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TWC decision timeline - does it really take a full 4 weeks?

I filed for unemployment with TWC like 8 days ago and still haven't heard anything about my claim decision. My friend said it could take up to 4 weeks but I'm getting nervous because rent is due soon. Does it REALLY take a whole month to find out if you're approved or not??? My previous employer laid me off due to "restructuring" but they didn't contest it or anything. My dashboard just says "pending" with no other information. Is there anything I can do to speed this up or at least find out where I stand? This waiting game is killing me!

KhalilStar

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it totally depends on your situation. mine took 6 weeks last year because my former boss contested it. but my sister got approved in like 10 days when her company did layoffs. if your employer doesn't contest it should be faster but TWC is always backed up so who knows

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Connor Murphy

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6 WEEKS??!! I can't wait that long! Did you do anything to check on the status or were you just waiting the whole time?

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The official timeline from TWC is 21 days (3 weeks) for most determinations, but that's a target, not a guarantee. Here's what affects your timeline: 1. Whether your employer responds quickly to TWC's inquiry 2. If there are any issues with your work separation (misconduct, voluntary quit, etc.) 3. Current TWC workload (it fluctuates throughout the year) 4. Whether your identity verification completed successfully If your employer truly isn't contesting and it was a straightforward layoff, you might hear back sooner than 3 weeks. Make sure your ID.me verification is complete - that's often what holds things up initially.

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Connor Murphy

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Thank you! I did complete the ID.me verification right away. So if my employer doesn't respond at all, does that automatically mean I get approved?

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Kaiya Rivera

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I went through this last month. The official timeline is 21 days but my claim was approved in 14 days. The key is making your first payment request on time even if your claim is still pending! If your claim gets approved, they'll back-pay you for those weeks. Don't wait for approval to start requesting payments. Also, if you're really worried about rent, you can try to reach a TWC agent directly to check your status. I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 15 minutes instead of spending days trying to get through. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh. The agent was able to tell me exactly where my claim was in the process which gave me peace of mind.

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I tried Claimyr too after spending THREE DAYS trying to reach someone at TWC!! It's ridiculous they don't have enough staff to answer phones but at least there's a way around it. The agent told me my claim was delayed because they were waiting for my previous employer to respond.

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Noah Irving

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ya definitely keep doing ur payment requests even while waiting!!!! i didnt know this and missed out on 2 weeks of payments cuz i thought i had to wait for approval first BIG MISTAKE

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Connor Murphy

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Oh wow, I had no idea! Thank you for the warning - I'll make sure to do my payment requests starting this Sunday.

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Vanessa Chang

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The 21-day timeframe is COMPLETE BS in my experience. They say that to keep people from complaining but I've NEVER seen anyone get a determination that fast. My first claim took 5 weeks, then when I had to refile after working a temp job it took SEVEN WEEKS and required THREE calls to finally get someone to manually review it. The system is completely broken and they're overwhelmed with claims. My advice? Start calling as soon as you hit the 3-week mark. Don't wait for them to get to you because your claim can get stuck in the system with no notification. And yes, keep doing payment requests every two weeks no matter what!

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Madison King

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Not true for everyone! My benefit determination came through in 12 days last month. It really depends on your situation and how complicated your case is. Simple layoffs with no employer disputes usually go through faster.

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Connor Murphy

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UPDATE: I just checked my account this morning (day 11) and my claim was approved! So it looks like if your case is straightforward it can definitely be faster than 3-4 weeks. Thanks everyone for the advice - especially about doing payment requests even while waiting for approval. That was really helpful!

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Great news! Glad it was resolved quickly. Don't forget to complete your work search activities (minimum 3 per week in Texas) and document them for each payment request. Many people get tripped up on that requirement later.

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