nd level appeal stage (waiting for my hearing) but reading about everyone's Commission Appeal experiences has me really worried about what comes next if I lose. The fact that so many people are dealing with 12+ month waits with zero communication is absolutely unacceptable. These aren't small amounts of money - we're talking about thousands of dollars that people desperately need for basic survival while they're unemployed. What strikes me most is how everyone here has had to become their own private investigators and advocacy experts just to get a government agency to do its basic job. The multi-pronged approach everyone's discussing (state senators, ombudsman, BBB complaints, media outreach) shouldn't be necessary, but clearly it's the only thing that works. I'm bookmarking all these strategies in case I need them. Has anyone tried reaching out to any advocacy organizations or legal aid groups that might be able to apply additional pressure? It seems like there should be some kind of class action potential here given how widespread and systematic these delays appear to be. Keep fighting everyone - the fact that you're all sharing information and supporting each other through this broken system gives me hope that we can eventually force some accountability and change!

I'm absolutely horrified reading through all of these experiences - it's clear that TWC's Commission Appeal process is completely broken and systematically failing people when they need help most. A year+ wait with zero communication is unconscionable for any government agency. What really gets me is that we're all having to become experts in bureaucratic warfare just to get basic services we're legally entitled to. The fact that multiple people have found success with the "shotgun approach" (state senators, ombudsman, BBB complaints, individual Commissioner letters, media outreach) shows that TWC only responds to external pressure, not to serving the people who depend on them. For anyone just starting this process, please learn from everyone's experiences here: - Document EVERYTHING from day one (dates, times, names, reference numbers) - Don't rely on just one avenue - hit them from multiple angles simultaneously - State senators seem more effective than state reps - BBB complaints actually get responses (bizarre but apparently true) - Local investigative reporters love these government dysfunction stories The systemic nature of these delays really does seem like it could warrant legal action or at minimum a formal investigation by the State Auditor. When this many people are experiencing identical problems (cases sitting unassigned, zero communication, excessive delays), that's not individual failures - that's institutional dysfunction. Keep fighting everyone. The system is designed to make you give up, but your stories prove that persistence and strategic pressure actually work. We shouldn't have to do this, but since we do, at least we can support each other through it!