I wanted to share some information I got from calling TWC (finally got through). This pertains particularly to my fellow 1000+ colleagues laid off from NB last week. So I finally got some straight answers from unemployment I thought would be helpful to everyone. 1. They will backdate a DUA claim if they skipped a furlough week, but you have to call and get them to fix it manually. 2. Any vacation pay paid out after your “separation date” with the company doesn’t count towards your pay for that week. So you would still get unemployment that week minus the hours you worked. Any vacation taken prior to your “separation date” would be considered pay and has to be reported to UE if it’s during your claim. 3. You do have to report the severance pay (If you got it), even though it’s a lump sum. It will either count towards just that week or it will count towards the weeks it covers (TWC will review it to make the determination). 4. You will still be eligible for UE $ AFTER your severance runs out. (Assuming you haven’t already maxed out Regular and DUA). 5. You can collect DUA (plus the extra $600 per week) OR Regular UE (plus the extra $600 per week) but not both at the same time. Hope all that helps! Good luck to everyone and remember it’s not just you. It was many of us. Hopefully that will bring you some consolation. Remember to network and stay safe!
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I called TWC yesterday to update from furlough to layed off and they updated my case and didn’t even ask if I received a severance package. Good luck.
Anybody getting through TWC? So what's their final ruling about the lump sum severance package?
“I received my last days pay along with unused vacation days. It did not include what I have paid for purchased flex days. Check your paystub when you get it.”
Flex days refund shows as a negative number in the pre-tax deduction section under Flex. A negative deduction is a credit.
Yes vacation was accrued. There was an email sent about it at the end of 2019.
are the vacation payment pro-rated (accrued)? seems like it.
I received my last days pay along with unused vacation days. It did not include what I have paid for purchased flex days. Check your paystub when you get it.
Is there a formula for enhanced severance?
Thank you for the update.
That was another thing I did when I called today. You have to call TWC and get them to change it from furloughed to laid off. They had to fix something for each of my furloughed weeks (that have already been paid out), back date it and do the claim for the first one they didn’t pay out yet, and mark in the system the severance date for the layoff. I told them they’d have over a 1000+ people calling that are in the same boat. This mess is going to cause even longer wait times. If you’re having trouble getting through call early in the morning a min or two before 7am and redial until you get through. It’s a pain, but eventually works.
Does anyone know if you filed during furlough weeks off and you are now permanently layed off, do you need to close out your claim and refile?
Oh and file for unemployment as soon as you can. Just report severance once it actually hits your bank account. Make regular claims until them. Most of us should already be on UE anyway because you were eligible for it during the furlough weeks.
DUA = Disaster Unemployment Assistance which is $207 plus the $600 from the CARES Act
UE = Unemployment which Is Regular Unemployment (amount differs depending on the person) plus the $600 from the CARES Act
What they told me when I was explaining it’s a lump sum severance is that we have to report it the week we get it. And they told me that it most likely would be that if it’s say 8 weeks you wouldn’t get Unemployment for those 8 weeks, but it would resume after. If you don’t report it, they can demand repayment and possibly ban you from ever receiving UE again. They also said there’s a chance they might just treat it like that weeks income. Either way they will review it. Just be prepared, TWC doesn’t like when you double dip. Other states like CA have different rules and let you if it’s a lump sum. TX does not.
Good post and very helpful but still trying to understand this. What is difference between DUA (?) and UE (unemployment?). For the severance, does that mean no benefits until the severance period is done eg 26 weeks severance = no benefit for 26 weeks? thanks!
If severance is paid in a lump sum, you only have to claim it the week you receive it. Say you got 5 weeks severance, you don’t have to wait 5 weeks to be eligible for unemployment.
Good post.