Hey Jayden, I went through almost the exact same thing last year and wanted to share what worked for me. Like others mentioned, you probably won't qualify for a new UI claim in December based on your wages, but don't lose hope yet. First, definitely do the gig work thing - I started with Uber Eats and DoorDash while job hunting and it helped cover gas and some bills. Not great money but better than nothing. Second, call 211 ASAP about rental assistance. In my county they had an emergency program that covered 3 months of rent for people who'd exhausted unemployment. The waiting list was long but I got approved. Most importantly - expand your job search beyond warehouse/retail. I was stuck in that same mindset and it took me 7 months to find work. Finally got hired at a small manufacturing company through their temp-to-hire program. The pay was actually better than my warehouse job. Check indeed for "temp to hire" and "entry level manufacturing" - there are more opportunities than you'd think. Also, if you have a car, look into Amazon delivery driver positions. They're always hiring and usually start around $16-18/hour with benefits after 90 days. Not ideal long-term but it's steady income while you keep looking. You've got this - 8 months of job hunting is brutal but don't give up. The right opportunity will come along.

I've been following this thread and wanted to add a few things that might help. I work as a benefits counselor and see situations like yours regularly. First, regarding your December reapplication - based on the wages you mentioned ($3,400 in January + $1,100 in March), you'll fall short of the minimum earnings requirement. You'd need about $16,169 total in your base period, and you're probably around $4,500. However, there are some options people haven't mentioned: 1. **Pandemic-era debt relief**: If you're struggling with bills, contact your utility companies directly. Many still have hardship programs that can defer payments or reduce bills. 2. **Texas Rent Relief Program**: While the main program ended, some cities/counties still have local rental assistance. Check your county's website or call their housing authority. 3. **Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)**: This federal program provides funding for job training and education. You might qualify for free certification programs in high-demand fields like CDL, medical assistant, or IT support. 4. **Texas Department of State Health Services**: They have emergency assistance programs that aren't widely advertised. The key is to apply for everything you might qualify for while working gig jobs. I've seen people turn their situations around, but it usually takes combining multiple forms of assistance rather than relying on just one program. Don't give up - there are more safety net programs available than most people realize.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Just completed my ID.me verification 4 days ago and my account is still showing ineligible. This entire thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea it was a manual review process that could take up to 2 weeks. I've been panicking thinking I did something wrong with the verification. What really stood out to me was Victoria's advice about continuing to request payments even while showing ineligible. I wasn't sure if I should keep doing that, but it makes total sense to maintain the schedule so you don't miss out once it gets resolved. I also just set up text alerts after reading Giovanni's suggestion. The hardest part is definitely the uncertainty and lack of communication from TWC about what's happening behind the scenes. But knowing that 7-10 business days seems to be the normal timeline for most people gives me hope. I'll try to be patient for another week before considering calling or using that Claimyr service. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's such a relief to know this delay is unfortunately normal!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Completed my ID.me verification 8 days ago and still stuck on the dreaded "ineligible" status. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge relief - I was starting to convince myself that I had somehow screwed up the verification process. The most helpful thing I've learned from this thread is that it's actually a manual review process that can take 7-10+ business days, not some automatic system update like I initially thought. I've been checking my account like 5 times a day expecting it to magically flip to eligible overnight, which was just making my anxiety worse. I'm definitely going to follow the advice about continuing to request payments even while showing ineligible - that makes total sense so you don't miss out once everything gets resolved. Also just set up those text alerts that Giovanni mentioned so I can stop obsessively logging in every few hours. The lack of transparency from TWC is honestly the most frustrating part. A simple "verification under review - please allow 7-10 business days" message would save so much stress for all of us going through this. But knowing that most people eventually get it resolved within 2 weeks gives me hope. Thanks everyone for sharing your timelines and keeping each other sane during this nightmare waiting period!

I'm sorry you went through such a difficult situation at work. Based on what you've described, it sounds like you have a strong case for constructive dismissal. The fact that your employer didn't even show up to the hearing and had their written statement excluded is actually a positive development for you. Your documentation over the 4-month period showing you tried to address the issues is crucial evidence. Even though your boss didn't explicitly say "quit or be fired," the pattern of behavior you described - the hostile environment, medical discrimination, job changes without proper notice or training, and her comments about the job "not being the best fit" and suggesting resignation would "look better" - can absolutely constitute constructive dismissal under Texas law. The TWC officer's focus on whether she directly said "quit or be fired" is understandable, but constructive dismissal doesn't require those exact words. What matters is whether a reasonable person in your situation would have felt compelled to resign due to the working conditions. Keep your documentation organized and stay positive. The fact that you have 4 months of evidence showing you tried to resolve issues and that your employer failed to participate in the hearing works in your favor. Hoping you get a favorable decision soon!

Just an important note for anyone with disaster-related claims: make sure you're still completing the work search requirements unless you've been explicitly exempted. Many disaster claimants think they don't need to search for work, but unless TWC has specifically waived this requirement for your disaster area, you still need to complete and report your minimum 3 work search activities each week. Otherwise, you could be disqualified even after winning your appeal.

Congratulations Sofia! This is such an inspiring story and exactly what people in similar situations need to hear. I'm currently dealing with my own disaster claim that got miscategorized after Hurricane Delilah hit our area too. My landscaping business was completely shut down for weeks due to flooding, but somehow TWC coded it as "seasonal employment ended" instead of disaster-related. I'm in the middle of my first appeal right now and this gives me so much hope that persistence pays off. The documentation tip is gold - I've been collecting everything I can find including county disaster declarations, business closure notices, and even photos of our flooded equipment yard. Thank you for sharing your experience and not giving up! Stories like yours remind the rest of us that we're not alone in fighting these bureaucratic battles.

Just to update you on current timelines - I had another client with a disaster appeal from the January flooding get their hearing date yesterday. They filed their appeal on February 10th, so that's about 38 days to get the hearing scheduled. The actual hearing is set for April 2nd (so another two weeks out). This seems to be the current timeline for most disaster-related appeals right now.

I'm in a similar situation with a disaster claim from the same flooding in January. Filed my appeal on Feb 15th and still waiting. One thing that's helped me stay sane is setting up a simple spreadsheet to track all my attempts to contact TWC - date, time, who I spoke with (if anyone), what they said. Also screenshot your online account weekly showing the "Appeal Pending" status. I learned this from my previous regular UI claim - having documentation helps a lot if you need to escalate later. Hang in there, it sounds like we should both hear something soon based on what others are saying about the 35-45 day timeline.