r/Unemployment

I was recently let go from a job as a contractor through a staffing agency. Since the seperation resulted in my contracted being ended with the client the staffing agency was working with, I was told that I could file under "lack of work" since my contract was ended.

Weeks later, I discover my UI claim is held up due to Issue on File. After reaching out and speaking with the DOL, I was told that they reached out to my most recent employer, and they replied with stating that I was still employed with them full-time. Obviously, this is not correct because my last workday was 4/17.

I've been unable to reach HR directly, I finally got hold of Payroll dept, and the person I spoke with stated that they did not receive any correspondance from the DOL. The information I'm being told is contradictory to what was told to me directly by the DOL representative.

At this time, I do not know what to do because it feels like the previous employer is not cooperating and I'm now stuck in a loop because both sides are contradicting the given information about my situation.

I figured that the best solution would be to request a letter of proof of seperation from HR to then forward to the DoL adjucations dept with the last date of employment. However, HR has either been unreachable, or seem to be giving me the run around. To further complicate things, the automated system provided a number for employment verification that is incorrect - I called the number and it turns out to be a contact for an Auto Parts Dealer.

I need some advice on how to proceed here since the employer does not seem to be cooperating or has any reliable channels of communication.

The worse possible scenario seems to be that the adjucations dept, will have to conduct an investigation that will take 4 to 6 weeks in which that time I will not be receiving any benefits.

I was laid off April 10th in Texas.

I was given a severance package and had to sign a termination agreement. It was a company wide restructuring.

Texas's unemployment office called me yesterday asking questions about my claim. They asked if I received any final funds. I confirmed I was given a severance with my PTO and 3 months of salary as my job was outsourced to India.

Today I got a letter for Texas stating 1 am disqualified for unemployment because I received a severance payment.

Anyone have any advice or help?

The Exact Writing:

Decision: We cannot pay you benefits for the period below.

Reason for Decision: The additional payment you received from your last employer disqualifies you.

If we were to lie while filing for unemployment, we would get in trouble. Is it the same for the employers?

A little bit of a backstory:
I left a job due to certain circumstances and found a new job surprisingly quickly, so I started there. A little bit after I started, my babysitter (who was my mom, staying at my house to help out), needed to go back to our home state for medical reasons. I spoke to the employer and asked them if there was any possible way they could temporarily work with my 1 year old’s daycare schedule as my mother needed to go home for a medical procedure with no known healing timeframe because she autoimmune diseases that make healing take a bit of time for her. We spent the next day or two going back and forth with questions and answers and at the end of that, the manager informed me that she preferred to “split ways” with me instead of working with a daycare schedule, so I could go ahead and clock out and leave. A couple weeks after that, I had to go get paperwork for the state and the HR lady literally said “oh, you were let go (AKA-fired) for ‘attendance’.” Which also, wasn’t true because my attendance was fine, but she *did* acknowledge that I was FIRED, not quit.
Fast forward to now, I’m trying to claim unemployment because I’m struggling to find another job, despite applying for (well) over 100 jobs.
I received correspondence recently saying that the employer is claiming that it was a “voluntary quit” which it was not. I responded on the beacon with the situation. So I’m now awaiting a phone interview, I guess? I’m not sure. I called and they said I should have one so keep my eye out.
That being said- do *they* get in trouble for lying? Just out of curiosity because this is all insane. My unemployment has been on hold for 5 going on 6 weeks, I’ve lost my childcare, I’m struggling to find another job that wants to work with a daycare schedule as it is, but with zero childcare because gig work isn’t the highest paying - is almost impossible. (I have no family, friends, etc here because I am not from here.)

TLDR: can i be accepted for unemployment if job offered me employment for overnight shifts for a few months but employee has yet to come back so i can switch over to daytime shifts. / do i have any other options like medical wise.

Some context to the job.. I had originally applied to be a regular worker at this company but because of my experience they decided to offer me a supervisor role which I had accepted with the guarantee I’d be switched over to daytime while still retaining the supervisor role in around a month.

Reason why position needed to be filled: Both overnight supervisors were away on medical leave, leaving only the daytime supervisors having to work their shifts for the time being until I came by.

After accepting the position I then got an email stating it would now be 2-4 months until the overnight supervisors would return. Which at first was weird but I paid no mind to it since I was still under the assumption that it wouldn’t take longer than a month. I had also informed them early on I had other responsibilities such as school and that it was important that I don’t remain in this overnight position as long because of how demanding school currently is for me.

Current situation: Its now been around 3 months and the 2nd supervisor has yet to come and keeps pushing his come back date further and further. I feel I’ve been very patient with them and I’ve grown tired of having to work these overnight shifts so much so that they’ve been affecting my productivity/ grades in class and because I’m so exhausted all the time I can barely focus and don’t get much sleep throughout the week. Now I’ve spoken to them already about any solutions to this and every answer is just basically that I’m stuck in the overnight role until the dudes back or I can give up the position and work as a regular worker which to me is something I really would like to avoid doing since the day would be docked by a lot. i’m not given much of an option besides stay and deal with it or choose to be demoted.

Unemployment question: I’m to the point where I’d rather quit and receive unemployment so I can focus completely on school while still gathering some kind of income for a bit until I graduate. Do I have any ground to leave and try to report for unemployment due to I guess false pretenses? Or possibly anything else i can report or am I just going to be denied.. I really need some help with this because it’s really getting to me and I’d really appreciate the help.

keep in mind i’ve been having to leave for medical reasons as well. which i haven’t communicated to them due to the fact that they don’t accept excuse notes so i didn’t see the point of even brining it up in the first place but i have a paper trail if needed.

If you have any questions so you can answer my question more thoroughly I’ll try to answer as detailed as I can.

[New Jersey] I files for unemployment April 26 and submitted all documents and verified identity. I certified payment that is pending, unfortunately I cannot reach a real person.

On the main page, it says that I may not qualify to receive payments for my application because of)

1. I haven’t met earnings requirements - (I don’t know why I wouldn’t, base salary was $80k with bonus

2. My job type isn’t eligible - I don’t know what this means. I’m pretty sure it was as the company gave a bunch of NJ unemployment resources post lay off.

3. They need more information - I uploaded everything and haven’t received an email or call

I cannot reach a real person so I feel lost

Long post, but I want to be thorough because I genuinely think TWC is in the wrong here and I'm hoping someone has navigated something similar. 

Background: I was separated from my full-time job at a marketing company in late February 2026. I filed for unemployment. TWC investigated and ruled in my favor. I was approved and started receiving payments. 

The DoorDash issue: While unemployed, I did occasional DoorDash deliveries for supplemental income as the work separation created an immediate financial hardship financial hardship. However, I had been doing Door Dash since October to bridge financial gaps even with a full-time job. So, it’s not like I was Door Dashing all of a sudden. I’d lost my main source of income and was applying for unemployment accordingly, while continuing to Door Dash. 

I reported every single dollar to TWC every week I filed — no exceptions. This was never hidden. But DoorDash was not my job and it never was. It was gig work. Furthermore, I never "quit" — I just did fewer deliveries as I got closer to finding full-time work, which I eventually did a few weeks ago. (EDIT: a couple of you have pointed this out and it does sound intentional. Apologies. I did fewer deliveries as I got closer to finding full-time work because my job search activities were increasing and taking up more time, and therefore the time making deliveries was decreasing. I was Dashing more at night because my job search activities were during the day. Some nights I would log into the app and would not get offers. I would "work" but not deliver ... because there were fewer deliveries when I wasn't Dashing all day/night, etc, etc). I filed for my waiting week when it was appropriate and received it.

Where it went sideways: TWC then issued a determination saying they couldn't pay me because I "quit DoorDash to look for another job" (March 20). Weird framing, but okay. Then in May — after I had already found a full-time job and stopped filing for benefits on my own — they issued a second, contradictory determination saying I quit DoorDash "for personal reasons." Different reason. Different disqualification start date. Same company. Same me. In the weeks leading up to this reversal, I'd had two phone conversations with the same account person at TWC, so I'm not sure where wires may have been crossed.

And now: Based on that revised DoorDash determination, they retroactively decided I wasn't eligible for my main unemployment benefits either, and now claim I owe $2,420 in overpayment. 

I’m in the process of appealing. Anyone have any words of advice or warning? Thanks.

[New Jersey] I accidentally applied for NJ unemployment while I should have applied for PA unemployment. I am not able to submit an application in PA until I cancel my NJ one.

I am getting mixed answers between simply stop certifying weekly payments to cancel it to speaking to someone directly.

I am assuming it’s going to be the latter, but no matter what time of day I call, their system does not put you on hold, and instead tells you to call back later or on a different business day and immediately hangs up.

Is there any other option I have than to call them 100 times a day and hope to get through once?

So a couple months ago I had a back injury and have been going to physical therapy/ doctor regularly. I was pushed by my company to start working light duty within a few days of first doctors appointment. My condition worsened severely to the point I couldn’t stand, sit, or walk without unbearable pain. I went home early one day telling my supervisor I was in a lot of pain and didn’t return after that. Told them I need to take a medical leave for my injury to heal and I’m unable to work. Pretty sure they haven’t put me on a leave and are giving me attendance points for it. I haven’t heard about being let go but pretty sure that’s what’s gonna happen, would I still be eligible for unemployment if I get terminated for this type of attendance issue when I have a severe back injury and am taking prescription meds and PT? I’ve mostly seen that being terminated can disqualify you from unemployment unless there’s a valid documented reason.

I know some of you have been here longer than me. I see you. This one is for you.

89 days ago I got laid off. No warning, no performance review, nothing. Just a calendar invite that showed up at 8:47am and a 12 minute call where HR read from a script. I had $900 in my account and rent was due in 18 days.

The first few weeks I was applying to everything. 15, sometimes 20 applications a day. I stopped being picky around week three. I was applying to roles I was overqualified for, roles I had no business applying to, anything that looked like it could pay my bills.

The callbacks were rare. The interviews were worse.

I did a full weekend take home for a company I really wanted. Sunday night I sent it over, went to bed feeling good about it. Never heard from them again. I still have the draft saved on my desktop.

I made it to a final round somewhere else after five weeks of back and forth. The hiring manager opened the call, said they had decided to go in a different direction internally, and ended it. The whole thing lasted four minutes.

By month two I was genuinely struggling. Not just with the job search, with everything. I would wake up and feel that weight before I even checked my phone. Every interview felt like another chance to disappoint myself.

The anxiety was the worst part. I would get on a Zoom call knowing I was qualified, knowing I could do the job, and the moment someone asked me something I did not expect I would just fall apart. Freeze, ramble, lose them. I could feel it happening and could not stop it.

Then I changed one thing about how I was showing up to interviews.

Six rounds at the same company. I was sharp in every single one. Signed my offer letter this morning.

If you want to know what I changed, drop a comment. I will reply to everyone.

So in a nutshell: I've been struggling for over a year and only made around 15k last year. On my recent financial determination, I met 2 of the 3 criteria needed but the total altogether for the claim year wasn't enough. I was laid off, the employer confirmed, my highest quarter was fine, no problem qualifying otherwise. I looked it up and if I'd made just $164 more I would have met the financial eligibility.

So my question is:

I worked for a friend last year housesitting over Thanksgiving week and made around 300... BUT I got paid in cash. How would I go about adding that income, proving that it actually happened, or is that even advisable to add at all? I'm not working at the moment and UC would provide some cushion until I start a new job.

Hi. When I was laid off, it was an in-person meeting in the last 20 minutes of the workday saying they were ending their contract with a large client that happened to be assigned to me and a partner. Because of this, there was "not enough work to keep everyone". They were deciding for a month which of us to let go and decided on me.

I filed for unemployment benefits for "lack of work". Three months later as I've been studying for a certification exam for my professional development before starting a new job search, I got a letter from the Department of Labor saying my former employer claims they fired me for my attendance. While I was guilty of not good attendance and could have been fired at any point in the two years I was there, they are changing their story as to why I was let go.

Almost everyone (6 out of 7) was late to work. I know this does not excuse my latenesses but then why just lay me off then if they claim that was their reason? They even offered to be a reference for me in my job search. Why offer to be a reference if I was fired for my attendance?

I emailed my former bosses to clarify this and they haven't responded.

I received a questionnaire asking for more information from me and all I could give were texts from a coworker saying that the manager announced my getting laid off, them not getting enough work from that client as proof. Also, an email between my former boss and I about what contact info he'd prefer when listed as a reference.

What else can I do here?

So today I was fired at my job because I "didn't fit in" and that I wasn't always smiling. I had only been working there for 2 and a half weeks. Within the first week the boss told my manager that I needed to smile more, quote, "I want that girl gone, she doesn't smile enough."

I was talked to and I immediately tried to do better. I was getting many compliments from customers and had people asking for me all the time.

Today I walk in and I'm fired immediately for the reason I stated above.

It was an At-Will job, as I was a bartender. I'm just wondering if with those reasons for firing me, would it be worth it to try to file for unemployment? I'm kind of at a standstill on jobs since I'm in such a small town.

They denied my claim because supposedly I missed my interview even though I have proof sent by them that I did in fact interview. Can I still collect unemployment for the months that I did not receive any $? Yes, I survived but I took a big hit on my savings, credit score and 401k

Timeline

Father had surgery for a torn ACL Tuesday am. Was supposed to be routine. However, following surgery, he developed AFIB and was sent to cardio at the hospital where they admitted him. They then admitted him overnight as well. he was there until Wednesday night, discharged but still has AFIB. Anyways, not only can be not walk from surgery, he now had to be monitored with his AFIB. My week became a blur, I had to check in with him, help out for a few days, and generally mentally fatigued.

Anyways, the deadline for reporting the prior 2 weeks was that Saturday, and I missed it. I logged in the following week, when things calmed down, and realized I forgot to report. I reported, and was subsequently denied, not only the 2 weeks prior, but the week of the father's surgery - so 3 weeks no payment.

Anyways, I fulfilled all my requirements like job searching for those 3 weeks, I simply forgot to report.

I filed an appeal shortly after, which included my father hospital discharge papers which showed he has knee surgery and also has AFIB. I explained this is why I missed the deadline.

Month later, I get a generic redetermination letter saying I've been denied, and good cause wasnt established, or something like that. What?

I have one more option, which is to appeal and I think it's goes to a magistrate. I am looking for advice and opinions on this situation... Is it normal? Am I screwed? Should I appeal again?

Thanks!

Anyone else getting this notice from the site? "Due to maintenance May 8th-10th for US Bank, unemployment benefits may be delayed by 1-2 business days".

I mean it sucks but I'll survive waiting a day. I hope we get lucky and it does hit tomorrow. Never could get direct deposit to work.

So last month I got fired due to an argument with my boss. Things got heated and words were said, and I was told to go home and leave for the day. Missed the next day of work (called in) and when I showed up that Friday, the big boss man said I was fired and they were letting me go.

So now I submitted a claim for unemployment about a month ago and now I have to appeal because they said I got fired for misconduct. My only real question to ask is if I signed a form or some kind of document for misconduct when I was getting fired, does that mean I just made myself ineligible to receive unemployment?

The whole incident just happened on a construction jobsite between me and the acting foreman, over installing a pipe, which got out of hand. The only thing I had prior to this as an issue is I got a write up for coming in late, but other than that there were no other issues. Just curious to see if I stand a chance with my appeal.

P.S. I don't quite remember if I did sign any forms when I got fired, it happened so fast when I got let go and Im asking just so I know or have some of idea to expect going forward with the appeal.

[Illinois]…. i’m confused on how this works. I’ve never fall for Unemployment forever ever in life so I got released from my job December 11 due to doctors restrictions no lifting, push, pushing or pulling 10 pounds…my job wouldn’t accommodate me so I filed for unemployment around December 12th … and started looking for secondary jobs like cashier clerical work, Desk job. My job immediately caused me to tell me they’re contest it … i’m like ok whatever … was denied because they wanted me able and available to work and prove it … I started certifying and looking for a job and uploading it I had adjudication hearing .. it went well she saw my work search and certification and told me to keep doing it … I hear something within 7 to 10 days now I appealed because I was denied and when I didn’t hear from him after a few weeks, I called and that’s how I ended up with the adjudication hearing she said they never got my letter denying the appeal. Months later I get a letter for the appeal .. stating if I wanted to to mail proof that I wanted to use to them and my employer… I submitted the doctors excuse saying I could return to work just with the restrictions I sent in the email with my job said sorry you can’t come back to work until after your restrictions are lifted… The hearing was today no show from my employer… the judge was rude loud and mean as hell over talking me … me thinking this was the EVERYTHING and not for 1 week that I didn’t certify this was at the very beginning for one week I totally forgot due to having to rush to michigan to see about my mother being hospitalized… there after I uploaded work search and kept certifying from the end of December until now nothing no payments The judge called me today and he focused on that one week that’s it. That’s all. I’m like I thought this was about overall the entire time that I will certify and uploading work search he said no. he looked at my work search that he had available and laughed and gave a snide comment like u applied for unemployment with your restrictions “ sir I applied for a cashier job “ anyways I know i’ll be denied for that week 12/14-12/27 .. what wasn’t all the other months considered or when will it be I haven’t heard anything about my pending case … just my claim is active .. ok active to what ? i’m not getting any payments so why am I still certifying … i’m confused

I was laid off from my job of 5 years, on 4/24/26 my schedule was 11 am-8pm monday- Friday job,, the company offered me a new position3:30pm-12:00 am, working all weekends, with monday and thursday off, does that count a drastic change for unemploymer applied for unemployment but ar. worried that if I dont accept new offer that I will be disqualified. I have a child in school, and dont have childcare on weekends. I believe this is unsuitable for my needs. Any experience with similar situations, or advice would be appreciated.

Hello, I am currently on unemployment and I guess my url was detected out of the US. I am in an industry where I only work remote. I have been actively applying to many many many many jobs and conducting interviews, talking to people on LinkedIn and generally being insanely active on all of the activities they need me to. I’m also traveling in another country to get training for my job.

They denied my weekly claim. Does this mean that I’ve lost all my benefits? I’m not sure how to fix this situation and I’m freaking out.

I was let go on 4/10/26 after being out sick with Norovirus and providing a doctor’s note excusing me. Before that, I also had a death in the family (my father) and communicated everything including the obituary, updates, etc.

The termination meeting was maybe 5 minutes long. They brought me in and basically just said I was being let go due to “discrepancies.” No prior warning, no write ups, no verbal coaching, no explanation beyond that, nothing.

I filed for unemployment with Michigan UIA that same day and uploaded EVERYTHING I had:

• doctor’s notes
• emails
• texts
• HR communication
• proof I kept them informed
• even an HR email thread where I asked about an extended LOA due to mental health
• Any paperwork UIA requested and I have certified every week.

UIA called me today and said my employer is claiming I submitted a fraudulent doctor’s note. I absolutely did not. I gave UIA the doctor’s name, license number, address, everything they could need to verify it.

I also uploaded my employee file that my old employer sent me and it literally shows I was never written up, never given a verbal warning, never disciplined, nothing. Being fired completely blindsided me.

The UIA rep said she’s forwarding everything to the claims examiner for a determination.

What are my chances of this being approved in Michigan? And if I get denied, what’s the appeal process actually look like? This is all new to me and I feel like I’ve provided every piece of proof possible showing I communicated everything and followed the proper steps.