Why is my husband's Hurricane Baryl claim showing as regular TWC unemployment instead of disaster assistance?

same thing happnd to me after hurricane. dont worry, its normal. TWC processes all claims through the regular system first then sorts them out later. as long as u selected the right reason code when u applied it will get fixed

This is actually completely normal and happens with all disaster-related unemployment claims in Texas. TWC uses the same base system for processing both regular unemployment and disaster unemployment assistance (DUA). The initial application shows as "regular unemployment" while they're verifying eligibility. Since your husband only needs one week of assistance and is already back at work, they'll likely process it as a regular UI claim with disaster as the separation reason, rather than converting it to a full DUA claim. Make sure all the information about his return to work is updated in the system. The review status is also normal - they're probably verifying the disaster impact with his employer. Wait times are currently longer because of the volume of Baryl-related claims.

My claim after Baryl took 3 weeks to process!!! The TWC system is a JOKE during disasters. They say one thing on the news about helping people quickly but then make everyone jump through hoops. I had to call them 47 TIMES before getting through!!!

I went through this with the last hurricane. Here's exactly what happens: when you apply during a disaster, the system first treats it as a regular unemployment claim while they determine if you qualify for regular UI. If you don't qualify for regular UI (or only qualify for partial benefits), then they'll evaluate you for Disaster Unemployment Assistance. The "review" status is normal - they're checking with your husband's employer to verify the separation reason. Since it was only for one week, it will likely be processed as regular unemployment with a disaster-related reason code. Make sure your husband continues to request payment for that one week (even though he's back at work) and accurately report any earnings. He should answer "yes" to the question about whether he's returned to work and provide the return date. If you need to reach TWC directly to check on the status, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com). I was getting busy signals for days until I found their service. They have a system that connects you directly to TWC agents without the endless redial. Saved me hours of frustration! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh

I've used Claimyr twice and it worked both times. Got through to TWC in about 20 minutes instead of days of busy signals. Worth it when you're desperate to fix an unemployment issue.

Yes, he should absolutely continue requesting payment for that specific week he was unemployed. When he does the payment request, he'll report that he's returned to work and input the date he returned. The system is designed to handle these short-term situations. If he doesn't request payment, he won't receive benefits for that week, even after they finish reviewing his claim. Just make sure he accurately reports his return to work and any earnings from the days he did work during that claim period.

My cousin's boyfriend had the exactt same thing happen after his factory closed for Baryl. It took them forever to process but he did get paid eventually. The whole system is confusing.. I think he had to call them like 3 times to fix something with his dates tho.

Thank you all for the helpful information! I've made notes about everything. He'll definitely continue with the payment request process and make sure to accurately report his return-to-work date. It's a relief to know this is normal handling for disaster claims. If we don't see any updates in the next week, we might try that Claimyr service to get through to TWC directly. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain how this works!