Texas

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Contact us using the form below so that we might answer your Texas Unemployment Question

Use the forms in the Services Section to file an appeal

Overview of the Texas Unemployment Compensation Appeals Process

So you were denied Unemployment Compensation Benefits by the Texas Workforce Commission.  Contact us immediately so we can help you obtain those unemployment benefits.

There are four steps involved in a Texas Unemployment Compensation Appeals procedure.

Four steps: Apply for benefits; Initial Determination by the Texas Workforce Commission; Hearing before an Texas Appeal Tribunal’s Hearing Officer; and, Appeal from the Hearing to the Texas Unemployment Appeals Compensation.

THE STEPS

1.         You become separated from your employer.  This means you were:  a. Terminated (the employer told you not to work), b. Quit (you made the decision to stop working for this employer); or, c. Laid off for lack of work (the job ended - you could not keep working because there was no more work)

2.         You file a claim for unemployment benefits.

3.         Your claim is sent to a Claims Examiner.  That Claims Examiner reviews the facts that were provided by both you and your former employer.  The Claims Examiner then issues a Determination letter that either informs that you are legally eligible for Unemployment Benefits or you are denied those benefits

4.         If you are denied benefits then you can file an appeal to the Hearing and Appeals Division.  You have fourteen  (14) calendar days to file a further appeal.  Contact the Unemployment Help Center below and we will do this for you.  Appeals must be postmarked or received no later than 14 days from the date TWC mailed you the decision form,

5.         Once your appeal is filed the next step is a Hearing before a Hearing Officer (Administrative Law Judge).  These hearings are usually conducted by telephone but they are very similar to a Courtroom Hearing you may have experienced or seen on television or in a movie.  Witnesses are placed under oath and asked questions about your employment history and, specifically, the reasons for separation from employment (fired, quit or laid off).     

This is what the Unemployment Help Center, Ltd. handles – we provide highly experienced representatives who will prepare you for your hearing and then attend the hearing with you.  We will present your testimony, make argument to the Hearing Officer and cross-examine the employer’s witnesses. 

This Hearing is a crucial step in the road to obtaining your Alabama Unemployment Benefits.  The hearing is held de novo.  This means that the Texas  Hearing Officer is not reviewing the Texas Unemployment Claim’s Examiner’s Decision, but rather listening and reading the facts as if for the first time and from the beginning.  Anything that the Texas Claims Examiner found is not under consideration – you start fresh.  Contact us for complete details about what will happen during your hearing.

6.          Appeals to the Texas Unemployment Compensation Appeals Commission.  You (or your employer) can file a further appeal from the Alabama Hearing Officer’s decision to the Texas Unemployment Compensation Appeals Commission.  The Texas Unemployment Compensation Appeals Commission will review the record made before the Texas Hearing Officer and issue a new decision.  This means the listen to (or read) the transcript of testimony to determine if there were errors of fact or law that would change the decision below. 

7.         You may also file a further appeal to the Civil Court.  This is outside the jurisdiction of the Texas Unemployment Compensation Administrative process and you should consult with your local Bar Association at this point.