TWC phone wait times hit 3+ hours with no answer - is this normal?
I'm seriously frustrated right now. I spent my ENTIRE morning (over 3 hours!) on hold with TWC trying to file my claim and absolutely no one picked up. Eventually I just had to hang up because I needed to pick up my kid from school. Is this normal?? I thought maybe with the holidays over things would be better, but apparently not. I've never filed for unemployment before so I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or if I should just expect to waste half my day trying to reach someone. Should I keep trying by phone or is there a better way to file? I really need to get this claim started ASAP since I've already been without income for 2 weeks.
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Fatima Al-Mansour
welcome to the texas workforce commission experience lol. 3 hours is actually not that bad, i was on hold for nearly 5 hours last month before getting disconnected!!
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Giovanni Rossi
•Are you serious?? 5 hours only to get disconnected? That's absolutely insane. Did you ever get through to anyone?
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Dylan Evans
The phone lines are completely overwhelmed right now. January always sees a spike in unemployment claims after seasonal holiday jobs end, plus there were those layoffs in the tech sector last month. Your best bet is to file online at ui.texasworkforce.org if your situation is straightforward. The online system walks you through everything and you can complete most claim processes without talking to an agent. Only certain complex situations actually require phone contact.
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Giovanni Rossi
•Thanks for explaining. I tried online first but got stuck when it asked about my last employer. The company relocated and I'm not sure if I should use their new address or the one where I actually worked. That's why I was trying to call.
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Sofia Gomez
TWC IS A TOTAL DISASTER!!! Been dealing with them for MONTHS. They claim they're "improving their systems" but the hold times just keep getting LONGER. I got hung up on TWICE yesterday after 2+ hour waits. They don't care about us at all!!
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Dylan Evans
•While the wait times are definitely frustrating, I wouldn't say they don't care. The system is just overwhelmed with the volume of claims they're processing. Have you tried calling right when they open at 7am? That's usually when wait times are shortest.
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StormChaser
I had the same issue trying to call about my payment request last week. Waited 2 hours, got disconnected, tried again, waited another hour, then gave up. My sister-in-law told me about this service called Claimyr that actually worked for her - it's at claimyr.com and they have a demo video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh. Basically they hold your place in line and call you when an agent is ready to talk. I was skeptical but it actually worked and I got through to TWC in about 45 minutes instead of waiting on hold myself all day.
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Dmitry Petrov
•does this really work? seems too good to be true considering how impossible it is to get through to twc these days
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Ava Williams
Extended hold times are unfortunately very common with TWC, especially in January and February. Here are some tips that might help you: 1. Try calling between 7:00-7:30am right when they open 2. Avoid Mondays and Fridays which are their busiest days 3. Use the online portal for everything possible 4. If you need to file a new claim, most can be completed entirely online 5. For your employer address question, use the address where you physically worked, not their new location Also, make sure you're calling the correct number. The Tele-Serv automated line (800-558-8321) is different from the TWC Tele-Center (800-939-6631) where you speak to actual agents.
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Giovanni Rossi
•Thank you so much for these tips! I'll definitely try calling first thing tomorrow morning since that seems to be the consensus. And thanks for clearing up the employer address question - that helps a lot.
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Miguel Castro
try calling on wednesday morning at exactly 7:01am that's wen i always call an get thru in like 20 mins tops
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Giovanni Rossi
•Wednesday at 7:01am - I'm setting my alarm now! Thanks for the specific advice.
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Dmitry Petrov
Im having the same problem but with my payment request. Been trying to tell them I started part time work but cant get through to report my earnings. Will my benefits stop if I cant reach them??
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Ava Williams
•You should still submit your payment request online and report your part-time earnings there. There's a section specifically for reporting work and earnings during your payment request periods. As long as you accurately report your hours and earnings online, you don't necessarily need to speak with an agent about it.
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Dylan Evans
Update for anyone following this thread: I just checked the TWC website and they've posted a notice about higher than normal call volumes. They're recommending people use the online portal whenever possible and are apparently hiring additional staff to handle the increased volume. So hopefully the situation improves soon.
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Giovanni Rossi
•Thanks for the update! I managed to get through this morning by calling at 7:05am like several people suggested. Only waited about 30 minutes. For anyone else struggling, definitely try the early morning call strategy!
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