TWC Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) approved after initial denial - our 4-week journey

Yes, I had almost the EXACT same experience with my DUA claim! Filed July 22nd after the hurricane destroyed my workplace. They made me jump through all those same hoops - ID verification, documentation requirements, etc. My claim showed pending for 5 weeks despite calling twice and being told "everything looks good." Then BAM - denial letter saying I didn't provide documentation, which was complete nonsense. Here's what worked for me: 1. Immediately filed appeal (which you've done) 2. Called and had them create a ticket (which you've done) 3. Called AGAIN the next day and specifically asked them to notate on my account that all documentation WAS received timely 4. Asked for a supervisor to review my case Two days after that second call with the supervisor request, I got an approval letter and all my backpay from the hurricane date. Don't give up! Their system seems to have some serious glitches with DUA claims specifically.

the twc system is a JOKE. same thing happened to my brother after the hurricane. they denied him saying he didnt submit proof of employment even tho they literally had his paystubs in there system!!! took him over two months to get it fixed and that was only after he went to the local workforce office in person and raised hell. good luck!!

I successfully appealed my DUA denial last month after experiencing a similar situation. According to TWC guidelines, Disaster Unemployment Assistance claims are supposed to receive expedited processing, but there seem to be consistent issues with their automated document verification system. When you submit an appeal, make sure to include in the comments section: 1. Exact dates you submitted each requested document 2. Names of representatives you spoke with previously 3. The fact that reps confirmed your documents were visible in the system My appeal was resolved in 8 days, which is much faster than the typical appeal timeframe. DUA appeals seem to get prioritized over regular UI appeals. You should continue submitting your biweekly payment requests during the appeal process to ensure you don't miss out on any weeks if approved. Also, document everything in case you need to escalate further. Good luck!

im in the same boat right noww!! applied for disaster unemployment 3 weeks ago after my job site got flooded. TWC saying they never got my work id badge photo even though i uploaded it TWICE. so annoyed with all this!!!

After dealing with TWC for years (worked in HR and helped employees with claims), I've found that trying to call them directly is almost impossible - busy signals, disconnections, 3+ hour holds. I recently discovered a service called Claimyr that gets you through to a TWC agent typically within 10-15 minutes instead of spending days trying to get through. I recommended it to several former employees dealing with hurricane-related claims, and they've had good experiences. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh and the website is claimyr.com. For DUA claims specifically, speaking with an actual agent is critical since these claims have different documentation requirements than regular unemployment. Getting an actual person to review your documents in real-time can make all the difference, especially with your appeal pending.

I got denied DUA at first too! TWC is TERRIBLE with this program. I think their computer system automatically denies people because it happened to like 5 people I know who all applied after the hurricane. I called them 6 times (not exaggerating) and finally on the 6th call got someone who actually knew what they were doing. She could see all my documents were there and flagged my account for urgent review. Three days later I got approved with full backpay. Keep calling until you get someone competent! It's frustrating but eventually you'll get someone who can help. And DOCUMENT EVERYTHING - write down who you talked to, when, and what they said. I had to remind them of my previous calls.

UPDATE: You guys won't believe this! Just checked my correspondence inbox and TWC APPROVED my appeal already! Only took 2 days after I called that second time. The determination letter says they reviewed my documentation and found that I DID submit everything on time. They're releasing all my backpay from July 10th (hurricane date) through now - almost $5,000! I'm in shock that it happened so fast after all the headaches. For anyone else dealing with this - definitely call multiple times and file that appeal immediately if denied. Seems like their system is automatically denying people even when the documentation is there. Thank you everyone for your advice and support!