Where to file unemployment in Texas TWC - online or by phone?

This is correct - I filed online and it took maybe 30 minutes. Way easier than I expected. The UBS portal walks you through each step.

So there's no in-person option at all? My coworker was totally wrong about needing to go somewhere?

There's no requirement to go in person to file. Your coworker was probably thinking of something else, maybe identity verification at a post office, which is a separate step that only some people need. The filing itself is online or by phone, full stop.

The WorkInTexas.com registration thing tripped me up too. I didn't realize it was mandatory until I got a letter about it.

Are these two separate accounts or the same login? Genuinely confused about whether I need to create two different usernames.

Same login credentials for both. You set it up once and it works across both systems. UBS also sends a one-time code every time you log in so make sure your phone number is accessible when you do.

That's really useful about the start date. So if I file this coming Monday my claim would actually start from last Sunday already? That seems too good to be true.

Exactly right. The Sunday before the day you file is when it begins. That's why TWC says to file as soon as you stop working - even a few days difference can mean getting paid for an extra week.

My sister's claim started the Sunday of the week she applied too, confirmed by TWC. The online filing is straightforward but she had a question about reporting some freelance income she'd done recently and I think she might use that service to ask about it.

I didn't know this when I first filed and I thought something was wrong with my claim when no money showed up. Spent a week panicking before someone told me about the payment requests.

So the application is just the first step and I have to keep doing something every two weeks after that? Is this in UBS or do I call?

Both options exist - you can do it in UBS online or call Tele-Serv at 800-558-8321 and hit Option 1. Most people use the online route. And yes, the application just opens the claim; the payment requests are what actually trigger the payments.

This is probably the most common thing people get confused about. They think filing the application means the money starts flowing. It doesn't. The payment request is a separate recurring step you have to do yourself.

Having that info ready ahead of time saved me probably an hour. Especially the employer's EIN if you have it, though it's not required.

The EIN is on my W-2 right? I might have one from last year but not necessarily the most recent employer. Does that matter?

W-2 EIN is fine to have on hand but not required to file. The employer's name and address is enough. Don't delay filing over that.

This happened to me too. I kept waiting until I had all my paperwork together. Filed a week after my last day and didn't understand why my claim only went back to that week's Sunday instead of my last day.

The way the start date works is not obvious at all and it catches a lot of people. The system just locks to whichever Sunday falls in the week you file. There's no going backward.

I really appreciate this warning. I've been sitting on it for two days already thinking I needed to research everything first. Filing tonight.

The Workforce Solutions offices are actually useful for other stuff though. Resume help, interview coaching. Some people go there voluntarily as part of their job search.

Good to know there's a distinction. I'll file online tonight and maybe look into the Workforce Solutions office later for the job search stuff.

That's the right approach. File the claim first, everything else is secondary to getting that clock started on your benefit year.

I didn't keep a log the first month and had a stressful scramble trying to remember everywhere I'd applied. Keep the log from day one.

Does applying online count as one activity? Or does it have to be an in-person thing?

Online applications definitely count as activities. Employers list jobs on WorkInTexas.com specifically and applying through there counts. You can also do other things like attend a job fair or work with a career counselor. It doesn't have to be in person.

The letter with your work search number is what actually governs this, not anything you read online. People post different numbers in different forums and they're right for their county but wrong for yours. Wait for your letter.

Adjudication and appeal are two different things. Adjudication is what happens before any decision - it means TWC is looking into one or more issues with your claim, like your reason for separation or whether you're meeting work search requirements. It's the investigation stage. An appeal is what you do after you get a decision you disagree with. Very different stages.

Oh that makes so much more sense. I kept reading about appeals and panicking that I'd already missed a deadline but I hadn't even gotten a decision yet.

This confusion is super common. Adjudication = still being decided. Appeal = you got a decision and disagree with it. You can't appeal something that hasn't been decided yet.

45 minutes is reassuring. I was imagining a multi-hour ordeal. Did you have any issues with the system timing out or losing your progress?

No timeout issues but I'd recommend having a stable connection and not trying to do it on a phone if you can help it. Desktop or laptop is smoother.

Wait, it doesn't just automatically pay when you're back to full time?

No, you have to request it. There's an option in UBS called something like 'Request Your Waiting Week' and you have to actually do that step. Easy to miss.

To be precise about this - both conditions have to be in place, not just one. You need to have been paid at least twice your weekly amount AND either return to full-time work or use up all your benefits. It's not just two payments and you're done.

You're right, I oversimplified. The waiting week releases at the end of your claim under two circumstances. If you're going back to work full time before that you request it yourself. Thanks for the correction.

How do you know if you need to do this or if it only applies to some people?

TWC sends a notice when it's required, so watch your mail carefully after filing. Not everyone gets it but if you do get it, treat it urgently.

Definitely check your physical mail AND your UBS inbox regularly after filing. TWC sends notices both ways and sometimes people miss the physical mail and it causes delays.

What counts as enough? Is there a dollar threshold?

The technical rule is that your total wages in the base period have to be at least 37 times your weekly benefit amount, and you need wages in more than just one quarter. But honestly for a specific number on your situation, check your determination letter when it comes or contact TWC. The base period math gets complicated fast.

For gig work or contract stuff - self-employed people report net profit on their payment requests, not gross. Just flagging that for anyone in a mixed income situation.

Cannot stress the 'keep requesting during adjudication' enough. I stopped because I figured nothing would happen until they decided. Big mistake, it delayed everything.

So I should start the payment request cycle even before I know if I'm approved? That feels weird but okay.

Exactly. The instructions for when to start come in the mail from TWC - there's a letter called something like 'Instructions: Requesting Benefit Payments' that gives your first request date. Follow that date. If your claim gets approved later, the payments for all those weeks you properly requested will process.

Two hours sounds about right unfortunately. I ended up using claimyr.com to actually get through to a Tele-Center agent because I needed to report some severance I'd forgotten to mention when I first filed. Got connected to someone who noted it on my account and explained that TWC would mail me a determination on how it affects my benefits. Way better than sitting on hold.

Good to know the phone option exists as a backup. I'll try to do everything online but it's reassuring that there's another way.

The phone option is good for complicated situations where you genuinely need to explain something. For basic filing, online every time.

The two weeks at a time thing surprised me. The system asks you questions about each week separately - like did you work in week one, did you work in week two - but you submit them together.

Right, it's one submission that covers both weeks. The questions are week-by-week but the submission is a single request covering the two-week period.

This is the most useful thread I've found. Thank you all seriously. Filing tonight and will keep this open for reference.

I skipped the withholding thinking I'd just deal with it in taxes and then owed more than expected come filing time. The 10% option is worth checking.

Can you turn the withholding on after the fact or does it have to be set at the beginning?

You can update it - there's an option in UBS to change your federal tax withholding election. Doesn't have to be set when you first apply.

Severance is one of those things that sounds like it might not need reporting and then becomes an overpayment issue later if you don't. Always better to report and let them sort it out.

I did get one week of severance as part of the layoff. I'll make sure to report that when I file tonight.

Good call. And each payment request going forward will also ask about income from other sources so stay honest on those too. Overpayments are not fun to deal with - TWC has to recover every dollar even if the mistake wasn't intentional.

Seriously, the overpayment situation is a nightmare. Even if TWC made the error TWC still has to get the money back. There's no forgiveness option, no hardship exception, nothing. Report everything accurately from the start and you never have to deal with it.

Filed! Did it about an hour ago online. Took maybe 40 minutes. Reported the severance, registered on WorkInTexas.com, got a confirmation number. Now I guess I wait for the mail and keep checking UBS.

That confirmation number is your record that the application went through. Put it somewhere safe. Now watch for the payment request instructions letter in the mail and don't miss your first request date.

Nicely done. Payment requests are your job now until you're back to work. Set a calendar reminder so you don't forget the two-week cycle.

The hardest part is the waiting period before you hear anything. Usually about four weeks before a determination comes. Keep the payment requests going the whole time regardless of what your UBS status shows.