TWC says I'm getting severance but I'm NOT - callback promised 3 weeks ago never happened
I'm at my wits' end trying to get my TWC claim resolved. Filed back in early February and it's been nothing but problems. My employer told TWC I'm receiving severance until April 15th which is completely false! I received my final paycheck on February 12th and that was IT - no severance package whatsoever. Somehow got through to an actual human at TWC on March 8th after calling for weeks. The representative acknowledged the employer's statement about severance was in my file, promised someone would call to resolve this by March 17th at the latest. Here we are, almost at the end of March, and still NOTHING. My payment requests keep getting denied because of this false severance information. My husband thinks I should just go to a TWC office in person, but I can't even figure out where the nearest one is or if they take walk-ins. Feels like I'm trapped in an unemployment nightmare. Has anyone successfully fixed incorrect employer information? Or know how to actually get a promised callback to happen? Any advice at all would be appreciated.
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Maya Patel
You're dealing with an employer protest situation that needs to be addressed ASAP. Here's what you should do: 1. Document everything - get your final paystub that shows no severance, any termination letter, etc. 2. Submit these documents through your TWC online portal under "Appeal Information" even if you haven't received an official determination letter yet. Mark it clearly as "Documentation contradicting employer's claim about severance" 3. Call the TWC Tele-Center at 800-939-6631 as soon as they open at 7am. This is your best chance of getting through. 4. Your husband is right about going in person - TWC Workforce Solutions offices can help. Find your nearest location here: https://www.twc.texas.gov/directory-workforce-solutions-offices-services The severance issue is common and fixable, but you need to be persistent in providing documentation that proves your case.
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Isabella Brown
•Thank you so much! I didn't realize I could upload documents directly to contradict their claim. I have my final pay stub saved and an email from HR confirming my termination date with no mention of severance. I'll upload those tonight. I've been calling around 9am which must be peak time. I'll try the 7am trick tomorrow. And thanks for the link to find offices - I honestly wasn't sure if they even had physical locations anymore since everything seemed to be online or phone only.
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Aiden RodrÃguez
OMG the EXACT same thing happened to me!!! My boss told TWC I quit when I was definitely laid off. I waited 7 WEEKS for my "urgent callback" that never came. The whole system is RIGGED to make people give up!!! I finally got my issue fixed but only after I contacted my state representative's office and filed a complaint. Suddenly TWC found time to call me back within 48 hours after that. FUNNY HOW THAT WORKS. 🙄 Don't waste your time with the regular phone numbers. They're designed to keep us out.
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Emma Garcia
•How do you contact a state representative about TWC issues? My claim has been pending for over a month with no movement.
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Aiden RodrÃguez
•You can find your TX state rep here: https://house.texas.gov/members/find-your-representative/ Call their office and ask to speak to whoever handles constituent services or TWC issues. They usually have a form you fill out giving them permission to inquire about your case. My rep's office was super helpful and actually seemed to care unlike TWC!!!
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Ava Kim
I had success using Claimyr to get through to TWC when I had a similar issue with incorrect information from my employer. It's a service that basically waits on hold for you and then calls you when they get a TWC rep on the line. I was skeptical but desperate after weeks of busy signals. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh I got through to TWC in about 25 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. The agent I spoke with was able to document my case that my employer was providing false information about my termination reason. Had to follow up twice but eventually got it resolved.
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Isabella Brown
•Thanks for suggesting this! I've never heard of it before but I'm willing to try anything at this point. Did you have to provide documentation to the TWC rep once you got through? I'm wondering if I should have all my paperwork ready to go when they call me.
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Ava Kim
•Yes definitely have everything ready! They can't look at documents over the phone obviously, but the rep will make detailed notes about what you have and tell you exactly what to upload and where. Once I got someone on the phone, they tagged my account for priority review after I explained the situation.
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Ethan Anderson
go to the wrk force office they can help you my friend went there and thy fixed her claim in 2 days after months of no help on the phone
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Layla Mendes
•The Workforce offices aren't the same as TWC unemployment offices though. Sometimes they can help but other times they just tell you to call the same number everyone else calls. Depends on which office and who you talk to.
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Lucas Notre-Dame
The callback system is completely broken right now. I requested 5 callbacks over a 6-week period and never received a single one. What finally worked for me was submitting a formal appeal against the determination (even though they hadn't sent me an official determination letter yet). Once you submit an appeal, it gets routed differently in their system and someone has to review it within a certain timeframe by law. In my appeal I clearly explained that my employer provided false information and I included screenshots of my final pay stub and termination letter. The other thing that might help - call your employer's HR department and ask them to correct the information they submitted to TWC. Sometimes it's just a mistake on their part, and they can submit a correction that will resolve everything.
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Isabella Brown
•I hadn't thought about calling HR directly about this - that's actually a really good idea. I left on decent terms with them so maybe they just made a mistake in what they reported. I'll try reaching out to them tomorrow. If that doesn't work, I'll definitely go the appeal route. Did you submit your appeal online or did you have to mail/fax it in?
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Lucas Notre-Dame
•I submitted mine online through the TWC portal. It's under the "Determination Letters/Appeal Information" section. Much faster than mailing it in. Just be very clear in your explanation and attach any supporting documents you have. Good luck!
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Emma Garcia
Maybe try calling right before they open? I heard they have a queue system that fills up super fast in the morning so if you call at 6:58am you might get in line before it fills up. Worth a shot.
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Layla Mendes
•This doesn't work anymore. They changed the phone system last year. Now it just gives you a busy signal until exactly 7:00am and then everyone tries calling at once.
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Maya Patel
Just wanted to add one more thing - when you upload your documentation, make sure you also include a clear written statement explaining that you received no severance. Be specific about dates, amounts of your final paycheck, and any termination details. The more specific you are, the easier it is for the examiner to make a determination in your favor without having to call for additional information (which just causes more delays). Also, continue filing your payment requests every two weeks even while this is being resolved. If it gets fixed retroactively, you'll receive back payments for any weeks you properly requested payment.
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Isabella Brown
•Thank you for this advice! I've been filing my payment requests religiously even though they keep getting denied. Good to know that was the right thing to do. I've gathered all my documentation - final paystub, termination letter, and even an email chain with HR where they specifically said "no severance is being provided." Hopefully this will be enough evidence to get things straightened out.
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Ethan Anderson
have u tried messageing them on the portal? sometimes they respond to that faster than callbacks
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Isabella Brown
UPDATE: Thank you all for the advice! I ended up using Claimyr to get through to TWC this morning (worked like a charm), and the agent confirmed there was a mistake in my file. Apparently my employer coded my separation incorrectly, making it look like I was receiving ongoing payments. The agent documented everything and said they'd be sending a new determination letter within 10 business days. She also suggested I contact my former employer's HR to ask them to submit a correction, which I did right after the call. I'll keep updating my payment requests and hopefully this will all be sorted soon. For anyone else facing similar issues - document EVERYTHING and be persistent!
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Ava Kim
•So glad you got through! Keep on top of it though - sometimes they say they'll fix things and then nothing happens. If you don't see that determination letter in 10 business days, use Claimyr again to follow up.
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Aiden RodrÃguez
•Great news! Definitely keep all your documentation just in case they mess it up again though. I had to follow up THREE TIMES before my issue was fully resolved.
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