I'm a mail carrier and wanted to chime in here - USPS has been having serious delivery delays lately, especially with government checks. We've had staffing issues and some routes are running 3-5 days behind schedule. That said, if your Informed Delivery showed the check was coming Friday and it's now Monday with no delivery, definitely start the TWC replacement process. Don't wait any longer since you have rent due soon. Also, quick tip: sometimes checks get delivered to the wrong address and neighbors hold onto mail for days before bringing it over. Might be worth knocking on a few doors nearby just in case. The bank freeze explanation everyone mentioned makes total sense for why TWC switched you to paper - their system is super sensitive to any banking issues. Good luck getting through to them tomorrow!

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and it was such a nightmare! My direct deposit had been working perfectly for months, then suddenly TWC sent a paper check that never arrived. After reading through all these responses, I'm kicking myself because I waited almost 2 weeks before calling them - don't make my mistake! When I finally got through to TWC (used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and it actually worked), they told me my bank had reported a "technical error" during one deposit attempt, which automatically triggered their system to switch me to paper checks. The frustrating part is they had already successfully retried the direct deposit, but their system doesn't automatically switch back - it stays on paper checks until you manually fix it. For your immediate situation, definitely call first thing tomorrow at 8am sharp. Ask them to run a payment trace first (like the TWC coordinator suggested) and explain your rent deadline. They expedited my replacement when I mentioned potential eviction. Also, when you get this resolved, make sure to update your direct deposit info through the TWC portal - don't just do it over the phone, because sometimes that doesn't stick in their system. One more thing - if the check does randomly show up after you get a replacement issued, DO NOT cash both! You'll have to return one or they'll deduct it from future benefits. Learned that from someone else's mistake. Hang in there, this will get resolved!

Reading through everyone's experiences here is so reassuring! I'm currently waiting for my Commission decision after appealing a "misconduct" determination that should have been classified as a layoff. It's been 5 weeks so far and the anxiety is real. But seeing that most people get their payments within 3-7 business days after winning the appeal gives me hope that the hardest part is just getting that favorable decision. Emma, congrats on getting your money in 6 days! That timeline seems pretty consistent with what others have shared. I've been keeping up with my payment requests during the appeal process based on the advice here, so hopefully that will help speed things up once I (hopefully) win. Thanks to everyone for sharing their real experiences - it's way more helpful than the generic info you get elsewhere!

I'm currently going through my first appeal process and this entire thread has been incredibly valuable! It's so helpful to see real timelines from people who've actually been through this rather than trying to decode TWC's vague official information. Emma, congratulations on getting your payment in 6 days - that must have been such a huge relief after fighting for 2 months! What really stands out to me from everyone's experiences is how consistent the 3-7 business day timeline seems to be once you get that favorable Commission decision, especially with direct deposit. I'm about 4 weeks into waiting for my decision, and knowing that the payment processing moves relatively quickly after winning gives me something to look forward to. For anyone else currently in appeals, it seems like the key takeaways are: keep doing your payment requests during the process, make sure direct deposit is set up, and don't panic if the status shows "pending" for several days after the reversal. The Commission decision is definitely the biggest hurdle - everything after that appears to be pretty straightforward. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here!

I work as a paralegal and see unemployment cases regularly. Your employer's HR is absolutely bluffing - they're hoping to reduce their unemployment insurance costs by scaring people out of filing legitimate claims. In Texas, accepting severance from a layoff does NOT disqualify you from unemployment benefits after the severance period ends. The TWC specifically states that severance pay is considered wages for work already performed, not a disqualifier for future benefits. What matters is the reason for separation (layoff = eligible), not whether you received severance. Take the money, document everything, and file your claim. If they do contest it, you'll likely win on appeal since you have a legitimate layoff situation. Don't let them intimidate you out of benefits you've earned!

I went through a very similar situation in 2023 when my tech company did layoffs. They also tried to scare us into thinking we had to choose between severance and unemployment - it's a common intimidation tactic to reduce their UI costs. I took my 6-week severance package AND filed for unemployment immediately. TWC approved my claim but benefits didn't start until after the severance period ended, exactly as it should work. The key things that helped me: 1) Made sure my termination letter said "position elimination due to restructuring" instead of any voluntary language, 2) Applied for unemployment the day after my last work day, 3) Reported my severance accurately when filing. My former employer didn't even contest the claim once they realized I had proper documentation. Don't let them bully you out of benefits you're entitled to!

UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who helped! I was able to get in through the backdoor link that @profile1 shared and submit my payment request on time. I also managed to get through to TWC this morning by calling right when they opened (7:00 AM exactly). The agent confirmed there was an issue with how my ID.me account was linked in their system. She said something about "mismatched identity tokens" and had to manually update something on their end. She also mentioned this is happening to a lot of people right now and they're working on a fix. For anyone else having this problem, definitely call TWC directly to get it permanently fixed, but try that backdoor link as a temporary solution if your payment request deadline is approaching!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Been stuck in the ID.me loop for 4 days and my payment request is due tomorrow. I've tried everything - different browsers, clearing cache, incognito mode, you name it. Going to try that backdoor link that @Kevin Bell shared since I'm running out of time. This is so stressful when you're already dealing with unemployment and then the system meant to help you just... doesn't work. Has anyone found out if there's a pattern to when this happens? Like is it related to when you first created your ID.me account or something else?

I just wanted to follow up and say thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and timelines! This thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding how TWC's payment processing works. It's such a relief to know that the "processed" status is such a reliable indicator, and hearing from people with months or years of experience really put my mind at ease. I'm going to set up those mobile alerts everyone mentioned and definitely start filing on Sunday nights going forward. The stress of waiting when bills are due just isn't worth cutting it close! I'll update everyone Friday morning when (hopefully) the deposit hits. Really grateful for this community - dealing with unemployment is stressful enough without having to guess about payment timing!

I've been collecting unemployment for about 6 months now and can definitely relate to that filing anxiety when bills are tight! Since your status shows "processed," you're in really good shape for Friday morning. I use USAA and have tracked this pretty carefully - Tuesday filings with processed status hit my account Friday around 2-3 AM about 98% of the time. The only delays I've seen are when there's a banking holiday or if TWC flags something for manual review (which clearly didn't happen since you're already processed). One thing that really helped me was setting up a separate checking account just for unemployment deposits - that way I can see exactly when it hits without it getting mixed up with other transactions. Also, most banks have a "pending transactions" section where ACH deposits sometimes show up Thursday evening before posting Friday morning. Definitely check that Thursday night if you want a preview! You should be good to go for Friday - hang in there!