I actually went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and can share what happened. I started receiving Social Security retirement benefits while already on unemployment, and after reading conflicting advice online, I decided to call TWC directly to get clarity. After many attempts (the phone system is truly awful), I finally got through to an agent who confirmed that: 1. Social Security retirement benefits do NOT need to be reported during biweekly payment requests - those are only for work income/earnings 2. However, since I started receiving SS after my claim was established, I should notify them through the correspondence system I sent the notification through my UI portal, and about 2 weeks later I received a determination letter saying my weekly benefit amount was being reduced by about $40 due to the Social Security income. Was I happy about the reduction? No, but at least I knew I was following the rules correctly. The key thing to remember is that the biweekly payment requests are separate from benefit calculations. You only report work income on those, but major changes like starting retirement benefits should still be reported to TWC for their records. Better safe than sorry with these agencies!

I'm new to this community but dealing with a similar situation. Just wanted to add my perspective after reading all these helpful responses. I started receiving Social Security retirement benefits two months after my unemployment claim was established, and I was really confused about what to report where. Based on all the advice here, especially @Freya Pedersen's real experience, I think the clearest guidance is: 1. DON'T report Social Security retirement benefits on your biweekly payment requests - those specifically ask for work income/earnings only 2. DO notify TWC through your correspondence system about starting Social Security after your claim was established - they may recalculate your weekly benefit amount I ended up calling TWC (took forever to get through) and the agent confirmed this approach. They said Social Security retirement is "unearned income" and doesn't get reported during payment requests, but major changes like starting benefits should be communicated for their records. I sent my notification last week and am waiting to see if they adjust my weekly amount. Honestly, I'd rather have a small reduction and know I'm following the rules than stress about potential overpayment issues later. The whole system could definitely be clearer about this distinction!

Reading through all these suggestions has been really eye-opening! I'm in week 4 of trying to reach someone and was about to give up, but seeing how many different strategies people have tried gives me hope. I'm definitely going to attempt the 8 AM sharp method with the redial strategy, and the email + phone combo approach sounds like a game changer. Has anyone had luck with the callback feature on the automated system, or is that just another dead end? Also, for those who mentioned Claimyr - I'm curious if anyone knows of any free alternatives that work similarly? $20 isn't breaking the bank but every dollar counts when you're unemployed. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - this community is honestly keeping me sane during this frustrating process! 💙

I've been dealing with the same nightmare for about 2 weeks now and this thread is honestly a lifesaver! Going to try the 8 AM sharp method combined with emailing the night before - that strategy from @Naila Gordon sounds brilliant. One thing I wanted to add that worked for my cousin: she said sometimes calling right before lunch (around 11:45 AM) or right before closing time (4:30-5 PM) can catch them when they're less busy. Apparently the morning rush dies down and there might be a small window. Also, has anyone tried using the Spanish language option and then asking to be transferred to English? I heard a rumor that those lines are sometimes less congested. Might be worth a shot! Thanks everyone for sharing - knowing we're all in this together makes it a little less maddening 😅

I'm also new to TWC (just got my first payment a couple weeks ago) and this entire thread has been incredibly reassuring! I was starting to panic about Memorial Day affecting my payment since I have bills due right after. The one-day delay seems very manageable based on everyone's experiences. I'm definitely going to implement so many of these suggestions - setting up bank alerts, checking the TWC app for payment status, maybe even that emergency buffer fund idea. It's amazing how much more helpful real people's experiences are compared to the official TWC website. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and tips - it makes navigating this system as a newcomer so much less stressful knowing there's a community of people who understand what we're going through!

I'm also really new to TWC (just started my first claim this month) and this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I was getting so anxious about how Memorial Day would affect my payment timing, but reading everyone's real experiences has put my mind at ease. The consistent message about one-day delays being standard is so helpful - much more useful than the vague information on the TWC website. I'm definitely going to start implementing all these great suggestions: setting up bank notifications, checking the payment status in the TWC app, taking screenshots of my payment requests, and maybe even setting aside a small emergency fund for future holiday delays. It's incredible how supportive and knowledgeable this community is! Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and making those of us new to the system feel less alone in navigating all this.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this situation, Victoria! What you're experiencing is actually a really common tactic that employers use when they want to contest unemployment claims. They often add extra reasons after the fact because they know that their original reason alone might not be strong enough to disqualify you from benefits. The TWC calling you for a fact-finding interview is actually a GOOD thing - it means they're not just automatically accepting whatever your employer told them and they want to hear your side of the story. This is standard procedure when there are conflicting accounts between you and your employer. A few important things to keep in mind: - Your genuine surprise at hearing the new allegations during the call probably came across as very authentic to the investigator - The fact that you can document your approved time off puts you in a strong position - TWC investigators see this "kitchen sink" approach from employers all the time and are trained to spot it Make sure you gather all your documentation (those scheduling app screenshots showing approved time off are gold!) and write down everything you remember about the termination conversation while it's still fresh. The inconsistency between what they told you in person vs. what they're now telling TWC actually works in your favor. Keep requesting your weekly payments no matter what happens - if you end up winning later, you'll only get paid retroactively for weeks you actually requested. Hang in there, it sounds like you handled that interview really well!

Victoria, I've been following this thread and wanted to add my perspective as someone who went through a very similar situation last year. Your story sounds almost identical to mine - my employer initially said I was terminated for "poor performance" but then told TWC I was also "unreliable" and had "attitude problems" that I'd never heard about before. What really helped me was understanding that TWC investigators are specifically trained to recognize when employers are adding reasons after the fact. During my fact-finding interview, the investigator actually asked me directly if these additional allegations had ever been discussed with me before my termination. When I said no, she made a note of it. The key thing that worked in my favor was having documentation that contradicted my employer's claims - similar to your approved time off screenshots. I had performance reviews that directly contradicted their "poor performance" claim. TWC ended up approving my benefits because they found the employer's additional reasons lacked credibility. One practical tip: if you haven't already, write down the exact questions the TWC investigator asked you and your responses while they're still fresh in your memory. If you do need to appeal later, having that detailed record of the fact-finding interview can be really valuable. You've got this - from everything you've shared, it sounds like you handled the interview perfectly and have solid documentation to back up your case. The fact that you were genuinely surprised by the new allegations is actually one of your strongest pieces of evidence that they're not legitimate!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue and this thread has been such a lifesaver! Been trying to reach TWC for 6 days straight and my claim has been stuck on "pending review" for about 2 weeks now. Every single trick I've tried - calling at different times, the automated lines, even different phone numbers - nothing works. The employer contest issue that so many people have mentioned is really making me nervous. I was laid off due to "restructuring" but my former company has been pretty shady about other things, so now I'm wondering if they reported my termination incorrectly to avoid paying unemployment taxes. The fact that I haven't gotten any determination letters despite weeks of review is starting to make more sense. Definitely going to try Claimyr based on all the success stories here - @Lilly Curtis, @Arnav Bengali, and others have convinced me it's worth the investment. At this point I'd rather pay a small fee than continue this phone system nightmare while my bills keep piling up. Also going to make sure I keep submitting those payment requests since apparently they'll backpay approved weeks. Thank you to everyone who's shared real solutions and experiences instead of just generic advice. This community has been more helpful than anything I've found on the official TWC website!

I've been following this thread closely and decided to finally join the community because I'm going through the exact same nightmare! Been trying to reach TWC for 11 days straight with absolutely zero success - just busy signals, hangups, or getting stuck in endless hold loops that eventually disconnect. My claim has been stuck on "pending review" for over 3 weeks now with no explanation whatsoever. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both incredibly helpful and deeply frustrating - helpful because I now have actual solutions to try, but frustrating because it's clear TWC's phone system is completely broken for thousands of people right now. The employer contest pattern that keeps coming up throughout this thread is really concerning me too. I was laid off due to "budget constraints" but my former employer has been sketchy about other things, so now I'm genuinely worried they might have reported it incorrectly. Based on all the consistent success stories from @Lilly Curtis, @Arnav Bengali, and so many others, I'm definitely going to try Claimyr. It's ridiculous that we have to pay a third-party service just to access our own unemployment benefits, but at this point I'd rather invest in a solution than continue this endless phone system hell while my rent and bills keep piling up. Also really appreciate everyone sharing the tip about continuing to submit payment requests even during review - I had no idea they would backpay for approved weeks! Going to make sure I keep doing that while waiting for help. This community has been more useful than any official TWC resource I've found. Thank you all for sharing real solutions instead of just generic advice!