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TWC denied my DUA claim saying employer letter looks fake - help with appeal process?

I'm absolutely fuming right now! I applied for Disaster Unemployment Assistance after tropical storm Alicia damaged the office building where I was supposed to start my new job. I had everything lined up to start my position as a dental hygienist on September 15th, but the clinic had major water damage and the owner had to postpone all new hires indefinitely. I submitted my DUA claim with TWC right away (early July) with the ID.me verification and uploaded the official letter from the dental practice explaining the situation. I've been calling every 10 days for TWELVE WEEKS just to check status, and they kept saying "everything looks good, just wait for processing." Yesterday I finally got a determination letter saying I was DENIED because I "failed to provide sufficient documentation of employment or self-employment." When I finally got through to someone at TWC today, they had the nerve to tell me my employer's letter "looked suspicious" and "didn't meet their standards"!!! This was on the clinic's official letterhead with the dentist's signature! The agent just casually told me I should file an appeal. I'm beyond frustrated. Has anyone gone through the DUA appeal process? What additional documentation should I gather? How long does a DUA appeal typically take? I've got bills piling up and I'm getting desperate here.

Tasia Synder

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I went through a DUA appeal last year after Hurricane Helene and won my case. Here's what you need to do: 1. File your appeal IMMEDIATELY - you only have 14 calendar days from the date on that determination letter 2. Get your employer to write a more detailed letter that includes: - Exact start date that was planned - Your agreed-upon salary/wages - Specific explanation of how the storm affected their business - Their contact information for verification 3. Gather any supporting evidence like: - Copy of any job offer email/letter - Text messages about the position - Photos of the damaged business if possible For my appeal, I also included a written personal statement explaining the timeline of events. The appeal hearing was scheduled about 3 weeks after I filed, and it was a phone hearing that lasted about 20 minutes. The appeals examiner was actually very fair and just wanted clear documentation.

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Natalia Stone

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Thank you so much for this detailed response! I just checked my determination letter again and it says I have until Oct 2nd to appeal (that's only 8 days from now). I'll call my would-be employer tomorrow to get a more detailed letter. Should I submit copies of our email exchanges about the job offer too? I have those saved.

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Selena Bautista

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the TWC system is garbage with these DUA claims. they denied me twice before i finally got approved. keep appealing and dont give up!!

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Natalia Stone

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That's both discouraging and encouraging to hear. How long did your appeals process take from start to finish? I'm trying to figure out how long I'll need to make my savings stretch.

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Selena Bautista

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first appeal took like 4 weeks, second one was faster like 2 weeks. but then got backpay for everything once approved

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DUA requirements are much stricter than regular unemployment. For your appeal to succeed, you need more than just the employer letter. The key issue here is proving you had a genuine job offer that was rescinded specifically because of the disaster (not for other reasons). 1. Submit any written job offer (email, letter, text) showing the start date was AFTER the storm 2. Bank statements showing you weren't working elsewhere at the time 3. A detailed letter explaining exactly how the storm impacted your employment 4. Photos of the damaged workplace if possible Also, make sure the employer letter explicitly states that your job offer was rescinded SOLELY due to storm damage, not for any other reasons. That's critical for DUA eligibility. Having been through TWC appeals, I recommend using the online appeal system rather than mailing it. It's faster and you get confirmation immediately.

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Natalia Stone

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Thank you for the advice! My job offer start date was actually BEFORE the storm, but the storm hit before I could start (was supposed to start Sept 15, storm hit Sept 2). Will that still qualify for DUA?

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Yes, that should still qualify! The key is that the storm prevented you from starting the job you already had secured. Make sure all your documentation clearly shows this timeline - job offer confirmed before the storm, start date planned for after the storm, and then cancellation directly due to storm damage. This distinction is important for the appeals examiner to understand.

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Ellie Perry

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they did the EXACT same thing to me!!! said my boss's letter looked fake but it was real!!! the whole system is set up to deny people i swear

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Landon Morgan

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If you're struggling to get through to TWC on the phone, you might want to check out Claimyr. I was in a similar situation with my disaster claim and kept getting busy signals for days. Someone on this forum recommended it, and I was able to get through to a TWC rep in about 20 minutes instead of spending hours redialing. They have a good video demo at https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh that shows how it works. Basically they hold your place in line and call you when they have a TWC agent. Made the appeals process much less stressful since I could actually talk to someone about what documents I needed.

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Natalia Stone

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Thanks for the suggestion! I'll check out that video. I spent 3 hours on hold yesterday and almost lost my mind. At this point I'll try anything that might help get this resolved faster.

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Teresa Boyd

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I think you've got a good chance with your appeal. Make sure your notice of appeal clearly explains the misunderstanding - that the letter is genuine and you can provide additional proof. I had to appeal a regular UI denial (not DUA) and the notice of appeal is really important since that's the first thing the appeals examiner reads. Also important - continue to request payment every two weeks even while your appeal is pending! If you win your appeal, they'll only pay you for weeks you properly requested payment.

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Natalia Stone

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Wait - I need to keep requesting payments while appealing? The TWC agent didn't mention that at all! How do I do that when my claim shows as denied? Do I just log in and follow the same request payment process?

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Teresa Boyd

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Yes! This is super important and TWC agents often forget to mention it. Just log in and request payment through the regular process on your scheduled days. The system might say something like "no benefits available" but it still records your request. If you win the appeal, you'll only get paid for weeks you requested - they don't backdate automatically even if you qualify.

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Lourdes Fox

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not to be a downer but DUA is really hard to get... my neighbor lost her restaurant job after the tropical storm and they denied her 3 times sayin she didnt have enough proof even tho the restaurant was literally underwater lol so dont expect too much

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That's not entirely accurate. DUA absolutely can be approved with the right documentation. Your neighbor's case sounds like she might have been eligible but didn't present her evidence properly. The key with DUA is showing that but for the disaster, you would be employed. Documentation needs to be very specific about how the disaster directly caused the job loss.

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Natalia Stone

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Update: I just submitted my appeal online with WAY more documentation. I included: 1. Original offer letter 2. Email thread discussing the job details 3. NEW letter from the dentist with more details about the damage 4. Photos of the water damage to the clinic that my would-be boss sent me 5. Timeline of all communications Fingers crossed this works. I'm still confused about how to request payments while my claim is denied though. When I log in it doesn't give me the option to request payment - just shows DENIED in red letters. Any advice?

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Tasia Synder

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Good job gathering all that documentation! Regarding payment requests, call TWC tomorrow and specifically ask them to enable payment requests on your denied claim while appeal is pending. Sometimes they have to manually activate this in the system. Make sure to document the name of who you speak with and the date/time.

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