TWC appeal timeline confusion - filed Sept 27, still waiting
I'm super stressed about my TWC appeal. I filed it on September 27 after getting denied benefits because my employer said I was fired for misconduct (which is NOT true - I was laid off due to department restructuring). It's been almost 4 weeks now and I haven't heard ANYTHING. No mail, no update on the portal, nothing! When I check my appeal status online it just says "pending" with no other info. Is this normal timing for appeals in Texas? How much longer should I expect to wait? My savings are almost gone and I really need to know if there's something else I should be doing or if this is just how long it takes. Anyone gone through this recently?
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Evan Kalinowski
Appeals are taking about 5-7 weeks right now from what I've seen. The TWC is seriously backlogged with appeals since the beginning of the year. Make sure you continue requesting payment every two weeks even while waiting for the appeal decision! That way if you win, they'll pay all those weeks retroactively.
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The Boss
•Thank you! No one told me I needed to keep requesting payments. I thought I had to wait for the appeal decision first. I've missed like 3 payment requests already...can I still go back and request them?
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Victoria Charity
i went thru this in july, my appeal took 6 weeks exactly. its just how it is right now, TWC is slow af
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The Boss
•6 weeks?! Ugh, I was hoping it would be faster. Did they contact you for any additional info during that time?
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Victoria Charity
•nope they didnt ask for anything else. just got a letter in the mail one day. i won btw. hope u do too
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Jasmine Quinn
You absolutely need to be requesting payment every two weeks while your appeal is pending! This is critical. As for timeline, my appeal took 8 weeks in February 2025, but I've heard they're moving faster now. One thing to try - I had trouble reaching an actual person at TWC for WEEKS until someone told me about Claimyr (claimyr.com). It's a service that helps you get through to a TWC rep usually within an hour instead of calling for days. They have a demo video here: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh. I was skeptical but it worked and the rep could tell me more details about my appeal status that weren't showing online.
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The Boss
•Thanks for the suggestion! I tried calling TWC about 20 times this week and either get disconnected or it says call volume too high. I'll check out that service - I just need to talk to an actual human at this point.
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Oscar Murphy
•Just FYI - TWC appeal division is different from the regular claims department. Even if you get through to a regular rep using that service, they likely won't have detailed info about your appeal status beyond what you see online. Appeals specialists don't take phone calls - they'll contact you when they need something or when they make a decision. Patience is unfortunately required with appeals.
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Nora Bennett
THE APPEAL SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST US!! I waited 10 weeks for my appeal hearing last year and then they scheduled it during my work hours with only 3 days notice!! When I asked to reschedule they said I could but it would add ANOTHER 4-6 weeks of waiting!!! The whole system is designed to make people give up. Keep fighting and DOCUMENT EVERYTHING.
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Evan Kalinowski
•While I understand your frustration, most appeal delays are due to volume rather than intentional obstruction. The appeal tribunal is separate from the regular TWC claims department and they schedule hearings as quickly as they can manage with limited staff. Yes, it's important to document everything, but the system isn't 'rigged' - it's just understaffed and overwhelmed.
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Ryan Andre
My sister just went through an appeal in August. Took about 5 weeks. Good luck!
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Oscar Murphy
In addition to what others have said about continuing to request payments, make sure you're meeting your work search requirements while waiting. You need to complete and document at least 3 work search activities each week. If you win your appeal but haven't been doing work searches, you could still be disqualified for those weeks. If your appeal has been pending for more than 8 weeks, you can contact your state representative's office. They often have liaisons who can check on the status for you. But at 4 weeks, you're still within the normal processing time frame unfortunately.
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The Boss
•This is really helpful info, thank you. I've been applying for jobs but wasn't keeping detailed records. I'll start documenting everything properly now. I had no idea about contacting my state rep - that's a good tip if this drags on too long.
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Lauren Zeb
When i file my appeal last month they sent me letter after 9 week. Then hearing was 2 week after that. So maybe 11 week total for me. The portal never update right.
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The Boss
•11 weeks!? That's crazy. Did you have to do anything special to prepare for the hearing?
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Lauren Zeb
•just had all my paper from work proving i didnt do what they say. hearing was on phone call and judge ask me question for 30 minute. my boss didnt even show up so i win easy.
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Evan Kalinowski
One more thing to add - the TWC Appeals department normally sends you a letter acknowledging receipt of your appeal within 7-10 days. If you didn't get that, I would double-check that they actually received your appeal. You can submit another one if needed (it won't hurt your case), just to make sure you're in the system.
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The Boss
•I did get a letter about a week after I filed saying they received my appeal. That's the only communication I've had so far. I guess that means I'm in the system at least.
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