TWC sending mass overpayment hearings for Covid-era claims - anyone else getting these notices?

You're definitely not alone. TWC has been conducting extensive audits of Covid-era unemployment claims since late 2024, and many people are getting these notices. I received a similar notice in January for about $5,200 in alleged overpayments from mid-2020. \n\nHere's what you need to know for your hearing:\n1. Gather ALL documentation from that period (payment request confirmations, emails from TWC, any screenshots of your account, etc.)\n2. Review your determination letter carefully - it should specify exactly what reporting error they're claiming you made\n3. If the issue was genuine confusion about how to report income correctly, request a waiver based on \

Thank you for this info! That makes me feel a little better knowing I'm not alone. The determination letter mentions something about \

omg im going thru the EXACT same thing!!! got a notice last week saying i owe $3,750 from 2020!!! like how am i supposed to remember exactly what happened 5 yrs ago?? and ya the phones were IMPOSSIBLE back then. waited 6+ hrs multiple times and never got thru to anyone. this is such bs honestly

It really is frustrating! Have you requested a hearing yet? I'm worried about how to prepare for mine.

I worked for TWC as a contractor during the pandemic (not in claims, but in a support role), and I can tell you this is absolutely happening across the board. The agency is under pressure to recoup funds from what they consider \

do u think its better to request a phone hearing or in-person one?? i got the option for either

In my observation, phone hearings tend to be slightly more favorable for claimants in these specific types of cases. The hearing officers seem more focused on the facts rather than being influenced by in-person impressions. Plus, you can have all your notes and documents spread out in front of you without feeling nervous about shuffling through papers. Just make sure you're in a quiet place with good reception and have all your documentation organized and ready.

I actually just went through my hearing last month for a $5,800 overpayment from 2020. They said I didn't report some freelance work correctly, but like everyone else is saying, it was IMPOSSIBLE to get guidance back then.\n\nMy hearing was pretty quick - about 25 minutes. The hearing officer was surprisingly understanding about the confusion during Covid. I explained how the reporting system wasn't clear about how to report irregular gig work, and showed screenshots of my attempts to message them through the portal.\n\nThey ended up reducing my overpayment by about 60% and put me on a very manageable payment plan. Not perfect, but way better than paying the full amount!\n\nDon't panic - just be honest and emphasize that you tried your best to report correctly with limited guidance.

That's encouraging to hear they reduced your amount! Was there anything specific you said or showed that you think helped your case? I'm trying to gather everything I can find from that period.

The thing that seemed to help most was showing consistency in how I reported - even if it wasn't technically correct. I had screenshots showing I reported income the same way each time, which helped prove I wasn't trying to hide anything, just misunderstood the process. Also, keeping a respectful tone even when frustrated made a big difference. The hearing officer actually thanked me for being pleasant despite the situation.

If you're having trouble getting through to TWC about your overpayment issue, you might want to try Claimyr. I was in the same boat last month - couldn't get anyone on the phone to explain my overpayment notice before my hearing. Claimyr got me connected to a TWC agent within 25 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own.\n\nThe agent was able to explain exactly what documentation I needed for my hearing and gave me insight into how the overpayment was calculated. That information was crucial in helping me prepare my case. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh and the website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out. Definitely worth it when you're dealing with potentially thousands in overpayments.

Thanks for the suggestion! I desperately need to talk to someone before my hearing. Did they actually give you helpful information once you got through? I'll check out that video.

Yes, once I got through, the TWC agent was surprisingly helpful. She pulled up my specific case, explained exactly which weeks were in question and why, and told me what specific forms I needed to bring to the hearing. She even noted in my file that I had called seeking clarification, which I mentioned during my hearing. Just make sure you have your claim ID and all your personal info ready when you call.

anyone else notice they seem to be going after ppl who had mixed income?? like i had some W2 and some 1099 work during covid and thats what they're saying i reported wrong. my friend who just had a regular job didnt get any notice...

This is actually a pattern I've noticed too. The reporting system during Covid was particularly confusing for people with mixed income sources. The instructions weren't clear on how to report 1099 income when you were also receiving benefits based on W2 employment. It's much easier for TWC to audit these cases because they can compare against both tax records and employer reports. If you had mixed income, definitely emphasize in your hearing how the system lacked clear guidance for your specific situation.

The whole system was RIGGED FROM THE START!!! They KNEW the phone lines couldn't handle the volume but they still required us to call for help with complicated questions. Now they're coming after us for their own failures!\n\nI got hit with a $7,600 overpayment notice last month for \

i know right? its totally unfair. my neighbor works for the state (not TWC) and he said they have quotas they're trying to hit for recovering money. really feels like they're just targeting regular people who were already struggling during covid :

Important update for everyone dealing with these Covid-era overpayment issues: TWC recently updated their internal guidelines for hearing officers regarding pandemic period claims. They're now instructed to give additional consideration to:\n\n1. Communication difficulties during the initial claim period\n2. Rapidly changing requirements that may have caused confusion\n3. Good faith efforts to comply with reporting requirements\n\nThis doesn't mean automatic waivers, but it does mean hearing officers have more flexibility to reduce or eliminate overpayments if you can demonstrate you made reasonable efforts to comply.\n\nFor your hearing, focus on:\n- Any attempts to contact TWC for clarification (even unsuccessful ones)\n- Screenshots of confusing instructions or website issues\n- Consistency in how you reported information (even if incorrect)\n- Any documentation showing you were trying to follow the rules\n\nBe respectful but firm about the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic period. Many hearing officers are sympathetic to the challenges claimants faced during that time.

This is really helpful, thank you! Do you know if it's possible to get a copy of these updated guidelines to reference during my hearing? Or would mentioning them be enough?

You won't be able to get a copy of the internal guidelines, but you can reference Texas Workforce Commission Appeals Policy Letter 08-24 (released Jan 2025) which addresses pandemic-era claim reviews. The hearing officer will be familiar with it. Just mention that you understand TWC has updated its guidance on reviewing Covid-period claims and respectfully ask that your case be considered under those updated standards.

I'm so sorry you're going through this too! I just received my overpayment notice yesterday for $3,900 from 2020-2021, and I'm honestly terrified. Like you said, it was absolutely impossible to get through to anyone back then - I have call logs showing dozens of attempts that either resulted in busy signals or getting disconnected after waiting for hours. The worst part is that I genuinely tried to report everything correctly, but the online system was so confusing and kept changing. I remember there were different instructions for PUA vs regular UI, and I had both at different times. I even saved screenshots of some of the confusing error messages I got when trying to report my part-time work. Reading through these comments is giving me some hope though - it sounds like if we can show we made good faith efforts and were consistent in our reporting (even if wrong), the hearing officers are being more understanding. I'm definitely going to request a phone hearing and start gathering every piece of documentation I can find from that period. Has anyone had success with the waiver process, or is the hearing really the best route? I'm a single parent and there's just no way I can afford to pay back almost $4,000 right now.

I'm dealing with this exact situation too! Got my notice three weeks ago for $5,100 from 2020-2021. What really gets me is that I have email records showing I tried to contact TWC multiple times through their online portal asking for clarification on how to report my freelance income alongside my part-time W2 job, but never got responses back then. I've been reading through all these comments and taking notes - it's both terrifying and reassuring to know so many of us are going through this. I'm definitely requesting a phone hearing based on what everyone's saying here. One thing I wanted to add that might help others: I found some old bank statements that show exactly when I received payments from my freelance clients, which I'm hoping will help prove I was trying to report the income correctly, just maybe in the wrong weeks due to confusion about when to report it. The stress of potentially owing this much money is keeping me up at night, but reading about @a7bb1ddb2dc9 getting a 60% reduction and @d1310504bfbb's info about the updated guidelines gives me some hope. We all did our best during an impossible situation when the state's own systems were completely overwhelmed.