TWC suddenly shows benefit amount after phone call - am I approved?
I was let go from my job last month ('at will' termination with no specific reason given). After filing my unemployment claim, I got a call yesterday from TWC asking some basic questions about my termination. The website had been showing 'under review' status until this morning, but now that message has completely disappeared. Instead, it's displaying a weekly benefit amount that I'll supposedly receive. Does this mean my claim was approved? I don't see any official approval message or determination letter notification. I'm nervous to get excited about this because I've heard horror stories about TWC systems showing benefit amounts and then people still getting denied. Has anyone experienced this change on their account before? Should I expect an official approval message or letter, or is seeing the benefit amount the actual confirmation?
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Anastasia Sokolov
Yes, that's definitely a good sign! When your account switches from 'under review' to showing a weekly benefit amount, it typically means your claim has been approved. You should receive an official determination letter in the mail within 7-10 days, but the website update generally happens first. Make sure you continue requesting payments on your scheduled days even before you get the letter.
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Diego Rojas
•Thank you so much! That's a relief. I'll keep an eye out for that determination letter. Do you know if I need to wait for the letter before I can start requesting payments? My payment request day is coming up this Wednesday.
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StarSeeker
Congrats! ur IN!!! when mine switched from review to showing $$$ i got paid the next week. just make sure u do ur work searches and request on time
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Diego Rojas
•Thanks for sharing your experience! That makes me feel better. I've been diligently logging my work searches (3 per week), so I should be good on that front.
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Sean O'Donnell
DONT GET TOO EXCITED YET!! The same thing happened to me in January and then I got a determination letter saying I was DENIED a week later even though the website showed a benefit amount. Apparently there's a lag between when they make the decision and when all their systems update. Call them to be 100% sure before you count on that money.
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Diego Rojas
•Oh no, seriously? That's exactly what I was worried about. I've been trying to call them all morning but keep getting busy signals. This is so frustrating not knowing for sure.
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Zara Ahmed
•This happened to me too but it was because I had wages in another state they hadn't verified yet. Did you work in multiple states within the last 18 months? That could explain why you initially saw an amount but then got denied.
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Luca Esposito
When mine changed to showing the benefit amount, I was approved. But my friend had hers show a benefit amount for almost 2 weeks before getting denied! The TWC systems are super confusing... wish they would make it clearer!
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Diego Rojas
•The inconsistency in how their system works is really stressful. I wish they'd just clearly mark it as "APPROVED" or "DENIED" instead of making us guess based on what disappears or appears on the dashboard.
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Nia Thompson
I've helped several people through this process, and in most cases, when the benefit amount appears after a status change from "under review," it does indicate approval. However, it's not 100% official until you receive the determination letter. A few things to know: 1. Continue requesting payment on your designated day even before receiving the letter 2. Keep doing your 3 required work search activities per week and documenting them 3. You can check your correspondence inbox on the TWC portal for electronic copies of determination letters, which usually arrive online before paper mail 4. If your separation was truly "at will" with no misconduct involved, you should be eligible The phone call was likely your fact-finding interview, and the quick status change afterward is generally positive.
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Diego Rojas
•Thank you for the detailed response! I just checked my correspondence inbox and don't see a determination letter yet. I'll keep checking both there and my physical mail. The interview was pretty straightforward - they just verified I was terminated without cause (which my employer confirmed). I'm feeling more optimistic now!
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Mateo Rodriguez
If you really need to confirm, I'd recommend using Claimyr to get through to TWC. I was in a similar situation last month - saw a benefit amount but no official approval. Spent 3 days getting busy signals trying to call TWC directly. Then I found this service at claimyr.com that got me connected to a TWC agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh The agent confirmed my approval status and explained exactly when my first payment would arrive. Saved me a week of anxiety wondering if I was approved or not.
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Diego Rojas
•I've never heard of Claimyr before. Thanks for the recommendation! I might try it if I can't get through by tomorrow. Did the TWC agent have any issues with you using a third-party service to connect?
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Mateo Rodriguez
•No issues at all - the TWC agent doesn't even know you used Claimyr. The service just navigates their phone system for you and calls you when they get an agent on the line. Then you talk directly to TWC. Much better than hitting redial for hours!
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StarSeeker
anybody know how long the first payment takes to hit ur account after approval? im in same boat as OP but its been 5 days since my status changed
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Nia Thompson
•It typically takes 2-3 business days after your first payment request is processed. Remember there's a waiting week for your first claim cycle (you won't get paid for that week until later if you qualify). So if you just filed and requested your first payment, you might only see payment for one week, not two.
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Sean O'Donnell
WAIT what was the exact wording of the status before? Was it "under review" or "pending"??? Because those mean totally different things! Under review means they're still investigating, pending means they're just processing the already-approved claim. The TWC website is SO CONFUSING with all these similar-sounding statuses!
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Diego Rojas
•It definitely said "under review" before. Now there's no status message at all - it just shows the benefit amount breakdown (weekly amount, remaining balance, etc.) on my dashboard.
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Sean O'Donnell
•Oh that's good then! When mine changed from "under review" to showing a benefit amount, I was approved. It's when it goes from "pending" to showing an amount that you might still get denied. The TWC really needs to make their terminology clearer!
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GalaxyGuardian
Sorry to go slightly off-topic, but does anyone know if getting fired "at will" affects how long you can receive benefits? I'm in a similar situation but worried my benefits might be shorter because I was fired instead of laid off.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•Being terminated "at will" doesn't affect the duration of benefits. In Texas, if you qualify, you typically get 26 weeks of regular UI benefits. What would affect eligibility is being fired for misconduct, but a simple "at will" termination without cause should not impact your benefit duration. The amount and duration are calculated based on your base period wages, not the reason for separation (as long as you qualify).
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Diego Rojas
UPDATE: Just got the determination letter in my correspondence inbox today! I'm officially approved. Thanks everyone for your help and advice. For anyone in a similar situation - yes, when the status changes from "under review" to showing a benefit amount, it most likely means approval, but wait for the official letter to be 100% certain.
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Luca Esposito
•Congrats!! So happy for you! How many days did it take between seeing the benefit amount and getting the letter?
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Diego Rojas
•It took exactly 3 business days from when the benefit amount appeared to when I got the electronic determination letter in my correspondence inbox. Still waiting on the paper copy in the mail.
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